On the road to Damascus

Heeding the call of the Church, we turn to religion this week, making room for faith amid war, death, pestilence and plans for the Holy Week vacation.

This being the time of war in the Middle East, I found myself drawn to the story of Saul, a Pharisee who thought it was his life’s mission to destroy Christianity. After the crucifixion of Christ, Saul actively sought out Christians for arrest and punishment. Among those brought before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council, was Stephen, one of the seven deacons of the young Christian Church. Saul gave his nod to the public stoning in Jerusalem that killed Stephen, the first martyr for Christ.

One day, on the road to Damascus for more persecution of Christians, Saul was surrounded by a very bright light. As he fell to the ground the risen Christ told him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" It was an epiphany for Saul. He became Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles and writer of the Epistles. For preaching the Christian faith, the Romans later arrested and executed him.

Will there be similar epiphanies as Filipinos flock this week to resorts or back to their hometowns? Between worrying about fallout from the war in Iraq and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Filipinos will probably take time out for prayer this Holy Week.

As for dramatic conversions to Christianity a la Saul, however, these days you can find such stories only in the Bible and the movies. The big religious story in recent months was disappointment with the Church over sex scandals. If the 21st century shepherds of the Church want to keep their flock from wandering or breaking away altogether, they need to revitalize their own faith.

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This being the time of American saber rattling, the road to Damascus is taking on a new meaning. With the war in Iraq all but over, the world is once again jittery over statements emanating from Washington. After Iraq, is Syria next?

Because of potential ramifications for our 1.5 million workers in the Middle East, and potential fallout due to our government’s open support for Washington’s war on terror, we have no choice but to follow the developments in Syria.

Even as the war in Iraq is just winding up, we are already hearing noises about possible US economic and diplomatic sanctions against Syria for allegedly abetting pro-Saddam forces during the war. We hear from US President George W. Bush himself as well as his defense chief Donald Rumsfeld and other top advisers that Syria is giving refuge to fleeing officials of Saddam’s regime, that Syria has chemical weapons and is sending suicide bombers to sabotage US operations in Iraq.

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Has Syria replaced Iraq so quickly in Bush’s "axis of evil"? The United States and Syria are backing different sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Washington lists Syria as one of the state sponsors of terrorism. Damascus, however, maintains diplomatic ties with Washington, and has been more cooperative in efforts to crack down on al-Qaeda. This could be why it was excluded from Bush’s axis of evil, and US officials say Syria isn’t going to be added any time soon to the axis.

Syria and Iraq are (were, in the case of Iraq) ruled by rival factions of the Baath Party, and the two countries’ relations are far from warm.

During the first Gulf War, Syria had joined the international coalition to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, prompting Baghdad to call Syrian President Hafez al-Assad — father of Syria’s present ruler Bashar al-Assad — the "dwarf ruler."

But it is possible that there are Syrians sympathetic to the Iraqis in the US-led pre-emptive strike, or at least trying to make money out of the conflict. In this latest war, tension started amid reports that Syria was supplying night vision goggles and other war materiel to Saddam’s forces. There were reports that on April 6, when coalition forces opened fire on a Russian diplomatic convoy leaving Baghdad, it was trying to smuggle into Syria several Iraqi officials.

This story was denied by both Moscow and Damascus. But the former head of Saddam’s Republican Guards in the Iraqi city of Mosul said top Baath officials led by party deputy Izzat Ibrahim had fled to Syria last Friday, shortly before Mosul fell.

Another story is that Saddam’s first wife Sajida, together with daughters, grandchildren and truckloads of goods, had fled to Moscow via Syria.

Last Sunday, one of Saddam’s half-brothers was caught trying to escape to Syria. Maybe coalition forces should have waited for him to cross the border. Then the Syrians couldn’t point out the obvious – that the guy was still in Iraqi soil when caught.

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Damascus has vehemently denied all accusations from Washington. But Rumsfeld, who seems to alienate some part of the world each time he opens his mouth, isn’t letting up on the charges.

Coming so soon after the collapse of Saddam’s regime, the exchange of angry words has worried the United Nations, the European Union and the Arab League, what with American military might primed for a strike right at Syria’s doorstep.

The United States may have a basis for its accusations against Syria. But even the hawks in Washington should realize that they can’t rebuild Iraq and at the same time launch a war so soon in another country. Iraq is messed up as it is, although people are quickly learning the chaotic ways of democracy. One early manifestation: rallies in Baghdad telling US soldiers to go home.

The horror stories about the war in Iraq – the dead and maimed, the orphaned and homeless – are just starting to filter in. Washington can’t afford more carnage.

War is over in Iraq, with the coalition – as everyone expected – emerging as the victor. The jury, however, is still out on whether war was the proper response to the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. This Holy Week, Bush, who is said to be deeply religious, may want to pause on the path of war and contemplate the ways of peace. It can be his road to Damascus.