Asharq Al-Awsat talks to Jesuit priest expelled from Syria

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Father Paolo Dall’Oglio was transferred from Damascus to Beirut after being expelled from Syria by the al-Assad regime.  The Jesuit Priest had overseen the ancient Deir Mar Musa desert monastery in Syria for over 30 years; however his ongoing criticism of the violence being carried out by the al-Assad regime resulted in Damascus expelling him from the country.   Father Dall’Oglio most recently invited the friends of young opposition filmmaker Bassel Shahade – who was killed in Homs in May by the al-Assad regime – to take part in a memorial prayer service at Deir Mar Musa, something that angered the al-Assad regime.  The Catholic priest now finds himself secluded in a Jesuit monastery in Beirut, preparing for a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan, where he will head a new monastic mission concerned with promoting interfaith dialogue, after his time in Syria came to an abrupt end thanks to his outspoken views on the Syrian crisis.

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Jesuit Father Paolo Dall’Oglio spoke about the situation in Syria and his time there. He revealed that “I am very sad, I may have left Syria…but my spirit remains there.”  He added “the Syrian regime pressured the Church to expel me, and then took the initiative to quickly apply this decision and withdraw me from Syria.”

Speaking about the situation in Syria prior to the revolution, Father Dall’Oglio asserted that “the people of Syria lived under a pseudo-peace for dozens of years, where the prions were full and the torture rooms were in use and fear was rife.  People were afraid to talk about the government, even in private.”  He added “despite this, the people did not become accustomed to seeing blood in the streets or experience the prospect of not returning to their homes at night in safety, and this is what has been lost today in Syria in light of the revolution, civil war and general state of lawlessness.”

The Jesuit priest also stressed that “the Syrian people today are calling for freedom and democracy and dignity”, but added that “objective geo-political reasons relating to Syria make this prospect unlikely.”

He also spoke sadly about the “ongoing civil war in Syria, and the Sunni – Shiite conflict, as well as the international community failing to shoulder its responsibilities towards Syria” confirming that “Israel’s interests are also being served by what is happening, and all of this contributes to the whole-sale slaughter of the Syrian people.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat in Arabic, Father Paolo Dall’Oglio asked “what can we do in response to all this?”, answering “we must continue our civil and media work until God answers our prayers.”

As for the al-Assad regime’s claims that what is happening is not a popular uprising but the action of “armed gangs”, the Jesuit priest stressed that “this is a lie that would be laughable if its results were not so disastrous from a human rights standpoint.  I personally know the Syrian youth; they are not committing violence or carrying arms, they are taking to the streets unarmed to call for freedom, but they are being viewed as enemies of the regime because they want to replace the bad with the good!”  He also warned that “the longer the civil war goes on, the more intolerance, ignorance and lawlessness will occur on the scene.”

Father Dall’Oglio’s recent visit to the city of al-Qusair in Homs further angered the al-Assad regime, prompting Damascus to step up its efforts to deport him from the country.  As for why he visited the city, the priest revealed “I went to look for some people who have been detained and missing for months” adding “they had been returned to their homes.”  He confirmed that al-Qusair had witnessed “sectarian violence”, but stressed that the majority of Syrian people reject “sectarian logic” with regards to the revolution.

The Jesuit priest also confirmed that “some Christians have joined the fighting and are fighting with the Free Syrian Army [FSA]” stressing that what is happening in Syria is a “civil war”

As for how many Christians are taking part in the revolution, Father Dall’Oglio stressed “the majority of Syrians are staying in their homes for fear of the violence taking place in the streets, and that includes the Christians.”  He asked “who are the heroes that will take to the streets under fire, for this requires strong belief, whilst the Christians are used to being second-class citizens and supporters of the regime, so where will they get the determination to take to the streets?”

Father Dall’Oglio also expressed his sadness that the Church has “unfortunately, been used for decades as cover for the Syrian regime” adding that the leaders of the Church have “over the past decades, become used to supporting the regime, as it provides them with comfortable cover for their religious practices.”

He stressed “I am not blaming anyone, but I feel sorry for the people who are lying to themselves out of fear of spectres” adding “I pray for everybody who has been harmed or wronged, I ask for blessings for them and pray for change so that they can enjoy human life and dignity.”