Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Houthi: We find ourselves in the most sacred battle and the greatest position. We do not consider the sacrifices to be wasted losses; rather, we have given everything for the sake of this stance.
Al-Houthi: The Zionist scheme is undoubtedly a plot to enslave and exploit this nation. This is a fact, not an exaggeration.
Al-Houthi: Great sacrifice in the path of God only increases our steadfastness, determination, certainty, resilience, and cohesion.
Al-Houthi: The Zionist crime confirms the importance of Yemen's conscious and insightful position based on constants, values, and human ethics.
Al-Houthi: The Israeli enemy is a criminal who proves its brutality and monstrosity through all its criminal practices, void of any controls.
Al-Houthi: The Israeli enemy's record is one of terrible and horrific crimes, full of bloodshed against the Palestinian people and people in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
Al-Houthi: The crime of targeting ministers and civilian workers adds to the Israeli enemy's criminal record in the region.
Al-Houthi: All of the martyrs were ministers working in civilian fields.
Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi: We extend our sincerest condolences to all the martyrs' families, their loved ones, their colleagues, and our dear people.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone targeted a residential apartment in the al-Natour Square in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City

No bells toll, no decorations… The remaining Christians in Idlib are deprived of celebrating their feasts

  • Sara Salloum Sara Salloum
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 16 Apr 2023 15:51
  • 6 Shares
7 Min Read

A new year is to be added to the previous ten years during which the feasts passed by the remaining Christians in Idlib silently with no joy, no decorations, and no ringing bells.

  • x
  • No bells toll, no decorations… The remaining Christians in Idlib are deprived of celebrating their feasts

A new year is to be added to the previous ten years during which the feasts passed by the remaining Christians in Idlib silently with no joy, no decorations, and no ringing bells because the celebration of Easter in public is considered a “violation of Islamic law,” according to “Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham” (formerly the Al-Nusra Front) that is still extending its control on the region of Idlib.

According to local sources, the number of Christians today in Idlib and its countryside does not exceed 200 people, most of whom are elderly, compared to more than 10,000 people before 2011. Most of them belong to the Greek Orthodox sect and are distributed in Jisr Al-Shughur and the villages of Al-Qunya, Al-Yaqubiyyah, Al-Jadida, Haluz, and Al-Ghassaniya.

'Shedding our blood, seizing our wealth, and offending honor are lawful and permissible for them'

Nothing indicates the arrival of Easter at Umm Elias’ house except for a low-volume TV live broadcasting the feast celebrations throughout Syria.

Although the weather outside is sunny and warm, the sixty-year-old lady carefully closes the door and windows of her house and goes to her bedroom to take out a large box from under her bed, in which she has collected everything that indicates that they are a Christian family.

The family Gospel, and many icons and rosaries, were hidden at the bottom of the box… Before Idlib’s occupation, these sacred icons were usually hung on the walls of the house, and next to them were several photo albums. Umm Elias turns them over carefully and tells Al Mayadeen English, “This is my son Elias in his first communion, and this is my daughter Jocelyn on Palm Sunday, holding her candle that I’ve decorated with my own hands, and here we are with my husband's family in front of the church after the Easter service.”

Reflecting on how Christian women of Idlib governorate spend Easter holidays, instead of practicing their usual rituals that begin with prayer, she said sadly, “Look around you... Are there still churches? All of them were destroyed, looted, and exploited, such as the Virgin Mary Church, which was turned into a Sharia institute for Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham, and there is another church that is used as a headquarters for the White Helmets.”

What aches the elderly woman the most is the dispersal of the family, as she explains, “Today, every one of my children is in a different country; they are young and the future lies ahead of them. As for me, I preferred to stay here with my husband. We could not leave everything and just go."

Related News

Regional peace with the occupation a recipe for disaster

Normalisation is death of Arab sovereignty, Syria is the best example

Umm Elias recalled how she used to spend her time making cakes and Maamoul stuffed with nuts and dates, and how she used to color eggs with her grandchildren. She said, “This is how it used to be, but today there is not a single store in all of Idlib or its countryside that sells such things. Now, shedding our blood, seizing our wealth, and offending honor are lawful and permissible for them."

Umm Elias gets traumatized every time she recalls what happened in 2019 to the teacher from the town of Al-Yaqubiyyah Susan Krikor, who was sixty years old when she was kidnapped, raped, and then killed, and had her gold jewelry stolen.

'I hope to meet my children again before I die'

Abu Shadi saluted his neighbor Abu Michel, saying, “Christ has risen.” Abu Michel responds: “Indeed, he has risen.” Abu Shadi does not hide his intense fear of being overheard by the Chechen, Turkestan, and Uzbek fighters who are around him, and he tells Al Mayadeen English, “We are only worth a bullet... and the charge is polytheism." Abu Michel interrupts and adds, “Even without doing anything, just passing through the streets and markets of Idlib near the fighters of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham, especially the foreign members, exposes us to defamatory and discriminatory phrases such as “infidel”, “worshipper of the cross,” and other different types of offenses.

The 70-year-old man asks himself daily, “Is anyone thinking about us... Is there anyone who knows how we are living?” He pauses and continues to say, “They said on TV that they had opened St. Anna's Church for us, but it was nothing but a cheap false show, and an attempt to solicit support from the West."

The retired engineer takes a handkerchief out of his pocket, which is the only souvenir left from his daughter who traveled to France. He wipes his tears and points to the mountains stretching before his eyes, and says, “This is Latakia, and we’re not too far from it. There are my relatives and my son and his family. I hope we can meet even just for once before I die."

'Christian properties are confiscated and distributed to foreign fighters'

“There are Muslims who deserve help more than you.” This is what the responsible for relief supplies in Idlib said to Abu Ibrahim who used to return home empty-handed. Several human associations were expressing the same reaction. “They fear the Islamic factions if Christian families receive foodstuff packages,” asserted Abu Ibrahim. The former olive oil salesman couldn’t imagine he would spend the morning of Easter Sunday moving between associations, trying to register for aid,  in order to cope with the difficult economic conditions. “For many years, I was deprived of getting into the Easter spirit, with no family gathering, no joy, except the moment I talk to my children abroad. As for my grandchildren, I’ve never seen them in person."

Abu Ibrahim’s property was looted like all other Christians in Idlib. The so-called “Christian Property Office” confiscated all of them and distributed them to foreign fighters. He kept only a plot of land where he spends most of his time working, although he only gets 40% of his crop production. Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham forced him to sign a usufruct agreement.

“I am the son of the land, and I cannot stay away from it. They did not allow the Christians who fled for their lives to claim their lands, either under the pretext that they are in Europe or are loyal to the government. As for the rest of us, they forced us to sign an agreement stipulating that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham obtain 60 percent of the production, although the owner of the land has to take sole responsibility for all expenses throughout the year.”

Abu Ibrahim knew that it was a losing equation, but he ventured to accept it so as not to lose his source of livelihood and protect the inheritance of his family, which he believes will be bequeathed to his children and grandchildren… no matter how long it takes.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Mayadeen’s editorial stance.
  • Syria
  • Easter
  • White Helmets
  • Idlib
  • Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
  • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
  • Idlib province
Sara Salloum

Sara Salloum

Journalist from Syria.

Most Read

All
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Although it does seem likely they will launch some kind of operation in northern Gaza, one which will accelerate its mass murder of civilians, but will fail to achieve its stated objectives. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Here is why the Israeli occupation of Gaza won’t work

  • Opinion
  • 26 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
War on Iran

More from this writer

All
War still on between SDF militias, Arab tribes

War still on between SDF militias, Arab tribes

Spief24: Economic and social prospects for confronting Western hegemony attempts

Spief24: Economic and social prospects for confronting Western hegemony attempts

SDF militias continue to kidnap, recruit children amid absence of any UN response

SDF militias continue to kidnap, recruit children amid absence of any UN response

Turkey continues to steal Afrin's olives, oil

Turkey continues to steal Afrin's olives, oil

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS