desacrated churches in homs

7/31/2019 Desacrated Churches in Homs

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VIEWSOFSOMEOFTHEDESACRATEDCHURCHESINANCIENTHOMSSYRIA


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HOMS: The red square inside Homsdefines the antic cristian area in theold city from where 80000 cristianswere expelled and where theirprecious religiouse heritage wasdesecrated

In the areas ofcristians of all denominations.

Since the moment that the armed opposition invaded those areas everyboflew massively. Today there is a remnant of about 350 individuals that areasking to be withdrawn for fear to be killed during the combats. The leaderthe armed opposition threat to kill them if they try to go out of the area. Itseems they want to use them as living shields, against human rights.

Warsheh, Salibi, Bustan Diwan, Ozon, Hamidiyeh, WadiSayeh were living around eighty thousands


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Sincesevenmonthsthearmedoppositionfactionsarecontrollingexclusively thecristianarea in theancientHoms.Nobodyknowswhy they have chosen the cristian areas as their withdrawingplace.Someof those factionshave latelyoccupied the churches for awhile, installing in them their headquarters. For example theArmenianCathedral(nophotoswerepossiblebecausethearmedoppositionelementsarestillthere).Someofour friends inHoms could,before theultimate clashesbetweenthearmyandthearmedopposition,photographysomeofthedamagedsanctuaries.Itiseasytonoticesomeinterestingdetails:theimpactsarefromshortdistance (bullets,RPG).Eventhe twoorthreeholesthatcouldbedue toamortarare tooaccurate tobecoming fromvery far. For example, in all the surroundings there is only thechurchthathasbeentouched.In theorientalsocial law thisbehavior iscalleddesecrationorviolationofthesacredplaces.Itisconsideredasacrimeofutmost


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SAINTANTHONYOFTHEGREEKORTHODOXBABSBAH,HOMS


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OUMALZENNAROURLADYOFTHEBELTSSHRINE(1stcentury)

SYRIACORTHODOXBUSTANDIWAN


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HOLYSPIRITCATHEDRALSYRIACCATHOLICBISHOPRIC

HAMIDIYEHHOMS


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PROTESTANTCHURCHBUSTANDIWAN


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desacrated churches in homs

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