Some news editorials assume explosion of sectarian strife could erupt after Bashar's regime topples in Syria. I call these theories baseless and lack of sociological research in the Shaam region, especially in Syria. Throwing in theories of possible persecutions of Christians in Syria, simply because of the recent incidents in Iraq and Egypt , is simply wrong.
IRAQ
Let us look into Iraq, and what really happened. The illegal and ill-planned invasion of George W. Bush created lawlessness and chaos in Iraq.It destroyed almost all social and government institutions. Pillage and theft was becoming a daily trend throughout Iraq. As an example, for a month, the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian artifacts that were kept in Museums in Baghdad for centuries were being stolen .The lawlessness created medium for disputes, that naturally led to sectarian strife and reprisals. It was not only between Muslims and Christians, please!!! It was among all sects. Struggles happened among Kurd, Sunnis, Shiites and Christians, and Oh Boy!! the worst was between Sunnis and Shiites.
The chaos transformed the warmest and hospitable people in this planet, the Iraqis, into one a totally warlike society. It sowed the hatred and animosity and disputes among groups and sects. Many started to emigrate, including Christians. But because Christians were the much smaller minority, and because news like “Muslims are butchering the Christians” catches attention , especially in the west, news gatekeepers, found it was worth to spread and highlight these incidents. In fact, if a graphic chart representing Iraqis emigration after the invasion was constructed, Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites, will be on the top curves of the graph and not the Christians.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeEgypt
In Egypt, sectarian clashes and attacks exist, majority of the feud is either because of independent disputes or incited by extremists, or President Mubarak 's government motifs based on de facto of extremism lurking in Egypt. Many times have been reported pro-Mubarak thugs perpetrates fear mongering, orchestrations, extortions to maintain his presidency. But unfortunately the temporary gap or recess of law and order, after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, and during the transitional period could have helped amplify the feuds between the Muslims and Copts. Military wasn’t prepared for possible skirmishes among groups and sects, even neighborhoods. Coptic minority is large, estimated 6 million and 12% to 15% of Egypt’s Population .The scale of the incidents do not reflect a national sectarian violence threat. Nevertheless, it hurts to hear and see such incidents, and the Egyptians are already addressing and hopefully eliminate once and for all. The reactions by independent news agencies and Christian organizations are overrated, because the incidents reflect the “Muslims are attacking Christians” headline title.
Image via WikipediaThese are news that grasps attention nowadays. Small scaled, sectarian or racial or ethnic motivated social clashes and disputes normally happen everywhere in the world. Ireland, Israel, India, Pakistan, and I can go on and on. The dominant group in Egypt's society knows for centuries that Egypt’s Christians are part of the Egyptian Society. Of course few extremists instigate and few radicals perpetrate sectarian clashes. But the scale of these sectarian incidents will always remain small and stopped periodically. In fact, recently many crowds, in thousands, Copts and Muslims, gathered in protest against the military's not being diligent in stopping these incidents.
Syria
Syria is the larger part of the Shaam countries, where Christianity was rooted since 300 A.D. There are churches older than Europe, and well kept till now. These churches were subjected to more attacks and vandalism during the European Crusaders invasion than any other time throughout Syria's history.
In Syria and Shaam countries, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with all their denominations lived together side by side since the start of the Islamic Hijri date. In fact, Synagogues and Jewish Holy Sites are still well kept in Syria for the Jewish community, that migrated to Israel 60s and 70s .
Syria's demographic studies so far are few and unreliable to obtain a fair percentage of Christian Population.
(See BBC Guide: Christians in the Middle East) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4499668.stm
Sources range from 9% to 12% of the Syrian Population.
However in my adolescent times, I experienced a lot of intercultural business and pleasure transactions throughout Syria when traveling trans-country. I take pride in this and honored by it, and consider it an active lifetime sociological research. It was the business and pleasure tours with my Father, Edwar AlSoury, throughout many Syrian country side small towns and mid-sized cities in the 70s and 80s.
My experiences and observations prove as follows; Other than Aleppo and Damascus, a large part of Christian population in Syria are divided, spread in small sized to middle sized communities throughout the country. They are spread in smaller sized cities such as Daraa , Banyas , Homs , Lattakia . Then north-east, in Qamishli Hassakeh Ain Al Arab, where there are sizable communities of Armenians and Assyrians. Then there are high and densely populated Arab Christians in small towns on the coastal mountainous terrain near Banyas and Lattakia, such as Slinfeh and Saffita and many, many other towns. Also sizable Armenian communities live in the north, in town Kassab, close to the Turkish border. There are many other towns, which I would need an elongated list to provide. Almost all these towns have churches and some have many. Most of the remaining affluent Christians are densely populated in major urbanized commercial and industrial Syrian cities, Aleppo and Damascus.
There is no evidence, historically, of major historic sectarian clashes that have reigned or perpetrated in the countryside of Syria, because many Christian communities’ survived and even lots of them thrived among their dominant Muslim neighbors.
The Christians and Muslim communities have been existent and harmony in pluralistic mode in Syria historically, and it has shaped and formed the social fabric of what Syrian society is now. Armenians, Assyrians or other Christians till now use Sundays as the weekend day for rest. Muslim neighbors respect their traditions for centuries. Impossible to annihilate Christians in Syria. It could happen, only if when all Syrians from all sects, are in personal dispute. All, from all sects, share history of interaction among themselves that goes far back in the history, such as intermarriages, businesses, cultural transactions and proximity of being neighbors, being in the battlefronts as soldiers. Many Christian Syrians, Armenians , Assyrians were in the battlefront as soldiers during 1967 and 1973 wars against Israel. I have many relatives and Brothers-In-Law who share the memories of these battles they went through especially , during the 1973. One of them , narrates the awful long walk of many kilometers to Damascus from Daraa after the retreat from the Golan front, another was a prisoner of war for 4 years in Israel.
Even immature hawkish George Bush type invasion will not be able to allow room for violent sectarian struggle in Syria. In fact, right now, for the sake of clinging to the power, even Bashar’s security force have not been ever successful in a major sectarian struggle that is worthy to spread the news other than isolated incidents.
Same as only affluent Sunnis or Allawites, affluent Christians also are content and satisfied with the current stagnant political status quo in Syria created by Assads. And that is the only main reason they support Bashar, financially established and in control, politically they really don’t care. But these elite groups do not reflect the majority of their sect. Most of the middle class and lower social status Syrian Christians want Bashar to step down or do a serious transitional change. These groups constitute the majority of the scattered and spread Christian communities in the country plus a large size in the major cities.
Historically, most of the Christian Syrians emigrated during Assad's dynasty reign. And it was not because of religious persecution, except because of the urge for freedom of speech and better economical opportunities. They longed for freedom and democracy, and they migrated to western nations. Same was the case with the Muslim Syrians, who also migrated too, for better economy and political freedom of assembly and the right to elect their representatives. In fact the percentage of the population of the Christian minority, historically, should reflect the decrease during Assads reign (father and son era).
During the rule of Hafez Assad, Syria lacked individualism and political freedom and no free entrepreneurship. In Contrast, during Bashar’s rule, it was the repression and corruption. They both did not implement any of the Ba’ath socialist party’s agenda except one party rule and repression. Haffez Assad, led two wars against Israel, and proclaimed as the fore fighter for the Palestinian cause, but then gave up and adopted assisting other organizations to do the war for him. The same foreign policy baton was passed to his Son Bashar.
Of course people have to worry of the coming unknown situations after Bashar’s fall. Same as USA and Israel and Turkey are concerned for the region’s instability. But the concern should not be on the account of repressing the Syrians. But please don't tell me that there will be this “sectarian upheaval” to reign in Syria if Bashar Assad is gone.
The stability of the Middle-East region should not be for the price of oppressing the Syrian People. Syrians know the path very well. They know how to deal with the State of Israel, when to fight, when to make peace. And most importantly, know how to safeguard the dignity, livelihood and the rights of their minorities, including their remaining much smaller Jewish community.
I advise and encourage news columnists and editorials to do further historical and sociological work about Syria before giving some premature sectarian analysis. As Such, these analysis could portray wrong global opinion about Syria and probably about your news agency. And believe me!! I can guarantee you that these analysis still fail to perpetrate a sectarian strife in Syria.
Copyright © Hagop AlSoury 2011 All rights reserved
