From the Catholicosate in Antelias, we extend our fatherly and warm greetings to the beloved sons and daughters of our people in Aleppo.
Once again, Aleppo finds itself in crisis. Over the past decades, this historic city — renowned for its coexistence of diverse cultures, religions and nations in the Middle East — has endured various tribulations. The Armenian community of Aleppo has also borne the heavy consequences of these crises.
Aleppo has always held a central place in the annals of Armenian history, serving as a beacon in economic, cultural, religious and national spheres. With its churches, cultural, educational and social centers, and its distinctly Armenian atmosphere, Aleppo has been a radiant presence, especially within the life of the Diaspora. Leaders, educators, intellectuals, clergy and community activists — from Lebanon to Yerevan, from European cities to the Atlantic shores — trace their profound roots back to Aleppo.
Today, the Armenian community of Aleppo is not alone in its distress. We all stand beside it through prayer, love and solidarity. For our people, Aleppo is not merely a relic of the past, celebrated for its glorious days, significant achievements and pivotal role. Aleppo remains ever-present and is also our future. The strength of a nation lies in its collective faith, its unified will to confront challenges and its shared hope in shaping the future.
This is the conviction of the Armenian community of Aleppo. We witnessed and affirmed this when, nearly 10 years ago, during days of turmoil, we visited Aleppo and stood with our people. We saw and testified to this spirit when, during the days of the earthquake, we walked alongside our compatriots through the Armenian-populated streets of Aleppo. Despair and uncertainty have no place in the life of Aleppo’s Armenians.
We have always stood and will continue to stand with Syria. We do not forget that Syria was the first country to welcome the survivors of the Armenian Genocide onto its soil. Therefore, our people’s bond with Syria must remain steadfast.
We express our profound appreciation to the Prelate and the national authorities, to all our organizations dedicated to the welfare of our community, and to our young men and women who tirelessly serve our people day and night with utmost devotion. We warmly commend the unwavering determination of Aleppo’s Armenians to face the current crisis with unity and effort.
We pray that God protects the Armenian community of Aleppo from all dangers. May love and peace arch over the life of the Syrian people.
With fatherly warm love,
Aram I
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia
Antelias
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I
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I did not notice an invitatbion to come to Armenia for safety.
That’s because Pashinyan, who didn’t lift his finger for the Armenians in Artsakh, won’t lift his finger for the Armenians in Syria and Lebanon. The Syrian and Lebanese Armenians are abandoned, just like the Artsakhi Armenians are abandoned.
According to news reports, Islamist terrorists in Aleppo, have killed two elderly Yazidi men who were trying to flee the city.
There are currently thousands of Christians – including Armenians, hundreds of Yazidis and thousands of Alawites trapped in Aleppo, as well across Syria, which fell to the Turkish backed Islamist terrorist proxies – and are now facing genocide.
Christians in Syria made up about 10% of the pre-war Syrian population, but now make up less than 2%, falling from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2022. The Yazidis likewise suffered horribly at the hands of the Islamist terrorists, and its pre-war Syrian population of about 50,000, plummeted to 10,000 today.
According to the news, Damascus has fallen to the jihadists from the south and Assad reportedly fled – whether from Syria or just the capital, is not yet known.
Even though he is a ruthless dictator, the secularist Bashar Assad, was a protector of religious minorities, also because he comes from a religious minority himself, the Alawites, a liberal Muslim sect, who are regarded as heretics by Sunni Muslims and Islamists, because of their progressive ideas.
(The exact same scenario happened across the border in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003. The ruthless but secularist dictator Saddam Hussein, was a protector of religious minorities, perhaps because his Sunni Muslim sect is a minority in Iraq. After he was deposed, the Christians and Yazidis were totally exposed and were subjected to terror attacks and genocide by Islamist terrorists. Christians in Iraq made up about 5% of the pre-invasion Iraqi population, but now make up less than 0.7%, falling from 1.5 million in 2003 to just 300,000 in 2022. The Yazidi pre-invasion Iraqi population of about 700,000, plummeted to about 140,000 today.)
Now, all the Armenians, Christians, Yazidis and Alawites are fully exposed to Islamist terror and possible genocide, which was made possible with the instigation of Turkey, which long had designs to turn Syria into its puppet via its Islamist terrorist proxies, and has of course a bloodsoaked history of genocide in this region not only against Armenians back in 1915, but against the Assyrians and the Yazidis as well. The so-called “international community” is doing nothing as usual and these targeted groups are practically abandoned to a horrible fate.
The puppeteers have had their way it was a stitch up like the fall of the US puppet government in Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, to have happened so quickly. Whilst the HTS are engaged in a make nice actions for popular support for the Armenians and other Christians are less likely to be viewed as sympathetically as they were under secular Assad dynasty.