Assad's Regime flatters Christians of Homs

(Reporting by Mamoun Abu Mohamed; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

Syrian regime have since the beginning of Syrian revolution tried to increase the religious differences and provoke the sectarian conflict among Syrians, to come in the end and show west countries that only it who can protect and guarantee the safety of Christians and minorities.

In Homs, especially in the Christian neighborhoods, and after breaking the siege that been for more than two years, Syrian regime has intensified its propaganda about protecting the Christians and minorities, to achieve that it has relied on many religious and secular figures, in particular members from the Syrian National Social Party, who ally with the regime because they have mutual interest and benefits. They publish their chauvinistic thoughts and principle along with regime’s propaganda to show the west that Assad’s regime is the only guarantee for Christians’ safety.

Moreover, the regime gave orders to clean the Christian neighborhood from rubbles, burned cars and rabish, the regime provided drinking water and reconstructed the infrastructure the Syrian Army destroyed.

Furthermore, the regime started restoring Churches, while left most Mosques destroyed, to show the West that it want Christians to come back home. To distribute the message, the regime facilitate arrival of many media agencies to Christian areas to support its propaganda about protecting Christians.

On the other hand, lots of Christian supported the Syrian Revolution since the beginning, most people remember the sincere and warm welcome and honest feeling toward the huge demonstration on 18th April 2011, when it passed-by al-Hamidiyeh street and how they throw rice on people during martyrs’ funerals.

Commenting on that, Abo Elli, a Christian Journalist said to Zaman Alwasl that most Christian have been with the revolution, but they cannot openly announce that because they are minorities and afraid of the regime’s punishment. He added that Christians feel the threat on themselves and their existence inside Syrian, as a result of the regime’s suppression and the Islamic extremists groups from the other side. He denied the accusation that Christians did not participate with the revolution, and reminded Zaman Alwasl's correspondent with Basel Shehadeh, the young Christain director, who was killed and martyred while filming the conflict in old Homs. “In Brief, Christians’ hearts are with the revolution, but their minds are with the regime”

Bassam, a Christian young man who has been granted asylum in Germany, confirms to Zaman Alwasl that he completely believes in the revolution and support it. He is convinced that a regime kills, tortures, displaces people and destroys their houses and properties, does not deserve staying, and its only place should be before the International Crime Courts as war criminals. “the regime destroyed my house, and it ordered bad people and Shabiha from the National Social Party to steal and rob Christian houses”, ended.

Before the revolution, 80 thousand Christians lived in Homs, out of two million people, most of them lived in areas like al-Hamidiyeh, Bostan Diwan, wadi Assayeh, less of that in areas like Almahatta, Bab Sbaa, al-Adawiyah, and al-Awir.