The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch - Choir members of churches Saint-George and Saint-Ephraim, Aleppo

As I write, Syria is in the process of being destroyed. A protracted civil war, weapons of mass destruction, and sectarism will likely result in the death of a country. As a graduate student, I spent one of the happiest periods in my life in Syria. By the end of my period there, I had found four good friends who are likely endangered: a Kurd, a Christian, an Alaouite, and a Jewish Armenian. I haven't heard from them since the "Arab Spring" arrived to Syria and I can only hope that they and their families will eventually escape the terror and will find a safe haven.

If Syria survives as a single country, it will be after years, maybe decades of sectarian conflict. At the end, one group will prevail after killing and subjugating all its rivals. As a tribute to the current diversity of Syria, I would like to invite the readers of this blog to listen to The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, a production by the coir members of the churches of Saint-George and Saint-Ephraim from Aleppo, which is probably the most Arab and Christian city of the entire country. The album is available here.