Aleppo priest calls for prayer, aid to face Syria's challenges with 'strong faith and hope'

(OSV News) -- Amid recent deadly clashes in Syria between backers of former President Bashar Assad and the new transitional government, OSV News spoke with Incarnate Word Father Hugo Alaniz, who serves in the city of Aleppo, for his on-the-ground perspective of the violence.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

OSV News: Have you or any of those you serve been directly impacted by the violence? If so, how?

Father Alaniz: The past two weeks have seen terrible incidents and acts of violence; however, we were not directly impacted. Here in Aleppo, there have been some clashes, but nothing compared to what happened in other areas.

But many people serving in our church or of our community are originally from that area -- the center and west of Syria -- and their families were in the middle of this conflict. Some have sought refuge in local churches, while others were protected by Muslim Sunnis.

Many news reports said that there was also persecution against Christians but that is incorrect; many of the of Christians who lost their lives lost them because of their geographical location.
Still, we are indeed facing strong discrimination.

OSV News: What is the feeling of your parishioners and other Christians in Syria at this moment?

Father Alaniz: In general, people are feeling down, scared and worried.

Many of them want to stay here because they know that this is their country, but Christians in the Middle East face discrimination, which is unfortunate. At the same time, many others want to leave the country in search of safety.

The recent events of Syria do not assure us of safety. The patriarchs and bishops of our different rites are working hard with the new president of the government for the stability of the country, and the rights of minorities including Christians.

OSV News: What is the feeling of Alawites (a minority sect of Islam representing about 10% of Syria's population, viewed as apostates by some radical Sunni Muslims) and other Muslims in Syria at this moment?

Father Alaniz: The Alawite Muslims are in a very bad position at this moment, and we know many families that are not leaving their homes at all, even here in Aleppo. The bishops have called for the rights of the Alawites to be respected and protected from fanatic groups who are taking advantage of this time of transition.

OSV News: What do you want those in the West to know about the situation in Syria right now, and how can they help?

Father Alaniz: As missionaries of the Incarnate Word, we serve local churches in different parts of the world. We know that each area has its challenges, and many of them are going through very difficult situations as well.

We consider our missions in the Middle East, such as those in Syria, as special not just because of the challenges we mentioned above, but also because we strive to serve the small Christian local communities who are still present in this part of the Holy Land.

We ask our brothers in the West to continue praying for us so that we can face these circumstances with strong faith and hope.

After 14 years of war, two strong earthquakes and recent events, emergency aid is still surely needed. Our families rely on us to stand by their side in their necessities. Alongside pastoral work, we are involved in various projects to assist our families in their different needs (education, courses, big interest for the elderly care, medical aid, emergency aid, kitchen for the elderly, etc.).

For sure, we need support to continue helping people. Unfortunately, because of the sanctions, people abroad cannot easily help us, because it is forbidden to send aid directly.