Prayer for Christians
Syria will be overrun by Islamic extremists and so-called rebels within ten days. The hated Bashar Al-Assad flees headlong into exile in Moscow. His former supporters and employees remain behind, who continue to run the old business under the new government. If they want to stay alive, they must continue to carry out their duties while feigning joy and waving flags.
What does this mean for minorities and Christians in Syria? What does this mean for the Kurds? The fact that this time the transfer of power took place in a relatively orderly manner - without the feared slaughter, rape, beheadings and torture - suggests that a major power is orchestrating things in the background. A neighboring country is definitely interested in establishing an Ottoman empire.
A few days ago there were talks in Manbij between the Kurdish leaders and the new Syrian government. This meeting degenerated. The new state does not tolerate a second state in the country, no Rojava, no Kurdish northern Syria. The Kurds were asked to lay down their weapons, which did not happen because they do not trust the Islamists - with good reason. There was then a shooting and the Islamists killed 30 Kurdish soldiers and some leaders.
Christians used to make up 10% of the total population in Syria. Now we reckon there are just under 300,000 Orthodox and MBBs (Christians with a Muslim background), that's a good 1%. Islamic law allows such 'apostates' to be killed if they do not convert back to Islam. This is also the great fear of the three MBB churches in Aleppo and Kobane in northern Syria. They are fair game for the rebels. We currently know about expulsions of Christians, threats and pressure from Islamists. There is a fear that something worse will follow.
Around 100,000 refugees from Aleppo are camped at the gates of Kobane, where our bakery, our clinics, our guesthouse, our orphanage and our church are. Supply is difficult because northern Syria is surrounded and isolated. Bringing wheat, flour and basic foodstuffs into the country is difficult or impossible. Nevertheless, we want to increase the bakery's production and thus supply not only the population of Kobane, but also the refugees outside the city.
Our pastor in Kobane said: "I'm going to church now to pray and staying there - come what may, I'm ready to die." Syria absolutely needs prayer, otherwise it will soon degenerate into a second Afghanistan.
