"I encourage Christians to share this optimism."
The Archbishop said, "For now, I want to remain positive. I trust in God and our Syrian people. We are men and women of faith, and I believe that this can be a key to living together. I encourage Christians to share this optimism and entrust our lives and history to God. Without this, we will never achieve any form of stability—though this stability will also depend, of course, on our neighbors: the Holy Land, Lebanon, and Iraq."
Kidnapped in 2015 in Syria and held for five months by Islamic State jihadists before managing to escape, Archbishop Jacques Mourad is a model of resilience.
Read 'In Syria, we are beginning to smell the scent of freedom,' says Homs archbishop"
"It's a new Syria. We are very optimistic," said Mahmoud Meslat of the #Syrian Democratic Council speaking to Leila Fadel.
"a remarkable sense of #optimism"
Matthew Doran and West Matteeussen praised Syrian refugee Sahar Mohamad Kamal in a story "Uncertainty for Syrian refugees as Assad regime's fall brings optimism about heading home."
They wrote, "The fall of the brutal Assad regime in Syria is fuelling optimism among the millions of Syrian refugees scattered across the Middle East and around the world about returning home."
Sahar told them, "Whatever comes next, it's going to be better than with Bashar al-Assad — by far."
Matthew and West wrote, "It is a remarkable sense of optimism, considering her son Abdul Rahman did attempt to return over the weekend, only to be killed in an explosion."
‘Pure joy and awful sadness’: Syrians in Australia cautiously optimistic for their homeland’s future
Syrians on P.E.I. cautiously optimistic for loved ones back home after ouster of al-Assad