There are no Armenians among the Syrian refugees taking the paths to better countries through dangerous paths as a result of the Syrian war, and if there are any, there are only a few. To this day, the Armenian community of Syria has managed to reach Lebanon, Armenia or countries across Europe safely.

This is what Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Damascus, Father Bishop Armash Nalbandian mentioned in an interview with “Armenpress”. Hayern Aysor presents the interview with His Holiness Armash, who arrived in Armenia to attend the Blessing of the Holy Muron.

“Armenpress”: Your Holiness, what is the situation of the Armenians like in Syria from the social, economic and psychological perspectives?

His Holiness Armash: Unfortunately, there is a new wave of migrants and refugees, and everyone is knocking on the doors of Europe an countries with higher standards of living in order to try their luck there. What concerns us Armenians is that the people are so deceived and desperate that they’re even willing to swim in the sea or cut through forests and mountains and risk their lives to reach the promised areas. All these refugees have been deceived and know very well that there is no return. Everyone in Syria is deceived. This is the situation of the Armenian community, be it in Aleppo, Damascus, Qamishli or Kessab. We must remember that those living in Syria continue to be active in the fields of culture and education with courage. I am pleased to announce that Armenian schools reopened their doors in September and courses are being held on a regular basis, but unfortunately, there are fewer Armenian students. The number of the Armenian population is declining since the Armenians are trying to leave Syria, and the closest countries are Lebanon, Armenia and other countries in the West.

“Armenpress”: Are there Armenians among those traveling to European countries via dangerous paths? Do you have such information?

His Holiness Armash: According to our information and accounts from Armenians, fortunately, there are no Armenians among the groups crossing overseas or moving through forests. If there are any, there are only a few of them. Fortunately, to this day, the members of our community have managed to find a way to travel more safely, namely by car or plane.

“Armenpress”: It is clear that the war leads to the eradication of cultural assets. Are there figures showing how much of the heritage has been lost to this day?

His Holiness Armash: There used to be about 32 churches belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church in Syria. It’s clear that the church of Deir ez-Zor was bombed. We don’t have detailed information since that area is under the control of ISIS. Alongside that, we have churches in Aleppo that are either burnt or partially damaged from the bombings. They’re not active since those areas are very dangerous and are close to the border.

We have churches in Kessab that ceased to operate following the first attack last year, but there has been some improvement and renovation in certain churches, and some churches have started providing their services and holding ceremonies on a regular basis. Our church in Homs is still damaged. There are no ceremonies. We’re waiting for things to get better so that we can renovate that church as well. The people in Homs are more inclined to save their homes, but the area near the church is in a dangerous zone. There are churches, clubs and cultural centers in Aleppo and Damascus that became targets for bombings or have been damaged due to the bombings nearby. Some schools in Aleppo had to be closed down due to the danger, other schools were moved to the halls of cultural centers, and one of the schools is conducting courses with different shifts so that the students of the damaged schools attend lessons in another school.

“Armenpress”: Your Holiness, do you see the paths to the settlement of this conflict?

His Holiness Armash: I have trouble answering that question. What I can say is that if we follow the news, including news about the agreement on Iran’s nuclear plan and the dialogues between Russia, the USA, China and Europe and the new diplomatic path instill hope in us, especially since the United Nations General Assembly is holding a session. The Syrian issue and the issue of Syrian refugees are on the agenda. By moving to European countries, Syrian refugees made those countries reconsider their positions on Syria. We are hearing new proposals for giving political solutions to establish peace. We hope the international political family will make a joint statement, reach an agreement, understand and accept that what’s happening in Syria is terrorism. By combining their efforts, they’ll be able to fight against ISIS. Let’s hope the war ends and we turn a new page over and call it the “page of restoration”. Every family and community must rediscover its strength to rebuild and renovate its structures and get back on track.

Interview by Ani Nazaryan