Inhabitants of all religions and backgrounds are celebrating the laying down of arms by the rebels. Vatican Insider reports the accounts on two priests who are preparing to celebrate their first peaceful Christmas.
“After long negotiations between the army and the armed militia, rebel groups have laid down their arms and withdrawn from the eastern part of the city. Then the army announced the news: Aleppo can be considered a safe city. The minute we heard the news, all mosques raised their voices and all churches in Aleppo that still have a bell tower rang their bells for some time. A dream came true two days before the birth of the King of peace”. This was the message Ibrahim Al Sabagh sent first thing in the morning via WhatsApp. Al Sabagh is the parish priest of St. Francis, the Latin church in Western Aleppo. The news, which was welcomed with jubilation by thousands of Aleppians and with relief by many all over the world, marks a turning point after the 4-year siege on the city and almost 6 years of war across the country.
Vatican Insider spoke to Fr. Ibrahim’s deputy, Fr. Firas Lutfi, on the phone.
What is the situation like there are the moment?
“The last bus that took the jihadists away from Aleppo left at 8 pm yesterday evening. Finally, the city can now breathe again after a siege that lasted four very long years. The Christmas tree was inaugurated yesterday, just behind our church and the celebrations began in the presence of numerous families of all religious faiths. They are keen to show that the city has gone back to normality and is safe again. Even the traffic’s back, finally (he laughs, Ed.). Before, I would leave the convent where I live and would reach the parish in 10 minutes; since yesterday, it has taken me 30 minutes! The people I met are regaining faith.”
Are you afraid that the ceasefire may not be respected?
“Police in Aleppo say everything is under control and that all jihadists are out. But we fear attacks or desperate actions by dormant cells that sympathise with the jihadists. Then, of course there are the outskirts of Aleppo where all is not a hundred percent calm.”
What emergencies are there? What are the most urgent things that need doing?
“The families that left eastern Aleppo, terrorised, hungry and thirsty, are in urgent need of assistance. They have suffered all kinds of violence imaginable and have been reduced to penury by jihadists who used all available resources. Then there are the tens of thousands of displaced people in the Jibrin refugee camp who will need to be tended to and people will need heating as it snowed two days ago.
Another crucial aspect is the psychological support everyone is in such desperate need of, particularly children. At the start of the new year we would like to open a re-education centre for post-traumatic disorders caused by memories of the war. Before edifices are rebuilt, the real problem is going to be rebuilding people; regaining trust and the ability to live alongside others. In recent years we lived with the idea of a deep division between eastern and western Aleppo, as if we were two enemy factions. Furthermore, the ideology of killing in the name of God has been deeply instilled in people’s minds. This is where we will need to start over, to rebuild our society.”
Can the laying down of arms in Aleppo mark the end of war throughout Syria?
“It is a very important step forward, also because getting Aleppo back has prevented Syria from being carved up. But it cannot yet signify the end of war. Let us not forget that there is still Raqqa and Idlib. Let’s say that regaining Aleppo is a decisive but not definitive step for peace in our tortures country.”
This is the first peaceful Christmas after some terrible years…
“Since yesterday, my mind keeps on taking me back to Christmas last year. I was sat in the confessional just before mass, six or seven missiles hit, one after the other, I rushed outside and said to myself: that’s it, we can’t celebrate Christmas, I will cancel all celebrations. But just a few minutes later, dozens of children turned up, defying the war and we began mass. This nightmare, he fear even of praying and meeting, seems to finally be over and it is wonderful that it should happen just before Christmas.”
