What Happened to Syria?

This episode was originally recorded in 2024, shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and released on our Patreon that Christmas. https://www.patreon.com/c/whathappenedtosyria?vanity=user 

 

Apologies for the terrible audio quality on my end, I'm having a lot of issues with my computer and my mic, right now. Turning up the volume will probably help. Will try to have these tech issues fixed as soon as possible. -Sean

Beshr, a Christian supporter of the Syrian Revolution originally from Homs, joins us to talk about Syria's Christian community and their long, storied history as one of Syria's oldest religions. We talk about everything from the Apostle Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus and how Syrian Christians were treated by several Islamic empires over 1,400 years to their relationship with the Assad regime and the Syrian Revolution.

The conversation takes some dark turns as Beshr describes historic persecution and recent horrors in Syria but we also try to inject positivity by looking at how Christians flourished during the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates as well as how Syrians celebrate Christmas.

You won't want to miss this one, despite the dismal audio quality.

Milad majid! Did you know that Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th?

This episode examines the millennia-long history of Christianity in Syria, the ways that Christians have participated in both the Syrian Revolution and Syrian Civil War, and ending with an overview of the country's Christmas traditions.

This one's got everything from empires and caliphates to revolutionaries protesting against a dictator and even an immortal camel who brings presents to children once a year. 

Sources / Quotes:

https://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/syria.html

https://countrystudies.us/syria/34.htm

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22270455

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/syrias-christians-personal-story-stolen-legacy

https://minorityrights.org/minorities/christians-armenians-and-assyrians/

https://international.la-croix.com/news/politics/christian-communities-in-iraq-and-syria-are-still-very-fragile/17807

https://www.hart-uk.org/blog/the-religious-landscape-in-syria-part-1/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syria-war-anniversary-christians-assad-manipulation

https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/why-christian-communities-in-northeastern-syria-may-soon-be-gone/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/we-must-defend-ourselves-christian-fighters-warpath-raqqa

https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-christmas-syria-homs-20211223-fec7pqar7jde7myh3qv77dsxny-story.html

https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/christmas-middle-east-traditions

https://www.damascena.co.uk/posts/how-christmas-is-celebrated-in-damascus

https://www.newarab.com/news/youth-exodus-takes-joy-out-syria-christmas-celebrations

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2020/12/27/first-ever-erected-christmas-tree-in-kobani-deliberately-burnt/

https://time.com/4617957/aleppo-christians-christmas-syria/

https://csi-usa.org/there-were-about-1300-christians-in-idlib-but-now-only-two-remain/

https://npasyria.com/en/89664/

https://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2013/12/25/christmas-in-liberated-saraqeb-idlib-provence-syria/

https://syriadirect.org/hts-looks-to-idlibs-christians-and-druze-to-whitewash-violations/

https://www.newarab.com/news/syrian-christians-reopen-church-hts-dominated-idlib

https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/16181

https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/early-christian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7nfOGsuo2I

https://syriadirect.org/syrian-christians-exploited-or-protected-minority/

https://www.ncronline.org/news/christian-activists-say-militias-target-religious-minorities-syria

https://www.newarab.com/news/syrian-christians-reopen-church-hts-dominated-idlib

https://npasyria.com/en/89664/

https://syriadirect.org/hts-looks-to-idlibs-christians-and-druze-to-whitewash-violations/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/christmas-middle-east-santa-sahlab-dabke-photos

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/03/muslim-syrian-refugees-converting-christianity/98685852/

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1RS19E/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/muslim-refugees-converting-christianity-find-safety/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/life-under-isis-led-these-muslims-christ-n963281

https://www.newsweek.com/evangelical-christian-church-muslim-converts-syria-isis-1398210

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2020/07/19/christianity-in-syria-a-policy-of-persecution-or-deliberate-attempts-to-eliminate-it-once-and-for-all-part-2/

https://syrianobserver.com/features/51332/kurds-embrace-christianity-and-kobani-celebrates-inauguration-of-church.html

Merry Christmas!

Sadly, the World Food Program has had their funding cut by 60 percent.

Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/). Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot. 

Sources / Quotes:

 

https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-forced-scale-down-operations-syria-donors-gather-brussels-ahead-major-conference

 

https://www.wfp.org/news/tight-funding-forces-wfp-reduce-food-assistance-syrian-refugees-jordan-including-camps

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/venezuela-situation

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/dr-congo-emergency

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-record-6-9-million-people-have-been-displaced-in-congos-growing-conflict-the-u-n-says

 

https://www.iom.int/news/record-high-displacement-drc-nearly-7-million

 

https://www.cfr.org/blog/catastrophic-displacement-democratic-republic-congo

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/syria-emergency

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/ukraine-emergency

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/rohingya-emergency 

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/afghanistan-emergency 

 

https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/how-many-refugees/2/ 

 

https://www.kiva.org/blog/where-do-refugees-come-from-and-where-do-they-go 

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/272999/refugees-by-source-country/ 

 

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/forced-to-flee-top-countries-refugees-coming-from

 

https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/

 

https://concernusa.org/news/largest-refugee-crises/

 

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20230620-key-figures-record-high-numbers-of-refugees-and-displaced-people-worldwide 

 

https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-44-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-Jerusalem?__cf_chl_tk=jT9ELr.V5lDgrzvo7UkBg1AN_dvJ8Gin0VBYa_LtOR4-1703204552-0-gaNycGzNIVA

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-tent-city-rafah-bombardment-sheets-buckets-rcna129543

 

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-facts

 

https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/rohingya-emergency 

 

https://www.wfp.org/news/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-face-grim-choices-more-cuts-food-assistance-imminent

The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades. This prompts Bashar al-Assad to authorize a campaign of repression across Syria, among the earliest of his crimes against humanity.

Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/). Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot. 

Sources / Quotes:

Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al

The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh

We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman

Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher

Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami

A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek

Syria by Dr. David Lesch

Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio

“Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student

http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html

Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI

“Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765

“Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762

“At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk

We're breaking up Episode 15 - Crimes Against Humanity (June 24 to July 31, 2011) into four smaller episodes before putting out the full thing.

The Assad regime starts to crack under the pressure of increasingly large, passionate, cross-sectarian protests. Millions of people are taking to the streets and voicing dissent for the first time in their lives, putting the regime's legitimacy in doubt for the first time in decades.

Also, we are currently listed among the Top Five Syria-related podcasts on Feedspot.com https://podcasts.feedspot.com/syria_podcasts/. Check us out there and help us get up to the #1 spot. 

Sources / Quotes:

Civil War in Syria by Baczko, et. al

The Impossible Revolution by Yassin al-Haj Saleh

We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled by Dr. Wendy Pearlman

Assad or We Burn the Country by Sam Dagher

Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila al-Shami

A Woman in the Crossfire by Samar Yazbek

Syria by Dr. David Lesch

Shatter the Nations by Mike Giglio

“Syrian Revolution Song,” The Arabic Student

http://www.thearabicstudent.com/2012/02/syrian-revolution-song.html

Syrian Revolutionary Dabke - YouTube (“Yalla Erhal ya Bashar” by Ibrahim Qashoush)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCS8SsFOBAI

“Amnesty accuses Syria of crimes against humanity,” BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14032765

“Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton,” BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14115762

“At least 30 killed in factional fighting in Syria” by Mariam Karouney and Oliver Holmes, Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-idUKTRE76F26V20110718?edition-redirect=uk