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Damascus, (SANA) After the dust of battles
settled in Maaloula and terrorism was vanquished in the ancient town,
the scale of damage wrought by terrorists who overran the city became
all too evident.
Maaloula, a town near Damascus which is home
to ancient monasteries and churches, suffered unspeakable brutality,
vandalism and destruction at the hands of terrorists before the
Syrian army brought security and stability to the town.
Terrorists blew up St. Thecla Convent which
brought part of it tumbling down, before moving to vandalize the new
church and burn the temple's marble gate decorated with holy icons.
Walls had been charred, saints' icons
stripped off and the Christ's icons stabbed with knives. An array of
several other icons of priceless value were damaged and deformed.
Moreover, lootings abounded in the town.
Terrorists stole brass pieces, chandeliers, a 3-meter-long bronze
statue of Jesus Christ overlaid with gold that Russia gave to
the monastery as a gift in 2009, among other things.
Another marble statueof Jesus Christ, known
as King of the World, was detonated after terrorists rigged its base
with explosives.
The brass crosses of the monastery were
taken off, and so were all the crosses that once stood erect at the
top of domes, churches and monasteries in the town. Historic
documents dating back to 1, 500 years were incinerated, in an obvious
attempt to obliterate the town's landmarks that are steeped in
history.
Despite the startling scope of vandalism and
damage caused to one of the theology studies' rooms, a painting with
the words "God is Love" written on it stood hanging on what
remained of one of the rooms' door.
Residents of Maaloula remain hopeful that
the wounds of their town will heal and that it will be resurrected
from the ravages of terrorism that has left behind an unheard-of
trail of destruction.
Head of Maaloula Municipality, Naji Wehbe,
said the attempts of terrorists to "kill" Maaloula came as
no surprise for, he says, Wahabi terrorists are foes of beauty,
history and humankind.
M. Ismael
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