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SYRIA IS NOT WAITING TO REBUILD
Dissident Voice
June 16 2014
by Paul Larudee / June 16th, 2014
For three years, most residents of the old city in the center of Homs
had not seen their homes, shops, churches and mosque. Homs was one of
the first cities where armed fighters decided to take on the Syrian
army, and those fighters named it "the capital of the revolution".
That revolution ended in May, 2014 for the fighters in Homs, when they
negotiated a retreat from the old city. Starving and running low on
ammunition, they accepted the government offer to remove themselves to
a different front, taking only their light arms. Some of the fighters
gave up entirely, putting their trust in the government amnesty.
Homs old city after some of the debris has been cleared
This allowed weary Homsi citizens to assess the damage and think
about recovery of their beloved and historic central district. They
didn't waste any time. By good fortune and good contacts I found
myself a fly on the wall at a meeting of Christian community leaders
and municipal officials, discussing reconstruction less than a month
after the district had been liberated and only two days after the
national presidential elections.
Church representatives and municipal officials discuss the
reconstruction of the old city of Homs
Spread out on the table were five blueprint-size maps of the old city,
each showing different details. For several hours, they discussed
reconstruction plans down to the individual buildings, preservation
of the original character, the preferences of the property owners,
financing by public and private foundations, interface with Muslim and
other community and government leaders and many other considerations.
How did they do all this preparation in a matter of weeks? The next
day we went to the old city and surveyed the destruction. I found
myself in the car of a man who was entering the destroyed area for
the first time. It was clearly difficult to witness. There were
many beautiful churches with shattered frescoes, mosaics and icons
to rebuild. One was the ancient Church of Mother Mary, built in 59
AD and considered the first Christian Church in existence. However,
the most precious losses were to the lives of the people who called
it home, including the beloved Father Frans van der Lugt, assassinated
only a week before the fighters left.
Destruction of historic sites in Maaloula
Of course, Homs is not the only place that is rebuilding. I also
happened to be briefly present for discussion of restoration in the
recaptured pilgrimage town of Maaloula, where Aramaic, the language of
biblical times, is still spoken. In addition, I visited the recently
recaptured Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border. Residents are
gradually returning, and by some miracle some communities never left.
Most recently, the Armenian village of Kassab near the Turkish border
north of Latakia was retaken by the Syrian army after being overrun by
fighters in March, 2014. Many of the residents returned the next day.
What these and similar stories have in common are the determination of
Syrians to recover and rebuild their communities as soon as government
authority can be reestablished.
Of course, government authority is not universally applauded in Syria,
and many Syrians have grievances against that authority. However,
it appears to be the only force in Syria that is at present capable
of bringing some semblance of normal life to its people. Accordingly,
the government is adding to its already clear support amongst most
Syrians, who appear to have placed bread and butter issues above
reform, while maintaining their concern for both.
* All photos by Paul Larudee
Paul Larudee is one of the founders of the Free Gaza and Free Palestine
Movements and an organizer in the International Solidarity Movement.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/06/syria-is-not-waiting-to-rebuild/
From: A. Papazian
Dissident Voice
June 16 2014
by Paul Larudee / June 16th, 2014
For three years, most residents of the old city in the center of Homs
had not seen their homes, shops, churches and mosque. Homs was one of
the first cities where armed fighters decided to take on the Syrian
army, and those fighters named it "the capital of the revolution".
That revolution ended in May, 2014 for the fighters in Homs, when they
negotiated a retreat from the old city. Starving and running low on
ammunition, they accepted the government offer to remove themselves to
a different front, taking only their light arms. Some of the fighters
gave up entirely, putting their trust in the government amnesty.
Homs old city after some of the debris has been cleared
This allowed weary Homsi citizens to assess the damage and think
about recovery of their beloved and historic central district. They
didn't waste any time. By good fortune and good contacts I found
myself a fly on the wall at a meeting of Christian community leaders
and municipal officials, discussing reconstruction less than a month
after the district had been liberated and only two days after the
national presidential elections.
Church representatives and municipal officials discuss the
reconstruction of the old city of Homs
Spread out on the table were five blueprint-size maps of the old city,
each showing different details. For several hours, they discussed
reconstruction plans down to the individual buildings, preservation
of the original character, the preferences of the property owners,
financing by public and private foundations, interface with Muslim and
other community and government leaders and many other considerations.
How did they do all this preparation in a matter of weeks? The next
day we went to the old city and surveyed the destruction. I found
myself in the car of a man who was entering the destroyed area for
the first time. It was clearly difficult to witness. There were
many beautiful churches with shattered frescoes, mosaics and icons
to rebuild. One was the ancient Church of Mother Mary, built in 59
AD and considered the first Christian Church in existence. However,
the most precious losses were to the lives of the people who called
it home, including the beloved Father Frans van der Lugt, assassinated
only a week before the fighters left.
Destruction of historic sites in Maaloula
Of course, Homs is not the only place that is rebuilding. I also
happened to be briefly present for discussion of restoration in the
recaptured pilgrimage town of Maaloula, where Aramaic, the language of
biblical times, is still spoken. In addition, I visited the recently
recaptured Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border. Residents are
gradually returning, and by some miracle some communities never left.
Most recently, the Armenian village of Kassab near the Turkish border
north of Latakia was retaken by the Syrian army after being overrun by
fighters in March, 2014. Many of the residents returned the next day.
What these and similar stories have in common are the determination of
Syrians to recover and rebuild their communities as soon as government
authority can be reestablished.
Of course, government authority is not universally applauded in Syria,
and many Syrians have grievances against that authority. However,
it appears to be the only force in Syria that is at present capable
of bringing some semblance of normal life to its people. Accordingly,
the government is adding to its already clear support amongst most
Syrians, who appear to have placed bread and butter issues above
reform, while maintaining their concern for both.
* All photos by Paul Larudee
Paul Larudee is one of the founders of the Free Gaza and Free Palestine
Movements and an organizer in the International Solidarity Movement.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/06/syria-is-not-waiting-to-rebuild/
From: A. Papazian