International TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2018

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ARBIN: A Syrian man drives past destroyed buildings in Arbin. Retaken in the spring by forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad during a brutal offensive to capture the Eastern Ghouta area, Arbin is everything but festive. Rubble from razed buildings spills out into deserted streets lined with burned-out cars. — AFP Xmas joy missing in rubble of Syria town Town looks more apocalyptic than merry

ARBIN: With Christmas approaching, Nabil al-Aash dusts off calm to the capital and its surroundings, Arbin residents are religious books as he attempts to tidy up the war-scarred still hesitant to come back. “We are only five Christians who Saint George Church in the town of Arbin, northeast of the regularly visit the town, the others go from time to time... Syrian capital Damascus. Retaken in the spring by forces loy- most of their homes are destroyed,” says Aash. A few dozen al to President Bashar al-Assad during a brutal offensive to meters away from the church, Joseph Hakimeh directs a work- capture the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, Arbin is any- er on a ladder as he puts the final touches to a freshly painted thing but festive. wall of a restored home. Rubble from razed buildings spills out into deserted The contractor is getting ready to hand the keys back to streets lined with burned-out cars and twisted scraps of met- the owner, and is working on three other homes in addition to al. The town looks more apocalyptic than merry. Arbin’s only his own. “We’re preparing to return as soon as services and church, Saint George’s flame-scorched walls and empty nave infrastructure are ready, but that needs time,” he says. Sitting are a testament to the seven-year conflict that has left more on a can of paint, the 39-year-old yearns for the way things than 360,000 people dead and displaced millions. “There’s no once were. “I hope that next year everything will return to the celebration here. Christian homes are destroyed and their way it was before-Christmas trees, decorations, carols and church is destroyed,” says Aash. The restoration of the Greek prayers,” he says. The mood is gloomy is Arbin, but just a few Orthodox church, built in 1873, “will take a lot of time, money kilometers away, bright colored lights illuminate the streets of and effort”, he adds. Damascus. A giant tree decorates Abbasiyyin Square, long “There’s not a single icon left-all of them were either avoided due to its proximity to the frontline with the former burned or stolen,” said the 55-year-old, approaching the altar. rebel stronghold. “We also found broken crosses.” Aash fled Arbin in 2012 as fighting engulfed the town, plagued afterwards for years by ‘Roots’ violence and a crippling siege imposed by Damascus. But Festive lights and garlands also decorate homes in the pre- after regime forces retook the area, he decided to return dominantly Christian neighborhood of Kassaa in eastern home. “I grew up in this church, I spent all of my Christmases Damascus. But not everyone is in the Christmas spirit. Since here... it was once overflowing with joy,” he remembers. “I Riad Rajiha’s family arrived to the area after fleeing Arbin in almost collapsed when I saw it.” For him, the festive spirit 2012, they have not had the heart to celebrate. “We left our “won’t return until the residents and parishioners do”. Christmas tree behind, so we missed out on decorating,” says Rajiha, his eyes brimming with tears. “What’s the meaning of Contrast decorating a tree in a house that’s not yours?” Leafing After a blistering offensive backed by Russian air power, through an old photo album, he revisits pictures of the Saint ARBIN: Children play among destroyed buildings in Arbin. — AFP government forces in April retook Eastern Ghouta, a key rebel George Church in all its former glory. Large chandeliers hang foothold at the gates of Damascus. The military push and from its high ceilings, its wooden pews packed with parish- years of shelling flattened large swathes of the area and ioners. “Our roots are there and our memories are there,” The killer wave struck at night, sweeping across forced most of its pre-war population to flee. Before the war, says the 66-year-old, who dreams of celebrating the holiday Another tsunami tourist beaches and low-lying settlements on both sides Arbin was home to some 3,000 Christian residents, according in Arbin with his grandchildren. “I was born in Arbin, I lived in of the Sunda Strait and catching both residents and dis- to Mayor Khalil Tohme. But despite the return of relative Arbin, and I hope to be die and be buried there.”— AFP aster monitors totally unawares. “Signs that a tsunami could hit Indonesia, was coming weren’t detected and so people did not have time to evacuate,” said Indonesia’s disaster agency experts warn spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who blamed van- you,” he wrote. “Be at peace my friend. Endless dalism, technical problems and limited budgets for the Funerals held for prayers for you, Bani (bassist) and Eman (guitarist). PARIS: Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts lack of warning buoys. But the Open University’s Rothry “It’s been an honor and a pride to share a stage with have warned, after nearly 300 people were killed by a said such buoys, normally positioned to monitor earth- pop group killed in you. We were not just work partners, we were family wave triggered by a volcanic eruption. quakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries, would in life and death.” still have had limited efficacy. A visibly distressed Fajarsyah told local broadcast- What caused the tsunami? “Even if there had been such a buoy right next to Anak Indonesia tsunami er NET TV that was praying his wife would be found While tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, in Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that alive. “Please pray so Allah can give us a miracle.” On this case experts believe the deadly waves were generated JAKARTA: Funerals were held yesterday for several warning time would have been minimal given the high Sunday, the band’s lead singer posted a picture online by an eruption of the Anak (or “child of”) Krakatoa vol- speeds at which tsunami waves travel.” Simon Boxall of members of an Indonesian pop band killed when a of he and his wife kissing in Paris with the Eiffel Tower cano, which could have caused a large undersea landslide tsunami slammed into a stage where they were per- Southampton University said the region was in spring tide, in the background. “Today is your birthday-I want or flow of molten rock into the water. The tsunami “and it would appear that the wave hit some of the coastal forming an open-air concert. Relatives of Muhammad wish you a happy birthday in person. Come home “appears to have been caused by an underwater collapse” Awal Purbani-bassist for the group Seventeen- areas at the highest point of this high tide, exacerbating soon, honey,” he wrote in the caption of the photo. of part of the volcano, said David Rothery, a professor of the damage done.” While the tsunami was relatively small, sobbed and hugged each other at a service in The funerals were among dozens of services held planetary geosciences at Britain’s Open University. Anak Indonesia’s cultural capital Yogyakarta, including a Richard Teeuw, a disaster risk reduction expert at the across the country for some of at least 281 people Krakatoa is a new island that emerged around 1928 in the University of Portsmouth in England said: “Such waves- three-year-old daughter and his wife who was several killed by Saturday night’s disaster. crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption months pregnant. The group’s road manager Oki laden with debris-can be deadly for coastal communities, With no warning, the powerful tsunami swept over killed at least 36,000 people. The tsunami that struck on especially if there is no warning.” Wijaya, guitarist Herman Sikumbang and crew mem- popular beaches on southern Sumatra and the west- Saturday was the third natural disaster to hit Indonesia in ber Rukmana Rustam were also buried yesterday in ern tip of Java and inundated tourist hotels and six months. The country has 127 active volcanoes and lies separate services in their hometowns. Local media Could more tsunamis be coming? coastal settlements. The band was playing Saturday on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes “Devastating tsunami caused by volcanic eruptions are have reported that Wisnu Andi Darmawan, the band’s night to a crowd at a company-sponsored event at the and volcanic eruptions are frequent. missing drummer, had been found dead yesterday. rare; one of the most famous (and deadly) was caused by Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort on the western tip of the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883,” Teeuw said. “The likeli- Seventeen’s frontman Riefian Fajarsyah-whose wife Java when the wall of water hit. Dramatic video post- Why was it so deadly? is still missing two days after the disaster-posted a hood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain ed online showed the tsunami smashing into the con- Anak Krakatoa, located in the Sunda Strait between high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its picture of the band online and suggested that cert, hurling band members from the stage and slam- Java and Sumatra islands, is close to densely populated Darmawan had been killed. That would leave current active phase because that might trigger further ming into the audience. On the video, fans can be seen areas. The volcano has been particularly active since June, submarine landslides,” he said. Sonar surveys would now Fajarsyah as the only surviving member of the group, clapping and cheering before a wave rips under the noted Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff at the University of which has released a half dozen albums and com- be needed to map the seafloor around the volcano, but stage, sending the band members and their equipment Paris-South. “We were helpless given how sudden” the “unfortunately submarine surveys typically take many mands a large fan base in their native country. “So crashing into the men and women dancing at the front. event took place, Bardintzeff said. “The time between long my beloved drummer Andi Seventeen, Allah loves months to organize and carry out,” he added. Bardintzeff The shocking video then suddenly stops. — AFP cause and effect was a few dozen minutes, which was too warned “we must be wary now that the volcano has been short to warn the population”. destabilized”. — AFP