(28 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maaloula, Syria – 12 January 2025
1. Church bells
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Maaloula, Syria – 3 March 2016
2. Damage to mosaic inside church
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maaloula, Syria – 12 January 2025
++PARTIALLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 2++
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sameera Thabet, Maaloula resident:
"When the regime fell, we were living in fear. We left in the middle of the night, we didn’t know if they, Nusra Front, would come and slaughter us again. There is a difference between a transitional government, Daesh (Islamic State militants) and Nusra Front, who are coming with the goal of revenge."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Maaloula, Syria – 3 March 2016
3. Interior of church
4. Partially charred image of Jesus
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maaloula, Syria – 12 January 2025
5. Various of church service
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Father Jalal Ghazal, a member of the clergy in Maaloula:
"We spoke with the leadership until we reached Mr. Ahmed Al-Sharaa (Syria’s interim president). We explained to him the situation in Maaloula, and he sent us people and protection, but they did not stay long. They stayed for a short period, two or three days and then they left. But our voices were heard.”
7. Interior of church
8. Father Fadi Barjeel inside church
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Father Fadi Bargeel, priest:
++PARTIALLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 8++
"Unfortunately, this language (Aramaic) today is not written. They are teaching it a little, but it is not written. The wars came and affected us greatly. The displacement came and affected us greatly, because people were forced to go from place to place. When you live in your village, you are speaking with everyone. When you move away, you begin to forget it little by little. And that is the danger.”
10. Clergyman during worship
11. Sameera Thabet praying at church
12. Wide of people getting communion
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sameera Thabet, Maaloula resident:
"We are not afraid of anything. God who put us on this land will protect us. We have hope in this new transitional government."
14. Wide of Maaloula
STORYLINE:
Church bells echoed across the rocky slopes of this ancient Syrian town on a cold Sunday morning. But few families remained.
Maaloula is one of the world’s few places where residents still speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus is believed to have used.
The town is also home to Syria’s two oldest active monasteries.
But since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive late last year, some residents fear their future is precarious.
After a few dozen people attended mass at the Church of Saint George, some residents sat in its courtyard and spoke of looting and harassment that they believe were targeted at their religious minority.
Many Christians in Syria felt they were collectively accused during the long conflict of siding with Assad, who came from the small Alawite sect and portrayed himself as the protector of minorities.
Residents of Christian-majority Maaloula, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Damascus, sent a letter last month to Syria’s new Islamist government under former insurgent leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who has promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities.
"We want the guaranteed safe return of the Christians of Maaloula," it read.
"Maaloula is a red line. We will not let anyone encroach on its culture, heritage and sanctities."
Nothing has changed since then, and the clergy of Maaloula hope for a chance to speak with authorities.
Maaloula still bears the scars of war.
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