Homs-Sana
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Homs held a religious celebration on the occasion of the Feast of the Virgin Mary in the square of the ancient church in the village of Umm Sharehouh.
In statements to SANA, Archbishop George Abu Zakhem, Metropolitan of Homs and its dependencies, confirmed to the Greek Orthodox that holding the celebration in the 130-year-old archaeological church is evidence of adhering to the roots of our ancestors and fathers, which we will not abandon, adding that we came here to shed light on this church and the village in which terrorism struck. sabotage and destruction to tell the world, I have roots and assets and I adhere to them and adhere to my heritage, history and traditions, and to encourage the people to return to their homes.
He continued, "We are doing our utmost to return the people to the village, and this requires the concerted efforts of all official and civil authorities in order to return basic services to the village, as it is highly damaged."
He wished, through this holiday, which symbolizes joy, love and hope, that the people would be encouraged to return to the return of basic services to them, noting the sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army in order to liberate the land and return security and safety.
In turn, Engineer Mofeed Al-Fares, Mayor of Umm Sharshuh, indicated that this holiday is a special holiday for the people of the village and its church, which has been affected by vandalism and terrorism, pointing to the efforts made by the governorate to restore infrastructure services, and that the number of people who returned to the village is estimated at 30 families.
The official responsible for organizing the event, Mudar Rahal, pointed to the distinguished attendance this year of the event, which was attended by about a thousand people from the village, praising the voluntary efforts made by the youth that were made for the success of the event, as they believed in the role of the village’s youth in participating in its reconstruction and bringing life back to it.
A number of villagers expressed their happiness and hope to return to their village through this event, as Reem Daoud, who was displaced from the village about 12 years ago, saw that this event is a sign of hope and goodness for the people to return to their homes.
Nizar Barshin stated that the event has a special religious and social significance, as the villagers used to gather in their village despite the great vandalism that affected it, as they wanted to express their belonging to their roots.
Maha Mansour confirmed that this event means a lot, as it unites the people of the village to love after terrorism forcibly deserted them, and it became an annual custom for them to revive it in the village in which they lived and grew up.
Issam Al-Mansour, an employee in the extension unit that has been rehabilitated, indicated that the unit provides services to the village farmers who insisted on continuing to cultivate their lands, estimated at 200 farmers.
On the sidelines of the celebration, a children’s choir was held, during which a group of songs and a theatrical show entitled “Aal’d Ya Kamoun” were presented, and the outstanding students in the middle and high school certificates from the town’s residents were honored.
The celebration was attended by religious, popular and social activities and a number of villagers.
Hanadi Diop