By Jean-Benoît Harel
“This announcement came so quickly: we weren’t expecting it; we were surprised,” says Father George Sabé from the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. On Tuesday May 13, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions against Syria, to give the Middle Eastern country “a chance for greatness.” Demonstrations of joy broke out across the country, notably in Damascus on Umayyad Square, where dense crowds gathered on Tuesday evening.
‘It’s a great joy for us’
Put in place when Syria was living under the Al-Assad regime, US sanctions had plagued the lives of the country’s inhabitants especially since the start of the war in 2011, although the first sanctions were imposed as far back as 1979. “This affects the daily lives of Syrians, so it’s a great joy for us,” the Marist priest continues. However, caution is called for, he stresses. “It is a hope that is coming true,” he says, while noting that Syrians are keeping a wary eye on developments. “We are like watchmen.”
First, he explains, because of the quid pro quos that America is likely to demand in exchange for this easing, or even the lifting, of sanctions. Second, because, as Father Sabé insists, in addition to rebuilding the country with essential infrastructure such as roads and hospitals, “We need to think about rebuilding the human person, relationships, forgiveness and justice.”
The watchman’s attitude
The place of minority religious communities is another issue that needs to be clarified. “We will continue to call for the application of justice and respect for each community to live in dignity, according to its own values,” Fr Sabé affirms, recalling once again the image of the watchman: “A watchman does not allow himself be lulled to sleep because there is good news; a watchman is someone who watches over values”.
When the new government came to power in December 2024, the United States adopted a wait-and-see attitude, refusing to end sanctions immediately because of concerns about respect for human rights and minorities in the region. At the request of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed ben Salmane, US President Trump hastened to align himself with the position of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada. A concrete timetable for the lifting of sanctions has not yet been announced, and a vote by the US Congress may be required before the ban is lifted. – Vatican News
