Damaging Christian Symbols in Ras Al-Ayn, Syria – Exclusive

Archbishop Eusthathius Matta Roham
Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jezira and Euphrates
OCP News Service- OCP Exclusive
7/2/13

Syria: Damaging Christian Symbols in Ras Al-Ayn

Seventy-five year old Constantine Junan, a native of Ras Al-Ayn, Syria, insisted he stay in his home even after ten weeks of intense fighting in the city. This week, he was finally forced out by rebels. The rebels came to him after midnight and threatened his life and the life of his son, Junan, who had stayed with his father as others fled the city. Constantine was convinced that the men were intending to kill him and his son unless he obeyed their orders. He asked them to allow him to stay until sunrise, promising to leave then. In the morning, Constantine and Junan went into the church to pray and to receive the blessings of St. Thomas from the icon there. They were very sad to see that many of the metal, wood and stone crosses inside the church were broken. Constantine knew that the rebels forced him to leave his hometown so that he would not be an eyewitness to what was to happen there in the coming period.

Constantine informed me personally about all this after he left Ras Al-Ayn on 27th Sunday morning. The photos of churches, which I later received, were taken after the Kurdish forces were able to free the Street of Churches in Ras Al-Ayn from rebel control. These thirty eight attached photos express the current situation in the little town, and show the extent of damage done to our Christian symbols at the hands of one group of rebels, namely the Suqoor Al-Sunna (which means “The Eagles of Al-Sunna”).

There have been many other incidents of insulting Christian symbols. Mr. Anwar, an Evangelist from Hassake, mentioned to me that his daughter recently travelled to Damascus in a bus owned by a Christian travel company. At one check point, a group of rebels stopped the bus and pulled off the cross present on the bus. They then forced Christians to shout the Muslim witnessing prayer: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet”. They also forced all the women to cover their heads like Muslim women.

When the Kurdish forces drove away the rebels from the Street of Churches in Ras Al-Ayn, they wrote their positive words over the negative words of Suqoor Al-Sunna. The intention of the Kurdish forces was to show their sympathy with Christians and with all other peaceful people of the town, though unfortunately this made it more difficult to read the negative words from the rebels that made clear their feelings toward the Christians.

However, we were still able to read what the Suqoor Al-Sunna had written on the walls and gate of St. Thomas Church. The following writings explain the mindset and plans of this group of rebels. Unfortunately, there are many such groups within the rebels.

There is a great threat to the lives of Christians. They literally said: “Allah is great upon you, O those who worship the cross”. This is a call in the name of Allah to fight Christians.

The people of Ras Al-Ayn have suffered a great deal since 9 November 2012, when their town was first attacked by rebels coming from other areas like Edlib.

In photo number 4, you can see a big bomb. This was first discovered one day before the Street of Churches was taken over by the Kurdish forces. Some courageous people from our church, who had returned to check on their properties in town, came to see the church. While they were searching the church, they saw a blanket covering something. They were curious to see what was beneath the blanket. They were astonished to see a very big bomb. Thankfully, one of them had knowledge of how to stop the bomb from functioning. He cut off the wire and released the three detonators of the bomb; he then put the blanket back on the bomb so that the rebels would not know what he had done. The rebels had planned to bomb the church building, the old school building, the church hall, and the parish house. We believe their intention was to do this once they saw the Kurdish armed forces go inside the buildings. We give thanks to our God that our church people were there at the right time to stop the bomb.

There were big explosives planted in other churches and buildings as well, including the home of Mr. Constantine Junan. The Christian houses were also looted and robbed during the period in which the rebels were in control.
Photos from the Syrian Catholic Church of St. Mary Magdalene and the Armenian Church of St. Hagob (Jacoub) tell a related story, though it seems that the group of rebels inside these two churches was not from Suqoor Al-Sunna, but a different group. Here we see less damage, except the breaking of the statue of St. Anthony.

The intention of these acts was to destroy the Street of Churches and plant such a fear in Christians that they would never think to return to their hometown.

Now, Christians and all peaceful people of Ras Al-Ayn are grateful to God that the Kurdish forces are keeping an eye on their properties. On 2nd February, which is the Day of Presentation, one Christian faithful went into St. Thomas Church. He rang the church bell and said prayers. He told me that the Kurdish forces in the area also came into the church and rang the bell after him.

The Kurdish forces ring the bells of each church every day to send a message to the rebels that the Kurdish people are keen to maintain strong relations with the Christians.

The Kurdish forces have expressed their good intentions towards Christians from the very beginning of the conflict. As they reclaimed the Street of Churches, they wrote meaningful messages of solidarity with their Christian neighbors.

The people of Ras Al-Ayn want the rebels to move out of their ruined town immediately. People who used to criticize the government for corruption are now criticizing the revolutionary rebels who have a much more dangerous form of corruption, plotting against the freedom of faith and the safety of individual and public properties. People ask: “What is the progress if we move from the corruption of government to the corruption of rebels?” Indeed, people are suffering from both parties.

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