Appeals for Humanitarian Organizations to Aid Monastery in Maaloula
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East urged on Tuesday the Syrian Red Crescent, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the governmental and non-governmental organizations NGOs to aid the ancient Syrian Christian village of Maaloula.
“Humanitarian organizations should send aid convoys to the historic Saint Takla convent and those who are trapped in it,” an appeal issued by the Patriarchate said.
The appeal pointed out that convent in the village, which is on a UNESCO list of tentative world heritage sites, is “passing through difficult times.”
“The convent is currently in the middle of an area where fire exchange is taking place, which makes aiding it a daunting and dangerous process.”
"The generator has gone out because of the fighting, halting the supply of water to the convent and threatening the lives of those inside," the statement added.
The rebels launched the assault on Maaloula at the beginning of September after a Nusra fighter blew himself up at a regime checkpoint at the entrance to the mountain village.
The village, about 60 kilometers northeast of Damascus, is home to 3,300 residents, some of whom still speak a version of Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ that only small, scattered communities around the world still use today.
It is full of troglodyte caves dating back to the first centuries of Christianity, and also houses the Mar Takla Greek Orthodox convent.
“We call on all the Syrians to engage in dialogue as an only solution to end the rift. And we call on the fighting sides to neutralize all landmarks that indicate the country's distinctive cultural role and avoid harming and Damaging them,” the Patriarchate added.
Source: Naharnet
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