Christians in Aleppo, the major Syrian city retaken from President Bashar Al Assad's regime by extremist-led rebels, are starting to “decorate our neighbourhoods with Christmas trees", the city's lead bishop said amid speculation of the status of minorities.
Rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), a US-designated terrorist organisation that has sought to present a more moderate image, is leading a coalition of opposition fighters in the most significant challenge to the Assad regime in years.
The regime quickly fell in Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million people that is home to about 25,000 Christians, and opposition forces are moving further south.
The community's Christians were initially “fearful”, said Bishop Hanna Jallouf, the ordained bishop and Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo of the Latins.
Speaking from Aleppo, he gave a virtual briefing to reporters in Washington on Tuesday, describing how the city's religious minorities initially refrained from “leaving their homes” in the first hours of the shock operation by the extremist-led rebel forces. But with reassurances from HTS that Christians would be safe, religious minorities quickly re-emerged into public life.
“I'm excited to say that both the Catholic and Orthodox and other Christian sects' celebrations, whether it is St Barbara, New Year's and Christmas is going as normal,” Bishop Jallouf said. “We've already started to decorate our neighbourhoods with Christmas trees and other sort of things for the upcoming holidays … We feel that things are going OK.”
There has been growing concern that HTS control in Syria could endanger Christian minorities. In its 2023 country report on international religious freedom, the US State Department noted that “human rights organisations continued to report HTS committed abuses against members of religious and ethnic minority groups, including the seizure of properties belonging to displaced Christians".
Amid the renewed fighting, Syrian Christians are also fearful for their sacred landmarks. The Catholic church announced this week that “during a bombing of the city of Aleppo, a bomb fell on the Franciscan complex of the Terra Santa College".
“The word of God of this first Sunday of Advent invites us to keep hope alive for a prospect of peace. Let us take this exhortation and pray that it be achieved for our Syrian brothers and sisters, the statement added.
As HTS and a coalition of rebel factions gain ground across Syria, the group on Monday issued a statement trying to ease the fears of minorities such Syrian Kurds, declaring they “have the full right to live in dignity and freedom, as do all the Syrian people".
“In the future Syria, we believe that diversity is our strength, not our weakness,” HTS added.
Bishop Jallouf said that his “biggest fear in the coming days is Russian bombardment … the aerial bombardment of civilian areas, and we really pray that that somehow ceases".
The Russia and Iran-backed Assad regime has long promoted itself as secular and the protector of Syria’s minorities – including the Christian, Alawite, Shiite or Druze communities – from extremists.
For many, those claims were vindicated earlier in the war amid an ISIS takeover that at its height saw the group seize control of about one-third of Syria and 40 per cent of Iraq.
During that time, ISIS perpetrated a campaign of mass atrocities to “achieve the religious and ethnic cleansing of Yazidis, Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac Christians, Shiite and Sunni Muslim Turkmens, Shabaks and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria", according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company%20Profile
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The Gandhi Murder
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The%20Crown%20season%205
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
