Lebanon Christian town directs anger at Syrian refugees after suicide attacks

Chiqui Guyjoco Thursday, July 07, 2016

The predominantly Christian town of Al Qaa in Lebanon directed its fury toward the town's displaced Syrians after suicide bombers blasted themselves, leaving five people killed and dozens wounded, in a series of suicide attacks in late June.

A general view of the Saint Elias church taken in the afternoon, before four suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the church after a series of suicide attacks in the village earlier in the day, in the Christian village of Qaa, Lebanon June 27, 2016. | REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Five died and 15 wounded when four suicide bombers blasted themselves on the early morning of June 27. Another attack followed by the evening and wounded 13 more as the victims' friends and families gathered outside the Saint Elias Church. No groups claimed responsibility for the attacks but the Lebanese Christians already turned wary eyes on the town's Syrian refugees.

"It is not easy for people, when their sons have died or are in critical condition, to differentiate between terrorists and refugees," said the Roman Catholic priest who oversees Al Qaa's churches, Rev. Elian Nasrallah, in an interview with The New York Times.

Governor Bashir Khedr imposed a curfew for the Syrian refugees in the area following the attacks while Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil previously called a ban on any gatherings among the Syrian refugee camps.

"No one can deny the reality that displacement will be used as a cover for terrorism," the Associated Press quoted Bassil as saying.

The day after the bombing attacks, Lebanese troops raided the Syrian refugee camps and the Qaa Projects camp and arrested 103 Syrians "for not having legal papers" and confiscated nine motorbikes.

The small country of 4.5 million in population is reeling from the effects of being the second largest host to refugees when it accepted 1.5 million Syrians.

"We welcomed them and helped them, thinking that it was a short-term crisis," town council member Elian Nader told The New York Times.

Even displaced Syrians who resettled in the town three years ago knew what the attacks meant for them.

"As soon as I heard that the explosions were here, I said, 'It's over,'" said Fariha Juma, a Syrian mother of four.

Their landlord, Tony Matar, has a son wounded from the bomb attack and still recovering in the hospital.

"There are those who benefited the village and those who hurt it," Matar said. "The problem now is that people talk as if all the Syrians are responsible."