Archbishop of Homs Urges Sanctions Lift for Hope in Syria

Archbishop Urges Lifting of Sanctions to Revive Hope in Syria

In a recent appeal to the global community, the Syriac-Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Jacques Mourad, has called for the removal of international sanctions on Syria, suggesting that this could restore a sense of hope to the beleaguered nation.

Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government late last year, Syria has remained in a state of flux. The anticipated rise of a hardline Islamist regime has not occurred, but the current government’s extremist roots have left many Syrians, including Muslims, feeling uneasy.

During a press briefing hosted by Aid to the Church in Need, Archbishop Mourad described the unsettling presence of Islamist militiamen in Syrian cities. “For the Syrian people, it is strange. It is foreign to them and to their traditions. They have never been confronted by such a rigid form of Islam. It is foreign to them, and there is a certain social discomfort,” he explained.

Highlighting Syria’s historical diversity, the archbishop noted that the country’s Sunni population is also dissatisfied with the new regime. He stated, “Our Sunni neighbours tell us that they are not happy with this new regime, and they say so to others, but among themselves, there is fear, because for the Salafists, if the Sunnis are not on the same page, they are considered blasphemers, and the consequence for blasphemy is death.”

Though the current government has attempted to reassure Christians and other minorities with conciliatory gestures, there are fears about its inability to control local excesses, whether by rival militias or groups nominally under its command.

In March, sectarian violence resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Alawites, a minority group to which Bashar al-Assad belonged. This violence is suspected to be either reprisal attacks or efforts to thwart potential counter-insurgencies.

Archbishop Mourad emphasized the detrimental impact of sanctions on Syrian citizens, stating, “The sanctions have had a terrible effect on the people of Syria. After the change of the regime, most people lost their jobs and now have no means of survival. Every day, people come to me looking for money to buy bread. This is the level we have reached. Most people don’t have enough to pay for heating. It has become too expensive.”

He proposed that lifting sanctions could generate employment and enhance living standards for the Syrian populace.

Despite the challenges, Archbishop Mourad remains optimistic. Having been kidnapped by ISIS in 2015 and held captive for several months, he believes the ordeal has fortified his resilience. “For somebody like me, who has experienced interior freedom because of my captivity, there is nothing now that imprisons me,” he said.

“Nothing puts me in a state of vulnerability. I contemplate my life and see that it is in the hands of God, and I am sure that He is guiding me. The one who has done this miracle for me and given me the miracle of returning me to freedom remains at my side. I see this for myself and for everyone, including for the presence of the Christians and the Church in Syria.”