Christmas for Syrian Christian Refugees in Lebanon a Bleak One
Christmas this year for the Syrian Christian refugees in Lebanon has been a despairing one because of the threat posed by extremists such as the Islamic State.
In the past, Christian Syrians started Christmas Day by attending mass at the church, then come home to a sumptuous afternoon meal and lively greetings from neighbors. But after the Islamic State began kidnapping Christians, many were forced to flee their country and more than a million chose to seek refuge in Lebanon, according to The Washington Post.
Lebanon's population of less than 4 million is having trouble dealing with the influx of Syrian refugees. Christian Syrians can hardly treat the neighboring country as their home because of the increasing tension with locals and lack of education and health care services available for them, the report details.
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Some Syrian Christians have filed a request with the United Nations for them to be resettled in Western countries. While there are those who have been successfully relocated after a couple of years, there is no guarantee that the request will be granted.
Those who are stuck in limbo have to rely on handouts to make ends meet and turn to churches for food. The lack of available jobs for them also contributes to the difficulty of the situation.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his concern for the Christians in the Middle East whose lives have been severely affected by the terrorist acts of the Islamic State, the report relays.
"In some areas of the Middle East where church bells have rung for centuries on Christmas Day, this year they will be silent," said Obama.
As bleak as the situation sounds, there is still a ray of sunshine for the displaced Syrian Christians. There are some Palestinian Christians in Lebanon who have been extending their helping hands to the Syrian refugees, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
Elias Habib, a representative from a refugee camp in Dbayeh, said they are helping provide food, shelter, water, and education for the Syrians because it is their duty as Christians. In addition, they also know how it is to live as refugees.
Last Saturday, a Christmas event was held at the Dbayeh camp where Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese children gathered for games, activities, and gift-giving. The Universite Saint Joseph in Beirut sponsored the event through donations collected from students.
