Syria's Christians back Assad, fear unknown future

Syria's Christians, accounting for 10 percent of the country's Sunni-dominated population, showed unwavering support to embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after roughly eight months of political crisis. Observers said that the Christians' support for Assad was due to fear that a regime change could deprive them of the veneer of protection Assad has long ensured for them. Such fears haven't however resonated among other minorities in Syria that have shown incongruous stands towards the uprising in Syria. Kurds, for instance, have at the beginning demonstrated against Assad demanding improvement of their living conditions as most of them are living in impoverished areas in northern Syria. However, even after being granted by Assad the Syrian nationality which topped their demands, some of them are still taking part in the anti-regime protests in northern Syria. The stands of other minorities are still ambiguous. Christians in Syria, unlike the Kurds, are quite well off and some even hold senior positions in the government. This might be one of the causes that have raised their concern over a possible regime change and the following financial losses. It's common in Syria to see a mosque adjacent to a church not only in Christian neighborhoods but in every part of the country. Syria boasts itself of the coexistence among different sects, mainly Muslims and Christians. Damascus still contains a considerable proportion of Christians, with churches all over the city but particularly in the district of Bab Touma. Masses are held every Sunday and civil servants are given Sunday mornings off to allow them to attend churches, even though Sunday is a working day in Syria. Yet, the idea that Muslim extremists might assume power in the country distresses Christians enormously despite repeated assurances made by some Syrian opposition parties. Ali Sadr Al-Din Al-Bayanouni, former general supervisor of the banned Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, said during a recent interview broadcasted by al-Arabyia TV channel that should Muslims assume power in the country, they would adopt the principle of citizenship regardless of the concept of sects and religious beliefs. The Brookings Doha Center hosted last month a policy discussion with al-Bayanouni, who charged that the Syrian regime had for five decades presented itself as the protector of minorities. In reality, he said, the regime encouraged sectarian divisions. Bayanouni said, national unity should remain the focus of the demonstration, stressing that the project of the Syrian opposition is based on shared demands: ending the oppression of the old regime and building a modern, civil state that believes in partnership and using elections as the means of decision-making. "We believe that the current situation is better than a mere promise," Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for Greek Orthodox Ignatius IV Hazim told Xinhua in an interview in response to al- Bayanouni's remarks. He said the current events in Syria haven't at all influenced the Syrian Christians, stressing that Christians in Syria have always been in a good situation. Christians prefer Assad's rule to an "unknown future," he said. "We believe that President Assad will fulfill his promises and he is the best man to achieve the reforms," he added.He rejected the idea about a possible infighting between Muslims and Christians, saying all Syrians are hopeful to live peacefully regardless of their religious doctrines. Samia Hadad, a Christian woman, said "I don't believe in Bayanouni's remarks as this is no more than propaganda to gain power." Antoine Karam, a merchant in the old city of Damascus, said "I staunchly back President Assad because he is a respected, educated and open-minded man... under the Assad government there has been tolerance towards religious minorities, an issue that is not guaranteed by any other would-be president." A peace plan initiated by the Arab League two weeks ago aiming to find a solution to end the crisis seems to be stillborn amid mounting accusations by opposition figures that the regime doesn't honor its promises and is still harshly cracking down on protesters. The Syrian government denied such accusations and said it had showed commitment to the peace plan by granting amnesty to hundreds of Syrians arrested during the unrest in the country, pledging to withdraw its military vehicles from violence-hit areas in central Syria, as well as approving to hold dialogue with opposition figures under supervision of Arab and international observers. The Arab League would convene an emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday to weigh the possibility of undertaking stiffer measures against the Syrian regime given its alleged breach of the plan. AL chief Nabil al-Arabi said that the AL plan is, till now, workable and Syria's Christians and Muslims are waiting to see the outcome.