www.aravot.am inquired during a conversation with Ruben Safrastyan, the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, whether the fact that Syrian Armenians had supported Bashar al-Assad’s candidacy at the time wouldn’t have a negative impact on the activities of the community, if the Syrian opposition came to power. Mr. Safrastyan replied, “I think that one cannot say yet that Assad’s regime will lose and the rebels will come to power. I don’t think that there will be an especially hard situation for the Armenian community, even if the rebels come to power. It is a different matter that the situation may be hard not only for Armenians, but for all Christians, since the majority of those who will come to power may be Islamists, representatives of al-Qaeda. Therefore, in this sense Armenians may be under threat.”
In response to our next question how the Turkologist would explain the fact that the majority of Syrian Armenians doesn’t wish to settle down in Armenia, Mr. Safrastyan said the following, “I think that the majority of Syrian Armenians still hopes that everything will
calm down and they will be able to live in their homes, rather than they don’t wish to settle down in Armenia permanently. The majority of Syrian Armenians is anxious that if they settle down in Armenia or any other place, it is possible that they will lose their property in Syria. Therefore, I agree that there is no immediate massive threat to their lives yet, that is why they prefer staying in Syria.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
