A Car bomb Exploded in the New Syriac District in Aleppo

22.10.2012

Communiqué and Call for Prayers

Issued by the Syrian Orthodox Archbishopric of Aleppo.

Aleppo: On Sunday 21^st October 2012, a suicidal booby trapped car exploded early in the morning in the main roundabout of the New Syriac district. It left huge craters and a considerable amount of damage to the Bet Hasada’ Complex, a Syrian Orthodox’ charitable endowment, which includes an elderly Home, al-Kalima Grammar School and a Hospital. This is the second incidence, in less than twenty-four hours, to inflict suffering to our humanitarian institutions in Aleppo.

Thanks be to God, again that the damages sustained were only material and no precious lives were lost. Naturally, the fear, traumatisation and horror this explosion imposed on the vulnerable elderly, recovering injured, convalescing patients, and dedicated, overstretched medical staff of these institutions are incalculable.

We unreservedly condemn and deprecate the escalation of these armed manifestations, and all kinds of shelling and explosions that can only lead entrenched combatant brothers deeper  into this vicious circle of violence, devastation and death.

We also condemn and deplore the continuation of kidnapping, killings, demolition of infrastructure, heritages and the attrition activities aimed at the crippling of the local and national economy.

The status quo of this conflict is apparent and demoralizing as it can only spirals to propagate the culture of anarchy, resentment and disunity, in a city which has never knowingly sustained such level of violence, destruction and decimation in its history. Until recently, we only knew affection, tolerance and a healthy co-existence of the people in our blessed city.

It is heartbreaking to helplessly witness our beloved Aleppo and other Syrian cities, villages and hamlets becoming battlefields and their systematic obliteration.

No one can raise the flag of victory over the heaps of such ruins and sacrilege.

Therefore, we wholeheartedly call on you all to join us in prayer in support of all internal and external efforts and endeavors to achieve a lasting Cease-fire. To pray for peace and re-consolidate our shaken pillars of harmony and trust, and to hold love, security and national unity as holy aims of our Syrian solidarity.

Let us hope that the blessed Eid al- Athha, will bring about truce and concord to all citizen and that Syria will be able to enjoy tranquility and calmness once again.

We wish that our homeland and all citizens will enjoy every Eid, the blessings of God and the graces of Peace.