Syria’s President Assad pays Christmas visit to convent
December 30, 2016
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad visited a Christian religious community on Christmas Day.
Accompanied by his wife, Assad traveled to the Greek Orthodox monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya, about an hour north of Damascus. He conveyed his Christmas greetings to the nuns living in the convent there.
Our Lady of Saydnaya monastery—an ancient strucure that was reporetedly built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century—was damaged by shelling during the Syrian civil war. Assad’s visit there came on the same day that Christians in Aleppo celebrated openly for the first time since the city was captured by the Islamic State.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Jan. 01, 2017 7:06 PM ET USA
Bashar al-Assad: monster or humanitarian? Consider thoughtfully the press reports you choose to believe. I choose to side with the Catholic prelates on the ground who consider him a greater force for good than for evil.
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Posted by: [email protected] -
Dec. 31, 2016 10:00 AM ET USA
Regardless ones feelings about Asad and his record. He did let freedom of Religion express itself and he protected that idea.
