“Our correspondence with Syria was interrupted for several weeks. Gio has had to leave the house in Damascus and move to the coast in search of safer accommodations. Electrical power in the country continues to come and go, functioning for three hours in the morning or a few hours in the afternoon.

Telephoning the apartment in Damascus, by chance we reached a friend of our correspondent there who had gone ahead to check out the situation. “You know, there are a lot of bombs falling in the capital, but here we are doing well enough.” She tried to reassure me and herself as he went on saying: “We’re living moment to moment, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and so it’s today that counts.” She hasn’t worked in two months, since her boss had asked her to carry out jobs that are illegal and she refused. She refused to tell me the type of work. She is keeping that confidential in order to protect herself and the person who gave her the job. The other day she presented a resume with the hope of a breakthrough.    

She told me about her parents. They live in Talfita, near to Maaloula, the village where the Orthodox nuns were abducted on December 3, 2013. There is much anxiety over their fate. “A friend of mine telephoned them every day, but that Tuesday the telephone rang and rang, but nobody answered.” Meanwhile, in a video broadcasted on a rebel television channel, the nuns stated that they had not been kidnapped but were held to in order to protect them from the attacks in the region. But no one believes it.

Life is very difficult in the north of the country where rebels that they are as heinous as the army. It is cold and the lack of electricity does not allow anyone to live a normal life. They are using gasoline generators, but fuel is being used to stay warm and provide light. “Our village was practically burned to the ground. No one goes out of the house, not even to purchase basic necessities. However, God continues to intervene and save our lives, but we don’t see any glimmers of peace. On the contrary, everything seems aimless and meaningless. When will we say enough with all this violence?”

Compiled by: Maddalena Maltese

Source: Città Nuova