Syrian Christians fear bleak future after Assad

Violence » Rival Islamic groups could endanger the minority population.

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"Most [Christians] want to return [to Syria], but they want to wait until the fighting is over and see who will be ruling Syria after the war," Mira said.

Aleppo’s schools are closed. Food and electricity are scarce. Most stores have been shut for months. Even though some areas of the city — including the predominantly Christian district along Faisal Street — are still controlled by government forces, the streets are unsafe, she said.

Aya lamented that it’s nearly impossible to imagine the country going back to what it was. In the weeks before she fled for good, she said, the violence overwhelmed her.

"There was so much shooting, such terrible bombings, and I could not take it," she said. "In two weeks I slept for 10 hours, I did not eat and I cried all the time, because my city was turning into ruins, and I saw it with my own eyes."

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