[Netz]

...of course you were tracked by seven separate internal security agents all the time. Actually, that nice guy running the very western youth hostel - he is a Captain in the security services so while yes, you could move about freely and even drink an Aleppo beer, you were heavily scrutinized. The Christians are now packing their bags all across the Middle East, including Syria. Don't try to paint a very open & liberal picture of life in Syria - it is/was a mirage.

[Zajko]

Of course I was tracked by state security. At times they were even obvious. And don’t try to put words into my mouth: no-one but a lunatic would claim that Syria was a ‘liberal’ state in any political way: quite the opposite. I’m talking about the nature of the people, from a religious perspective, in response to your comment about ‘suicide bombers for Allah’, as was quite clear.

My point, to repeat, is that Syria isn’t an Islamic religious state: the people are in general quite liberal, from a religious perspective, when compared to other countries where I’ve lived, traveled or worked in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait etc. To class everyone in Syria as a ‘suicide bomber for Allah’ simply displays ignorance and lack of knowledge about the country and its people.

And there is no evidence that Christians in Syria are ‘packing up and leaving’ in any greater numbers than their Muslim counterparts right now.