Russian Soldiers Protect Children that Speak Jesus’ Language in Syria

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Ma’loula in Syria is one of the last bastions of the language used by our Lord Jesus Christ… Aramaic. Ma’loula sprawls in a gorge between mountains, amidst the sands of the Syrian desert. This ancient city endured wars and other troubles over the ages. Ma’loula is unique as it has one of the world’s most ancient Christian monasteries, Mar Taqla Monastery. The Church of Ss Sergius and Taqla had many icons painted in the old canonical Orthodox style. St Taqla was an ancient Christian saint, one of the forerunners of female monasticism, who knew the Apostle Paul himself. In fact, she was his student. People in Ma’loula still speak amongst themselves the old Syriac dialect of Aramaic… the native language of Lord Jesus Christ himself.

Sadly, the conflict in Syria didn’t spare ancient Ma’loula. Terrorists desecrated Christian shrines, they stole holy Icons, and they took her people captive or put them to the sword, tortured and destitute of their former serene glory, of which the world wasn’t worthy. However, thanks to Russia, peace is returning in measure to Syria, and after they liberated towns from Western-backed “moderate” decapitators, Russian officers from the Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides came with humanitarian aid in their hands. Russian troops brought over three tonnes of humanitarian aid to orphans in the city. Rita Bakhba, a monastic novice at the monastery, said:

Before the liberation of Ma’loula, militants plundered the church. They stole 26 icons. We recovered one depicting the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. We saw the tragic result of vandalism… they covered their faces with plaster (the Ottoman Turks used this method against icons). They also desecrated and destroyed the altar (altars are the most sacred part of Orthodox Churches, with a tabernacle in which Orthodox Christians believe the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are present in the Sacrament). However, thanks to the labours of our youth, we’re gradually restoring our church.

The Russian aid packages contained rice, sugar, canned meat, tea (a must for any Syrian or Russian), school bags, stationery, clothing, and personal hygiene items. They came in bags labelled “Syria… Russia is With You!” Military doctors assisted over 106 people, including 35 children. The children sang folk songs and something incredibly rare happened… they laughed. Their teachers had tears in their eyes, as during the years of the war, the sight of happy children was quite uncommon. The children hugged the soldiers, saying, “Shukraan Rusii” (Thank you, Russians). Departing Ma’loula, the Russian troops took with them not only a portion of the grace and holiness which flows from the city like water from a fountain but the warmth of the children’s hearts… who need love and care all the days of their lives.

31 January 2018

Nick Ivanov

Russia Feed

http://russiafeed.com/russian-soldiers-protect-children-speak-jesuss-language-syria/

Christian Kids from Syria to Holiday at Russian Camp Due to Russian Generosity… Americans Nowhere to Be Seen

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On Monday, 100 children from the Damask Orthodox Shelter in the Mar Tekla Monastery in the Christian village of Ma’loula shall arrive in Moscow for a two-week vacation in a Russian holiday camp. V I Yakunin, the head of the Centre of National Glory supervisory board, one of the backers of the project, told us, “I’m certain that the Syrian kids will remember their stay in a Russian camp for their whole lives. I hope that this would be able to redirect the kids from the horrible events that befell them”. The kids will meet Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias, have a tour around Moscow, take part in projects, and do sports. The Centre, together with the Andrei Pervozvanny Foundation, arranged holidays for kids from hot spots in the past… ten years ago, it sponsored some 540 children from Kosovo and Metohija.

The three years of conflict in Syria completely or partly destroyed some 1,600 schools and more than half of all hospitals. According to UN estimates, more than 9 million refugees inside Syria and more than 2 million in neighbouring countries are now in need of help. UNICEF estimated that the number of Syrian children living in poverty reached 6.6 million in June 2014. In the past, Russia assisted Syria. In 2013, the MChS sent 200 tons of humanitarian aid to Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. In return, the Syrian government decided to introduce the Russian language into the school curriculum starting in the 2014/15 school year.

28 July 2014

Rossiya Segodnya

http://en.ria.ru/society/20140728/191376506/Russia-to-Host-100-Syrian-Orthodox-Children-for-Two-Week.html

21 April 2014. A Photo Essay… President Assad in Liberated Ma’loula

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The above pics are of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in liberated Ma’loula. The nuns are back in their convent, and the Aramaic-speakers are back in town to stay. The sane Muslims, Alawis, and Christians stand together. Indeed, the Sunni Muslim hierarchy is friendly with their Christian colleagues, and vice versa. That’s the way it’s always been in Syria… it’s the way it’s gonna stay, if sane elements have their way (Syrian Muslims aren’t Wahhabis… hell, most Muslims in general aren’t Wahhabis, for that matter). Langley supported an al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria… that’s not surprising, considering that Zbig was the godfather of al-Qaeda back in the ’70s. The real reason for the USA getting involved was that Bashar al-Assad was pro-Russian, and the USA wanted to kick VVP in the ass. Well, that backfired, didn’t it? Raise a glass… Ma’loula is free!

BMD

Ma’loula Nuns Released by Islamists in Exchange for Syrian Prisoners

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On 9 March, al-Jazeera reported that Islamist insurgents released the nuns that they captured from the ancient Mar Tekla Monastery in Ma’loula in exchange for the Syrian authorities releasing rebels held in Syrian prisons. The liberated prisoners will go to Lebanon. Currently, RT reported that the exchange is underway, monitored by the Qatari and Lebanese special services, directed by Ghanim al-Kubaisi and General Directorate of General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim. Already, the 13 released nuns, headed by Igumena Pelagia arrived in the Lebanese border town of Arsal, where they will go ahead by car on the motorway through the Djeida border checkpoint to Damascus. Last December, Islamist militants attacked the Mar Tekla Monastery in Ma’loula, 55 kilometres north of Damascus. The armed extremists took 13 nuns hostage, and the fate of the nuns became the focus of regional and world media.

9 March 2014

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RT reported that the 13 nuns abducted by Jabhat al-Nusra militants from Mar Tekla Monastery in Ma’loula in December 2013 were now free, and are on their way back to Syria. Late Sunday, the nuns arrived at the border checkpoint of Djeida-Judaydat Yabus on the Syrian-Lebanese border. Earlier, the General Directorate of General Security confirmed that the Orthodox nuns were safe and under the control of the Lebanese armed forces. A source told Reuters on Sunday that the militants transferred the nuns to Arsal in western Lebanon earlier this week. Metropolitan Louka al-Khoury told reporters when he met the nuns at the border, “The success of the Syrian forces in Yabrud furthered this process”. It’s not clear why the militants released the nuns now. Earlier reports stipulated that al-Nusra demanded the release of 500 imprisoned rebels in exchange for the nuns.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as well as a rebel source, reported that the militants released the nuns in exchange for imprisoned female rebels. Reuters noted, “Part of the deal was the release of 138 women from prison by Assad”. According to al-Mayadeen, the Syrian authorities released from prison the wife of one of the al-Nusra chieftains, Duleymi al-Saji. The authorities took her with her four children to the Lebanese border town of Arsal for the exchange. ITAR-TASS reported that Igumena Pelagia stated that all 16 nurses captured in Ma’loula are now free, saying to reporters, “We’re terribly tired; we’ll answer questions after the [Easter] holidays”. For his part, Metropolitan Louka pointed up that the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus held a molieben of thanksgiving on 10 March, after the release of the nuns, who were in captivity almost 100 days.

10 March 2014

Pravoslavie.ru

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/news/69077.htm

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/news/69088.htm