Syrian Christians worried over their uncertain future in Syria

(21 Feb 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Tel Tal village, Hasaka, Syria - 27 January 2025 1. Man ringing bell 2. Pan of empty alleyways 3. Local resident Ishaq Nissan showing abandoned houses, UPSOUND (Arabic): “This is the house of Mukhtar (head of the village) Eshoo Damo. He died in the village and his family migrated to Germany.” 4. People walking 5. Local resident Ishaq Nissan showing abandoned houses, UPSOUND (Arabic): “This is Isaac Khail Barkho’s (house), he is in Germany, in Berlin. He lives in Berlin and the (people) house there, is in Australia, in Sydney.” 6. Wide of abandoned houses 7. Close of tea being poured 8. Various of Nissan with his wife at home 9. Close of fence 10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Elias Antar, Head of Relations Office for the Assyrian al Khabur Guards: “The scenes (people in power) that we see of these beards (men with beards) remind us of Daesh (Islamic State group) beards. If you want honesty, these scenes are not comforting (for) the society. It doesn’t provide relief for all components.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Qamishli, Syria – 28 January 2025 11. Pan of Virgin Mary Church for Syriac Orthodox 12. People entering church for evening prayer 13. Various of people reciting prayers ASSOCIATED PRESS Hasaka, Syria – 27 January 2025 14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bishop Maurice Amsih, Archbishop of Al-Jazeera and the Euphrates of Syriac Orthodox: “Sunnis are our brothers and they are the majority in Syria today, but we are against the establishment of the Islamic Sharia for all components. We and all people of the country want them to treat us in a civil way.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Tel Nasri village, Hasaka, Syria - 27 January 2025 15. Various of damaged car on a roundabout 16. Wide of destroyed Virgin Mary Church 17. Children playing football 18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maria Hanna, Civil Society Activist: “The fall of (former Syrian President Bashar) Assad was a joy, but this joy was followed by the fear from the unknown future. There is an unclear situation with a hazy future. I mean we don’t know what’s going to happen next.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Qamishli, Syria – 28 January 2025 19. Various of people reciting prayers in church 20. People attending evening mass 21. Woman lighting a candle STORYLINE: It was a mournful moment for Christians in Syria. A bell that once summoned residents to worship rang out but the church was no longer there. The Saint Odisho church was blown up by the Islamic State (IS) group a decade ago, leaving Tel Tal village in Syria almost empty of residents. A local Christian who fled the attack, Ishaq Nissan, showed The Associated Press now uninhabited homes, explaining where families had gone: U.S., Australia, Canada or Europe. This month, northeast Syria's remaining Christians will mark the 10th anniversary of the IS attack on over 30 villages along the Khabur river. On Feb. 23, 2015, dozens of Christians were killed or wounded and over 200 were taken hostage. Churches were blown up and thousands of people fled. The anniversary comes as Christians worry about the future of Syria following the ouster of longtime Syrian President Bashar Assad in December by insurgents led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa is now interim president and most government members come from Islamic factions. Al-Sharaa has repeatedly said religious rights will be protected in post-Assad Syria. Though HTS had been an al-Qaida affiliate, it is opposed to IS and fought deadly battles with it over the years. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...