Syria’s new leaders have urged the country’s Christian communities, among them the Armenian community to not live in fear, as a new government that is being led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), begins to take shape after ousting President Bashar al-Assad last week, ending his and his father’s decades-long reign in that country.
The country’s new leaders have held meetings with representatives of Syria’s minority Christian communities in the capital Damascus, as well as in the heavily Armenian-populated Aleppo, said Zarmig Boghigian, the editor of the Kantsasar newspaper, in an interview with the Yerevan-based Yerkir.
Boghigian said that Syria’s new authorities are attempting to reassure the Christian communities that they can go about life with any fears of persecution, telling them to “stop being afraid.”
Sunday Mass was celebrated in all Armenian churches in Aleppo and elsewhere and life was returning to a semblance of normalcy, with schools opening and militants not patrolling the streets anymore, Boghigian explained. All schools, churches and institutions were forced to close when anti-government forces started their move to oust the al-Assad government two weeks ago, beginning with the seizure of Aleppo.
Yet the economic woes plaguing Syria continue to their toll. Boghigian explained that while stores are open, the prices for basic goods continue to fluctuate and increase. The economic uncertainty is worrying many in the Armenian community.
She also reported that all roads have now been opened and people can freely move around and travel to various parts of the country, as well as Lebanon from where they can go to Armenia. She cautioned, however, that many people have homes and businesses in Syria and leaving all that behind will not be an easy decision for some families.
Boghigian also said that while Syria’s new leaders are promising calm, Israel’s continued attacks on Syrian military positions in Latakia are scaring the community in general, as the impact of the bombings is felt in cities near the target.
The Armenian foreign ministry on Monday voiced its support for the Syria people and called for peace and stability in the region.
“We stand firmly by the friendly Syrian people in this decisive moment for their history and support the inclusive and peaceful political transition process, with strong believe that tolerance and national unity are the sole way to stability and peace in Syria and the entire region,” the foreign ministry said in a post on X.
The foreign ministry also announced that Armenia’s embassy in Damascus has resumed its activities, adding the Armenian Consulate in Aleppo will also resume its operation soon.
