{"id":618,"date":"2012-07-23T22:50:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T22:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/islamists-attack-christians-iraqi-refugees-in-damascus\/"},"modified":"2012-07-23T22:50:00","modified_gmt":"2012-07-23T22:50:00","slug":"islamists-attack-christians-iraqi-refugees-in-damascus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/07\/islamists-attack-christians-iraqi-refugees-in-damascus\/","title":{"rendered":"Islamists attack Christians, Iraqi refugees in Damascus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Damascus, Syria, Jul 23, 2012 \/ 04:50 pm (CNA<\/a>).- The Syrian rebels\u2019 attack on Damascus has allowed radical Islamist groups to attack Iraqi refugees, Christians allegedly loyal to the Syrian government and other civilians.<\/p>\n

\tLocal Christians have expressed dismay and outrage at the attacks on defenseless civilians, a local source told Fides news agency.<\/p>\n

\tThe rebel group Liwa al-Islam, a Wahhabi group whose name means \u201cThe Brigade of Islam,\u201d has claimed responsibility for killing top generals in President Bashar Assad\u2019s government. On the morning of July 23, its members also killed an entire Christian family in the Damascus neighborhood of Bab Tuma.<\/p>\n

\tMilitants blocked the car of Nabil Zoreb, a Christian civil officer. They ordered him, his wife Violet, and his two sons George and Jimmy to get out of the car. The militants then killed them all.<\/p>\n

\tIn southeastern Damascus, Islamist fighters with the Muslim Brotherhood ally Jehad al Nosra attacked the homes of Iraqi refugees. They ransacked the homes, burned them and forced the occupants to leave.<\/p>\n

\tThe refugees said \u201cgangs of Muslim terrorists attacked and chased us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tRebel forces struck the capital of 1.7 million on July 14. The fighting destroyed homes, burned cars and damaged the city\u2019s electrical grid. The government said it had repelled most of the rebels July 23, according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n

\tThe situation in Damascus is deteriorating, with residents facing long lines for gasoline and bread. Thousands have fled into neighboring Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\tThere are about 200,000 internally displaced people from Damascus. They have moved from one neighborhood to another city or different suburbs to escape the fighting.<\/p>\n

\tAs they wage their battle with government forces, rebel groups have taken positions in\u00a0 neighborhoods and civilian buildings.<\/p>\n

\tFamilies, elderly women and children of all ethnicities and religions have fled to the predominantly Christian neighborhoods of Jaramana, Qassaa. Young Christians are coordinating refugees and sending them to schools, churches, mosques and public buildings with space to welcome them.<\/p>\n

\tHumanitarian aid is being provided through Caritas Syria, the Middle East Council of Churches, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Community of St. Egidio.<\/p>\n

\tYoung Christian volunteers are also working on garbage collection, which is becoming a health threat in the intense summer heat.<\/p>\n

\tThe interfaith non-violence movement Mussalaha, whose name means \u201cReconciliation,\u201d has said that both government loyalists and rebels can join its movement on condition that they give up weapons. It advocates for building reconciliation beginning with families, tribes, clans and communities.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Damascus, Syria, Jul 23, 2012 \/ 04:50 pm (CNA).- The Syrian rebels’ attack on Damascus has allowed radical Islamist groups to attack Iraqi refugees, Christians allegedly loyal to the Syrian government and other civilians.<\/p>\n

\tLocal Christians have …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle-east-africa","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nIslamists attack Christians, Iraqi refugees in Damascus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Damascus, Syria, Jul 23, 2012 \/ 04:50 pm (CNA).- The Syrian rebels’ attack on Damascus has allowed radical Islamist groups to attack Iraqi refugees, Christians allegedly loyal to the Syrian government and other civilians. 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