DAVID ADAMS reports…
Conditions in war-torn Syria continue to deteriorate for Christians living there with thousands displaced from their homes, according to a pastor located within the country.
The pastor, who was not named, has told Open Doors – which works to support persecuted Christians around the world – that the violence has caused many people to abandon their homes as they flee for their lives.
“My people are hurting. I can cry like Nehemiah because the walls of our cities are burnt and the people in great trouble and disgrace. I can weep like Jeremiah because of the intensity and the spread of evil. I can mourn like David because of the indiscriminate brutal killing of innocent people; children, women, elderly, youth subject to shelling or under the rubble of their homes.”– Syrian pastor |
“Many are displaced internally and many others are external refugees living in the most humiliating circumstances, deprived of even shelter, clean water, power, food and medical care,” he says in what they have described as a “lament” to the Western Christians.
“Millions are not sleeping in their own beds, forced out of their homes to find themselves with their children homeless and living in public parks or in the wilderness. Others are not sure if they or their children and loved ones will see the light of a new day. Tens of thousands of families lost loved ones — a child, a father, a mother or a husband.”
The pastor says that hundreds of people injured in the fighting have died from lack of medical care.
“My people are hurting. I can cry like Nehemiah because the walls of our cities are burnt and the people in great trouble and disgrace. I can weep like Jeremiah because of the intensity and the spread of evil. I can mourn like David because of the indiscriminate brutal killing of innocent people; children, women, elderly, youth subject to shelling or under the rubble of their homes.”
According to the UN, more than about 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began last year. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have since fled the country into neighboring states including Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.The UN estimate that a further 2.5 million Syrians inside the country urgently need humanitarian aid.
This week, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon urged all those involved in the conflict to move toward a political transition and condemned a series of terrorist bombings which took place in the capital, Damascus.
Open Doors says the cities of Aleppo and Homs are particularly dangerous for Christians.
“A lot is being destroyed in Aleppo,” the organisation reported one of its contacts as saying. “Extreme violence is being experienced in the last few weeks. You can see the results of it in the old city and in other neighborhoods and surrounding villages. There is a lot of destruction.”
The contact said that in Aleppo many have lost their houses and apartments – some confiscated by the rebels to be used for snipers.
“The Christian community is the only group that doesn’t fight back or doesn’t protect property with guns. So when the rebels search a place to stay or to use for their battle, they choose the houses and apartments of the softest target — the Christians.”
The Christian pastor, meanwhile, told Open Doors – which is supporting churches doing relief work in several Syrian cities – that despite the terrible conditions, outreach continues.
“We are here for a divine reason; we trust and rely on our sovereign loving Lord. We believe that we are in the midst of a spiritual war. In this country there are many who are much more effective than us militarily, politically, economically and socially, but none have the privilege of being effective in this spiritual battle like we are.”
He added: “We thank God because the church is united across the country in prayer 24 hours a day, seven days a week; praying for the glory of God to dwell in the church, praying for an end to the bloodshed, praying for peace in the country, praying for keeping the church’s faithful witness, to reach out to the suffering, to share the divine cure of the gospel, to speak the word of the Lord in all boldness.”
“We deeply appreciate the prayers of God’s people everywhere; it is a rare time where the church in Syria is feeling the true oneness of the body of Christ all over the globe. For this, we thank the Lord, for it is a great encouragement to us.”
