Christians are better off in Syria than anywhere else in the Middle East. Other than Lebanon, this is the only country in the region where a Christian can really feel the equal of a Muslim – and Lebanon of course has many other problems. In Syria there is no enmity between Christian and Muslim. If Syria were not here, we would be finished. Really. It is a place of sanctuary, a haven for all the Christians; for the Nestorians & Chaldeans driven out of Iraq, the Syrian Orthodox and the Armenians driven out of Turkey, even some Palestinian Christians driven out of the Holy Land by the Israelis. Talk to people here and you will find that what I say is true’
Mar Gregorios in Dalrymple’s book
From the Holy Mountain (Flamingo 1998) page 150
When William Dalrymple, author of the ‘From the Holy Mountain’ met the Metropolitan he described him as a
‘small round figure’ who walked in backwards telephone in hand, talking animatedly ‘He turned a pirouette and advanced towards me his free hand extended. He finished his telephone call, snapped shut the phone with a flick of his thumb and popped it into his cassock pocket.’ He then showed him some architects plans and blueprints that were on a table.
The scene was almost exactly re-enacted for us. Archbishop Yohanna
Ibrahim showed us plans for an old people’s home in the new Syrian quarter – on 7537 metres of land given by the government. The blue print had 4 floors of hospital and 2 floors of an old peoples’ home. ‘How can CMS help with the construction?’ was the implied question.
Christians are a sizable presence here. Christians are now around 5% of the population but at one point there were as many as 50%. There are 11 denominations: 6 of them Catholic and many churches. The Syrian Orthodox church is growing and rebuilding itself, even though many are still leaving for the West. ‘But Syria is still a place where a Christian can feel an equal citizen with a Muslim.’ the Archbishop assured us.
Like so many in the region, the archbishop hospitably dropped everything to show us around his diocese.
Our tour included 2 Schools, a Clinic, a Hospital and a Church.First a private co-ed school - Ben e Talub – which has 800 primary students in years 4 to12, around 300 of them on scholarships, supported by World Vision. According to the register, the St Ephraim dispensary saw 17,164 patients in 2002. It is a converted old ‘Bohemian’ house in popular city centre, where about 25 are treated and a further 25 referred per day. While we were there, a young Muslim woman in Hijab (head covering) was visiting the dentist, whilst she happily let her baby be looked after by the Christian staff.
At the second dispensary, in the Syrian quarter of Hay Sulemania, a dentist and a general medic see around 5000 patients per annum.The Diocese also has a Hospital, started by Dr. Altonian in 1918. He is famous for bringing the first X-ray to Syria. We saw a display case of old instruments, including gold nails for orthopaedic work and ivory ophthalmology instruments.A nurse was nursing her father who had recovering from a RTA. Another Armenian nurse ran the gynae ward. The hospital had 2 operating theatres, a delivery room and an ophthalmic theatre.
In Azizi the Church of St George celebrates the story of King Abgar. He wrote to Jesus to come and heal him. According to tradition, Jesus sent one of 70, the disciple Adai, with the‘Mendellion’, a face cloth, which produced the necessary miracle and healed the king. This became the first principality to be baptised Christian.
The church has an attached school, built with $ 1/4 million, donated by a parishioner in Belgium. ‘It was reburbished a week ago. We are still getting organised’ explained principal Sarah Ghramji. CMS-Interchange may be able to arrange for her to visit schools in UK to help improve the standards. Not so much investing in buildings, but more in people.Mar Gregorios was apologetic: ‘We have everything here, but on a small scale’. He certainly has big vision.
'The Mufti of Aleppo' Ahmad Masoun
“Once a child asked me ‘why does religion came from hot country ?’ I told him it was to raise the temperature in the cold countries!”
The Archbishop took us to meet the Mufti. ‘Pepper and Salt’ I called them. His house had a special reception room for guests – with chandeliers and walls lined with bookcases, full of Islamic books and treatises. ‘Mufti’ means the ‘one who gives interpretation’. His base is the mosque of Rowda garden where 30-40,000 go to listen to him in mosque. With the recent death of the Grand Mufti of Syria, he is a possible candidate. He was charming, open and full of hope, good news in the midst of so much bad interfaith. Over honeyed tea, he spoke of many things. About the need for real dialogue - not just a constitutional dialogue. Aleppo is a good example of this. Inter-faith is in the open – it’s on the street. The two faiths work closely together.
Syria and Palestine are the seed-bed of religion. The prophets came from here – It is the place that God chose.Christians, especially Arab Christian, have a lot to contribute –‘It was a fatal mistakes to evacuate minorities from the area’…‘Christians and Muslims have been brought up here as brothers, We even shared the same wet nurse….Local mothers feed each others babies.’There is an old old tradition of Mariam's feast (sufra) to remember Jesus birth, because there was no one there to celebrate, when He was actually born. ‘So we also celebrate today, as Muslims. This is a tradition my grandmother taught me.'
There was great openness between the faiths until the Zionist state was formed. Then it went bad…This ‘clash of civilization’ is not of God. Religion does not clash in itself. Although Protestant religion is ‘man-made’, he corrected ‘they use the Bible as a front - But there should be no fight between two prophets. The war in Iraq has severely damaged co-operation. Everyone knew what would happen. I said you must think before you open fire…this fire will burn you… it opens the doors to hell. It is always more difficult to rebuild than to destroy. The key to hell is in the hands of politicians: the key to heaven is in the hands of religious leaders.
We always pray for Palestine, but together the politicians seem determined to keep the door of heaven firmly closed. The Sons of Abraham should not be teaching animosity and war! My hope is that pain will cause people to return for healing, but are we ready to comfort the people as they return to God?
He was very happy and proud and most encouraged by the example of men of faith. He sent warm greeting to the Archbishop of Canterbury, together with Prince Charles, especially appreciating their stand and statements in the arena of interfaith. ‘But not to all religions leaders in Britain’ he added, ‘some are failures!’ His parting message to the people of the UK, who keep carrying the message of peace:
‘‘if the flames continue, everyone will catch fire… we can only extinguish them by light.’
The Mufti showing a model of the Kaaba. - He has suggested that, in the spirit of openness, Christian groups should be allowed to visit. Maybe this will be the first ‘Praxis Mecca’ !
The Archbishop of Aleppo’s words about coexistence certainly seemed true. The Syrians Christians we met appear to experience refreshingly good relations with Muslims. But the last word goes to our driver, Raymond, an accountant who recently returned from Saudi.
‘We have a good future between the religions. I have seen it with my own eyes. We do not need to leave. His eminence is giving us a good hope’.
From your own correspondent
Aleppo: Sept 2004
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