The Bravenhearts of Wadi Al Nasera, Syria

by FRANKLIN LAMB
Wadi Al Nasera, (Valley of the Christians), Syria
Wadi al Nasera (Valley of the Christians) encompasses approximately 40 picturesque
Christian hamlets in western Syria, located amidst the green plush rolling hills between
Homs and the Lebanese border. Thirty of its villages are Christian, four are mainly
populated by Alawi Muslims and one, Al Qalaa (aka Hosn village), just under the Crak
des Chevaliers medieval fortress, was Sunni Muslim. It was literally pulverized by
heavy and sustained government forces aerial bombardment once it became a supply
base in 2013 for rebels inside the medieval crusader fortress.
I spent the past week visiting some of the oldest Wadi al Nasara Christian villages
which include Marmarita, Al-Hwash , Zweitina, Muzina, Nasra, Mqaabra, al Mishtiaya,
Blat,Tanurin, Anaz, Joir al-Afes, Hab Nimra, `Ash al-Shuha, `Amar al-Husn, `Ayn alBarda, `Ayn al-Ajuzi, `Ayn al-Ghara, Kafra, Mashta Aazar, Al-Qllatia, Kayma, Masraa,
Muklous, Bahzina, Joineyat, Al-Talla, Daghla, Amar, Mishtayeh and Rabah, agrees
with many who come to Wadi al Nasera (Valley of the Christians) that the valley is
most beautiful and welcoming area of Syria or of anyplace in the Middle East that he
has visited. Its people who include Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholics, Greek
Orthodox, Greek Catholics and Armenian Orthodox among others, add to its splendor.
Some visitors come repeatedly, others annually for summer holidays or to experience
one or more of the valleys seasonal cultural festivals that makes this part of Syria a
major tourist attraction.
Nonetheless, Wadi Nasera has suffered much, as has most of Syria from the
continuing conflict and the devastating loss of loved ones from terrorist acts. For a
variety of reasons, the proportion of Christians in the Middle East has contracted from
around 20 percent at the start of the 20th century to around 5 percent currently. Less
than 1 percent of the worlds more than 2 billion Christians currently live in the Middle
East, and it is likely that number will decrease even further.
From the very start of the current conflict, history and religion have fueled passions on
both sides in Syria. This has become more pronounced as the conflict drags on,
turning bloodier and more vicious by the month. The main target of the most sectarianminded rebels isnt Christians, but rather Alawites, the minority group who make up
about 12% of Syrias population, about the same as Christians until recently. The
Alawites are a heterodox sect that branched off from Islam, and are considered by
Muslim takfiri extremists more heretical than Christians.
Approximately one quarter of the Christian valleys population have been forced to flee

as refugees, according to Roman Catholic Priest, Father Hanna Salloum, owner of the
Al Wadi Hotel in the village of Mishtayeh, who generously gave this observer his time
and insites into have life has been like for Wadi al Nasara over the past few years.
Soon the places of those who fled the valley were taken by other arriving refugees
who correctly believed they would be welcomed in the Valley of the Christians. Father
Salloum, a devout Christian and Syrian nationalist, insisted that all the rooms in his
large 5-star hotel be made available without charge to refugees fleeing Homs and
elsewhere. Arriving Christians, Muslims or non-believers were given shelter gratis on a
first come first served basis. For more than one year his hotel was a teeming home to
his countryman until jihadists were expelled from their stronghold less than two
kilometers from his Al Wadi Hotel. Father Hanna Salloum is my kind of Christian.
Perhaps ten percent of those who fled from the more than 40 villages have returned
and it is apparent to this observer that the Syrian army has now secured the Valley. Yet
continuing hardships such as shortages of electricity, water, mazout (fuel oil), and
general inflation persist. Additionally, this weeks soaring temperatures have caused
some 13 deaths, ignited two dozen brush fires and sent two foreign journalists
attending this weeks Al Wadi Festival in Homs Governorate to hospital.
According to an aide to His Beatitude, Kyrios Youhanna X, formerly, Youhanna X
Yaziji, Patriarch of Antioch and All The East, who briefed this observer on 8/4/2015 at
the 6th century monastery of St. George, before the current crisis there were
approximately 1.2 million Christians in Syria. Today there are estimated to be fewer
than 400,000. The population of Wadi Nasera was reduced by approximately 20%
during 2012-2013, many fleeing to Christian areas of nearby Lebanon as well as
internally. This main exodus followed the early 2012 arrival of al Qaeda affiliated
militants including Jund al Sham. The jihadists occupied the medieval fortress, Crac
des Chevaliers which towers above the southern entrance to the Wadi, until the Syrian
Army was able to evict them in March of 2014. Villages below were regularly targeted
by jihadist snipers and mortars as well as middle of the night terrorists slipping down
from Krac des Chevaliers fortress, sometimes using tunnels, to slit throats of
unsuspecting villagers. This observer has repeatedly heard from residents of Wadi
Nasera that while every house has a light weapon, such as an AK-47, the terrorists
were heavily armed with a variety of weapons and it was difficult to overpower them
when they attacked. Recently, the population of Wadi al Nasera has swollen by more
than 150,000, mainly Christians, who view the Wadi as among the safest places in
Syria.
I do not believe the current suffering and atrocities being committed against Christians
in Syria will not break the will of Al Wadi Nasera, the Valley of the Christians. Rather, it
will fortify their resolution and beliefs in the New Testament. And I agree with the sages
whom I have met among this close-knit, vital, highly educated, large family community
that the future of the Christians in this great country and beyond is with the Muslims.
This has been the case since the advent of Islam and its movement into this region
600 years after the arrival of Christianity. Historically, local Christian communities have
sometimes welcomed Muslim overlords when they freed them from the oppressive

rule of Constantinople or Rome. In many places in Syria the two groups continue to
reach out to each other. Even many rebel extremists, to the dismay of skeptics, claim
that personally they dont have anything against Christians.
Neither massive emigration of Christians to the West nor establishing a Christian state
is a long tern solution to the current conflict. Throughout history invaders have arrived
here, they have committed unspeakable atrocities, ruled for a period and disappeared
while the Christian community has endured, prospered relatively and, in a sense,
prevailed over the invaders. To wit, the Ottoman Turks, who ruled Syria from 1516 until
World War I, relegated Christians to a second-class citizen status. Christians were
allowed to practice their religion and govern themselves in matters that didnt concern
Muslims. But they were also required to pay special taxes to Constantinople, and there
were plenty of restrictions on them when it came to interactions with Muslims.
Wahhabism, the ascetic and harshly conservative form of Islam practiced in Saudi
Arabia, is even tougher on Christians. And many others seeking hegemony have
passed through this countrythe Byzantines, Tamerlane, the Mongols, Mamluks, the
Persians. Their likes have failed to subjugate the Christians of Wadi al Nasera.

The freed Nuns of Maloula temporarily working at St. George Monastary at the entrance of Wadi al Nasara waitng

to return to Mar Takla monastery and their orphanage in Maloula (photo 8/4/2015 N. Makhoul).

Among the factors unifying the residents of Wadi al Nasera is the presence of a group
of Nuns who operated an orphanage at Mar Takla monastery in Maloula to the south.
The group of Greek Orthodox nuns was kidnapped in December of 2013 and held for
three months by Jabhat al and before being released three month later in a prisoner
exchange. Their new temporary home is St. George Monastery across from Krac de
Chaveliers. This observer was honored to spend time with this charming, passionate,
energetic, group of sisters on 8/4/2015 and we discussed many subjects. I was happy
to share with Mother Superior, Pelagia Sayyaf, head of the Mar Takla monastery in
Maaloula and her sisters recently acquired updated information about restoration work
being done to their orphanage in preparation for their early return. One of the Nuns
asked me about the condition of their large kitchen. By chance, two weeks ago I took a
special interest, and some photos which I shared with the Nuns, of the kitchen where I
painted some doors. The reason was that as a wannbe chef, I could not fail to
examine their 6 foot by maybe 4 foot steel stove which has two large ovens and eight
cooking rounds on its surface. They were happy to learn it was in excellent shape and
that volunteers had cleaned up the large kitchen. They seem unconcerned that the
roof of the kitchen had been hit by a rebel mortar as was no more. The sisters want to
return to Maloula as soon as possible and hopefully before the end of August. They
promise to return regularly to St George Monastery in Wadi al Nasara and stay
connected with their new family.

Volunteer painting doors of St. Takla orphanage and kitchen, July 2015 (photo Issa Mahanna).

To paraphrase the words of a teacher this observer crossed paths with on 8/5/2015 at
the Amigo grocery store on the main street of the village of al-Mishtayeh near, the Al
Wadi Hotel at the base of Krac Des Chevaliers, We shall fight for our freedom and
fight for our faith. Many may die on the battlefield but no one surrenders. We are the
defenders of faiths, ours and others, we will die or be free.
Franklin Lamb is a visiting Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law,
Damascus University and volunteers with the Sabra-Shatila Scholarship Program
(sssp-lb.com).
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