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Christian leaders in Aleppo have met for a second time with representatives of the armed groups that have taken control of Syria’s second largest city, Fides reported. The forces that have taken over, although they are of Islamist origin, show no desire to change or regulate the ordinary life of Church communities, said a bishop who attended the December 9 meeting.
The meeting took place a day after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. They gathered in the Franciscan church and convent, where the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholics of the Latin Rite is located.
Meanwhile, a rebel leader who helped topple al-Assad's regime has been appointed as Syria's interim prime minister, according to the BBC. In a televised address, Mohammed al-Bashir said he will stay in the post until March 1 and lead a transitional government.
In Aleppo, where the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham first made news when they launched a lightning offensive against the al-Assad regime late last month, Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo joined a number of other Christian leaders from the city in the December 9 meeting with rebels.
"We were all present: bishops, priests and religious," said Bishop Audo in an interview with Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. He called it a "very positive meeting."
Expectations were high that the new political situation could bring relief to problems such as electricity shortages and the difficulty many people have in getting sufficient food, because of inflation. There are initiatives in parishes to give people at least one meal a day.
"Respecting our traditions"
Bishop Audo told Fides that the rebel groups are trying to build trust by “respecting our traditions and our prayers."
"I told them that we, as Arab Christians, represent a unique reality in history and in the world. I recalled some examples of the history of Muslim Arabs with Christians and the contribution of Christians to this history. I added that the status of the dhimmi [non-Muslim members of a state guided by Islamic law] can be interpreted both negatively and positively, that Christians cannot be second-class citizens and that we must work together. They seemed very interested in these considerations."
During the meeting, the representatives of the Christian communities were assured that there would be no changes to the rules for the schools of the ecclesiastical communities, where boys and girls study together in mixed classes. In some countries where Islamists have taken over the government, such as Afghanistan, girls are forbidden from attending school.
Bishop Audo said that things are returning to normal in Aleppo and preparations are being made to celebrate Christmas on a small scale.
"Perhaps there will be no parades and spectacular moments,” he said. “But anyone who wants to visit us in our churches and bishoprics during the holidays is more than welcome."
