From Akram:
"After the sectarian attacks that, in the past few days, hit
two “Alawite” neighborhoods in Damascus taking the lives of tens, it’s now the
turn of the Christians. From Dweila’a to Kassa’a passing through Bab Touma,
horror is dominating the atmosphere in the Christian neighborhoods where the
residents are circulating rumors about an imminent terrorist incident that will
happen in their streets in the coming days. These bad expectations aren’t the
result of political analyses about what is seemingly an effort of the Islamist
rebels to cleanse Damascus from its religious minorities or about what some of
the Syrian regime’s propagandists (Nasser Qandil, Rafik Nassrallah) are
describing as the last attempt of the “terrorists” surrounding the city to break
in, before being defeated once for all. Indeed, the name selected for this
week’s Friday demonstrations, “It’s time to invade Damascus”, contributed to
spread the fear of what could happen if the rebels succeeded to infiltrate the
city and occupy one of its neighborhoods.
But what drew the attention more was the leaflets that have
been distributed in the Christian neighborhoods threatening the residents of
imminent explosions that will hit nearby places in the coming days without
giving more details. These threats have had an immediate effect: many schools
that open on Fridays closed their doors under various pretexts, churches
canceled their youth activities (Christian education, scouts, …). Kassa’a
quarter, considered one of the most prestigious shopping streets in the Syrian
capital and which is usually overcrowded on Friday evening, looked almost
deserted with many shops closed.
Social media networks reflected the prevailing tension. Loyal
Facebook pages published simple instructions the residents should comply with in
order to “protect their neighborhoods against any potential attack”. A post
appeared on Abbasyieen News Network warned that
“armed groups composed of Afghans, Libyans and other mercenaries have
infiltrated al-Shaghour”, a quarter located in the Old Town. It was also
interesting to see war of communiqués
between the loyal and opposition pages calling on their supporters to pay
attention not to publish any information that may unveil the movements of the
two warring parties.
Damascus lives on the pace of the brutal battles and bloody
terrorist attacks that are taking place in and around the city, waiting the
looming Damascus Battle-II".
