Syrian Christians may get pulled into war
A huge statue of the Virgin Mary towers over churches, monasteries and mosques in the Syrian city of Maaloula, where a dialect of the Aramaic language of Jesus is still spoken.
The town has managed to stay out of the Syrian conflict between Sunni Muslim rebels and the regime of dictator Bashar Assad, as have most of Syria’s 2 million Christians.
But worsening violence has forced the community into a corner: Continuous clashes between the rebels and the regime in this isolated town of 2,000 people as well as other Christian towns over the past two weeks have many Christians worried that they will no longer be allowed to stay neutral.
John Wreford Photographer 
The whole situation there is so tough and heartbreaking …
I’m not a religious man, but, if the biblical stories are true, I hope that Mary will help keep that small town safe….
Great image, irreversible situation…
Superb posts throughout the blog. Why have I commented on this post, however? Just because I visited Maaloula in the 1990s. Syria holistically? Perhaps the Middle East’s most beautiful and intriguing nation state prior to the civil war. Aleppo? In my opinion, the Middle East’s most remarkable city (before the war, of course. I guess a lot of what I love has been destroyed forever). Glad you like “In search of unusual destinations”. Enjoy Istanbul. But watch out for the local “mafia”. Phil.
nobody wants this to happen. We hope the war ends soon in Syria.