Syrian rebels attack historic Christian village

September 06, 2013

The Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist Syrian rebel group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, and other nations, has attacked the historic Christian village of Ma’loula, the Associated Press reported.

A nun said that “there were reports that the militants threatened villagers with death if they did not convert” to Islam, according to AP.

Ma’loula, a village of 3,000 that is the site of Catholic and Orthodox monasteries, is one of three villages in which Aramaic, the language of Christ, is still spoken.

“The stones are shaking," said a nun at the Orthodox Mar Thekla monastery, where 100 villagers have taken refuge.

Nuns took 27 orphans to nearby caves where they would be less frightened, she said.

Maria Saadeh, a Catholic member of the Syrian parliament, told the Fides news agency that the attack is “a disaster, a blow to the historical, cultural and spiritual heritage, yet another affront to Syrian civilization, pluralism, and harmony.”

 

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Further information:

• Al Qaeda-Linked Rebels Attack Christian Village Where Aramaic--Language of Christ--Still Spoken (AP)
• Prayer and fasting in Maaloula, a village symbol of coexistence, threatened by armed groups (Fides)
• Ma’loula (Wikipedia)
• Al-Nusra Front (Wikipedia)