Frome Stop War is to host Reverend Andrew Ashdown in an illustrated presentation entitled ‘Perspectives from Syria.’
Reverend Andrew Ashdown has travelled to and loved Syria before the current troubles, but has also visited four times in the last two years at the height of the conflict.
Earlier visits were undertaken as a member of international faith delegations, but more recently he has returned independently. He has met with community and faith leaders from all denominations and with political leaders including all the leaders of the internal opposition parties.
He has spent time with internally displaced Syrians in camps in Homs, Damascus, Yarmouk, Maaloula, Saidnaya, Qara, Tartous and Lattakia. He has had meetings with Sunni, Shia, Druze, Kurdish and Christian groups and individuals from all walks of life from University professors and students to TV presenters, translators and indeed the Grand Mufti of Syria Dr. Houssan, but most importantly he has met and made lasting friendships with ordinary Syrian citizens. This is in stark contrast to those who report with ‘authority’ from afar.
He says, “Very often it seems desk-bound ‘experts’ in London, Washington and around the world, do not listen to all the voices and realities on the ground or take note of the multiple complexities in the context.”
Andrew has a deep respect for the Syrian people, their stoicism and their determination to rebuild the Syria they once knew – a peaceful Syria. Yes, there were problems, but Syria was at peace and hosted a patchwork of religious and ethnic groups. Andrew met with a Syrian Christian teacher who had for years taught in a Muslim school with Sunni, Shia, Christian and Druze children; this is how she expressed her frustration at what has happened to her country, “’Freedom, I hate the word – Freedom! Freedom to me means guns and bullets, suicide bombings and killings. I have deleted the word from my vocabulary. Don’t talk to me about ‘freedom’. We had peace before they brought us ‘freedom.”
The Frome group says, “Please come to see Andrew’s illustrated presentation for Frome Stop War at The Wheatsheaves (aka Frome’s New Venue), 23 Bath Street, Frome at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12th April. Admission: £4. (Enquiries please call 01373-839038).
