What future for Syria?
«People do not have faith in the future, but the real problem is that there is a lack of certainty of good in the present. And without trust there is no hope »
Tomorrow, March 15, is the anniversary of the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Exactly fourteen years ago, with the rise of protests throughout the Middle East that took the name of “Arab Spring”, a war began in Syria whose wounds continue to bleed today.
Just in the last few days have seen widespread attacks and massacres against more than a thousand Alawite civilians: government investigations and international inquiries have been ordered, but in the meantime the country remains prey to a strong and frightening political and social instability.
However, there are also different trajectories: stories that do not bend, that resist and look straight forward towards the future. On this anniversary we want to try to imagine it, a future: two voices against the tide tell us about the strength of perseverance and hope, in every context and in every place.
Rima’s story
“My name is Rima and I am 17 years old. When my mother enrolled me in the music center, I saw many different instruments, but the piano was my first choice. I started learning it little by little and, over time, I felt that music had become part of me.”
This is Rima’s voice, clear and crystalline in the happiness of having discovered a new language that allows her to express a deep part of herself. Rima lives in Damascus and has Down syndrome: “God gave me a special daughter, with Down syndrome. But I never saw this as an obstacle to the realization of his dreams,” says his mother. She deeply believes in Rima’s ability to learn and grow, and is always by her side in this quest. “Music gives comfort and allows you to express yourself, so I wanted Rima to learn this art. When I discovered the Franciscan Music Centre run by Pro Terra Sancta and the advantages it offered – such as a symbolic inscription and the evident progress in the children who attended it – I knew it would be the right step for her.”
“I won’t hide the fact that at first I was afraid. I was afraid that Rima might be rejected or that people would think she couldn’t learn like others. But I was surprised by the great welcome and availability of the entire team.” “There was no shortage of initial difficulties, but Rima surprised us,” comment the teachers who followed Rima in her discovery of music: “Over time she made extraordinary progress, reaching a very good level before her family moved to Erbil. When she started, she already knew how to play with both hands, a goal that requires great commitment and concentration. He was able to perform complete pieces and read musical notes with confidence.”
“I express my deepest gratitude to all those who have contributed to the musical center with their commitment and dedication”: the mother is moved to see her daughter serene and master of a language that will help her build sensitivity and openness to the world, a precious gift that is more necessary than ever. “His path in music was not just a technical exercise,” explain the teachers, “but a story of challenge and creativity. It is the story of a girl who did not let anything stop her and a mother who always believed in her. Today, Rima doesn’t just play music: it plays hope, passion and determination, showing everyone that the will can turn dreams into reality.”
A certainty of good in the present
The second story is taken from the article dedicated to our colleague Jean-François Thiry, published in the March issue of “Traces“. Jean-François talks about Pro Terra Sancta’s activities on site, and the belief in the possibility of a different present and future that constitutes its fundamental premise.
Being actors of peace means looking to the most needy. The certainty of our faith opens us to others. At the moment we Christians are quite well, but there are communities that suffer violence and discrimination: I am thinking of the Druze, the Alawites, the Shiites . If one member suffers, the whole body suffers, so we can’t just defend our own small enclave and take refuge in Christian neighborhoods. “We must not defend spaces, but open trials”, said the Pope: this is our task. Start dialogue processes. We have an office with four people, more than a hundred educators, a kitchen with a thousand meals a day for the poorest, Muslims and Christians. We are trying to give an education both to children who do not go to school but to work, and to mothers, a professional training that allows them to earn a living, because I think that miseducation leads to violence. When they liberated the country, they opened prisons. From the one in Sednaya (30 kilometers north of Damascus) 30 thousand people have come out, mostly political prisoners, some there for 40 years, tortured, in inhumane conditions. The women we support did not know where their husbands were. Now many have returned, they are former soldiers who have been at war for ten years and know how to do only this. Their psychological state is devastated. Two weeks ago we opened a center for psychological rehabilitation. Among them there are those who would prefer to go back to prison because they cannot readjust. A huge need to meet and look at. Two weeks ago Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, sent by the Pope to show his closeness, came. He met with parishioners in Aleppo. “Will you help us to leave Syria, to get a visa?”, some asked the cardinal. Everyone applauded. It was a stab. “No, we will help you continue a presence,” he replied. People do not have faith in the future, but the real problem is that there is a lack of certainty of good in the present. And without trust there is no hope.