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Reuters
Jan 7 2014
Remaining Armenians pray for peace at Orthodox Christmas in Damascus
By Reuters Staff
January 7, 2014
Armenian Orthodox Christians gather at their church of St Sarkis in
Old Damascus for Christmas service January 6, 2014, in this handout
photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA. A small
congregation of Armenian Orthodox Christians prayed for peace at a
Christmas service in Old Damascus on Monday and reflected on the
hardships of living in an uneasy middle ground in Syria's increasingly
sectarian conflict. They lamented a low turnout compared to previous
years - many have fled Syria and others were unable to get through a
maze of checkpoints and traffic bottlenecks to reach the church of St.
Sarkis for Armenian Christmas, celebrated on Jan. 6.
REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters
A small congregation of Armenian Orthodox Christians prayed for peace
at a Christmas service in Old Damascus on Monday and reflected on the
hardships of living in an uneasy middle ground in Syria's increasingly
sectarian conflict.
They lamented a low turnout compared to previous years - many have
fled Syria and others were unable to get through a maze of checkpoints
and traffic bottlenecks to reach the church of St. Sarkis for Armenian
Christmas, celebrated on January 6.
`You used to see this entire church courtyard full, but it's been
fewer and fewer people every season,' said one of the community
organisers who, like all those interviewed for this article, asked to
remain anonymous due to sensitivities.
`The trouble is many would have liked to come today but they couldn't
because of the traffic at checkpoints.'
Syria's conflict has grown increasingly sectarian since it started as
a peaceful uprising in March 2011 and then evolved into an armed
rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.
Majority Sunni Muslims dominate the uprising while minorities have for
the most part stuck with the government, which is dominated by members
of Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
Syria's Christians, around 10 percent, occupy an uneasy middle ground.
Some Christians have fled to government-held territory, while others
have stayed with the rebels. Some have joined the insurgency.
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/01/07/remaining-armenians-pray-for-peace-at-orthodox-christmas-in-damascus/
From: Baghdasarian
Jan 7 2014
Remaining Armenians pray for peace at Orthodox Christmas in Damascus
By Reuters Staff
January 7, 2014
Armenian Orthodox Christians gather at their church of St Sarkis in
Old Damascus for Christmas service January 6, 2014, in this handout
photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA. A small
congregation of Armenian Orthodox Christians prayed for peace at a
Christmas service in Old Damascus on Monday and reflected on the
hardships of living in an uneasy middle ground in Syria's increasingly
sectarian conflict. They lamented a low turnout compared to previous
years - many have fled Syria and others were unable to get through a
maze of checkpoints and traffic bottlenecks to reach the church of St.
Sarkis for Armenian Christmas, celebrated on Jan. 6.
REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters
A small congregation of Armenian Orthodox Christians prayed for peace
at a Christmas service in Old Damascus on Monday and reflected on the
hardships of living in an uneasy middle ground in Syria's increasingly
sectarian conflict.
They lamented a low turnout compared to previous years - many have
fled Syria and others were unable to get through a maze of checkpoints
and traffic bottlenecks to reach the church of St. Sarkis for Armenian
Christmas, celebrated on January 6.
`You used to see this entire church courtyard full, but it's been
fewer and fewer people every season,' said one of the community
organisers who, like all those interviewed for this article, asked to
remain anonymous due to sensitivities.
`The trouble is many would have liked to come today but they couldn't
because of the traffic at checkpoints.'
Syria's conflict has grown increasingly sectarian since it started as
a peaceful uprising in March 2011 and then evolved into an armed
rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.
Majority Sunni Muslims dominate the uprising while minorities have for
the most part stuck with the government, which is dominated by members
of Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
Syria's Christians, around 10 percent, occupy an uneasy middle ground.
Some Christians have fled to government-held territory, while others
have stayed with the rebels. Some have joined the insurgency.
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/01/07/remaining-armenians-pray-for-peace-at-orthodox-christmas-in-damascus/
From: Baghdasarian