The Antiochian Orthodox church of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus in the archdiocese of Aleppo was built between 1985 and 1994 on land offered by the al-Thawrah’s city council. It served not only its own parishioners, but also allowed other Christian denominations to use its facilities.
Shortly after Aleppo was overrun by rebels seeking to overthrow the Syrian government, the metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Aleppo, Boulos al-Yazigi, was kidnapped (and allegedly murdered) along with the Syriac Orthodox metropolitan, Mor Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim.
The AINA press agency reports that Christians who fled after the rebel onslaught told of discrimination by the occupiers and theft of their religious artifacts.
But that is not all they did. They destroyed the church entirely.
“The ‘Free Syrian Army’ demolished the [Sts. Sergius and Bacchus] church,” lamented one refugee, “They tore up the sanctuary curtains, Bibles and other holy books, and broke all the crosses, chairs and icons of Jesus and the saints. They stole electrical appliances like fans, chandeliers and lights. They took whatever was in the church, and sold it all. There is nothing there now.”
Readers take note that according to this source, it was the US-allied “moderate” Free Syrian Army who looted and destroyed this Christian church. Once again we see the lie that there are moderate forces among the insurgents that should be supported.
h/t MoA
