Jihadist Groups Threatening to Drive Christians Out of Syria, Destroying Priceless Icons.
BLITZER: In war-torn Syria, one Christian community is rebuilding, at least trying after being occupied by al Qaeda fighters. Residents still fear for their lives after jihadist groups threatened to wipe them out. Our senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, has this exclusive report.</s>FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Jesus loves you no matter how you feel, these children sing at a religion class in Maaloula, Syria's most famous Christian town, which was occupied by Islamist militants for six months. Several townspeople are still missing. "I want things to be better, like they were before and for the kidnapped people to come back," 7 year old Gabriella says. Similar words from 8-year-old Barla Hamoon (ph) "I want Maaloula to be better and more beautiful than it used to be," she says. "Shocking, their reaction when I ask how many of them have had to flee their homes." Islamist rebels, led by al Qaeda's wing in Syria, Jabhat al Nusra, invaded Maaloula in late 2013. This video by one of the groups allegedly shows a suicide blast that took out the checkpoint to the village. The rebels kidnapped 12 nuns from a convent. It took more than six months of intense battles to oust them. But scars remain. This is the convent and shrine, or what's left of it, a warning to Syria's Christian community. (on camera): While some buildings here in Maaloula have been restored, others remain exactly like this, completely destroyed and mostly burned out. And of course, many people who live in this town ask themselves whether Christianity still here a future here in Syria. (voice-over): Syria is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Maaloula is the last place where the Aramaic that Jesus spoke is still in use. But groups like ISIS have vowed to oust the Christians from this land. This member of Maaloula's city council shows me just some of the priceless icons that were damaged or looted, especially the most ancient ones.</s>JOSEF SAADI, MAALOULA CITY COUNCILMAN: They stole it, and then they fire the other.</s>PLEITGEN (on camera): They burned it?</s>SAADI: Burned it.</s>PLEITGEN (voice-over): As we left Maaloula, a Christian song was playing on a loudspeaker system in the entire town --</s>PLEITGEN: -- a sign of defiance from a Christian community that hopes the children, learning about their long heritage in Syria, will have a future in the land of their ancestors.</s>BLITZER: Fred is joining live from Damascus. Fred, how serious is the threat against the Christian communities remaining inside Syria?</s>PLEITGEN: It certainly is very serious, Wolf, especially is you look at groups like ISIS. ISIS has essentially told the Christians here in Syria they have three options, convert to Islam, leave Syria or be killed. That's the three things ISIS put on the table for them. Then you have other rebel groups in Syria as well who accuse the Syrian Christians of siding with the Syrian government of Bashar al Assad. But the fact of the matter is most Christians aren't siding with any side. They simply want to be left alone. But they do see the old status quo as the best chance for survival. At this point in time, we were in that ancient Christian community, they're remained defiant but there has been some attrition already. We were just seeing in that report that Maaloula is one of the last places in the world where they speak the ancient Aramaic of Jesus Christ. There was also an institute in Maaloula where they taught the Aramaic of Jesus Christ. That institute has now closed because the head of the institute has fled Maaloula. So certainly, the Christian community here is already taking some hits, feeling the heat, especially from Islamist groups right now. They say they want to be defiant, but it's not easy for this very ancient religion in this land -- Wolf?</s>BLITZER: Can they get out? We know that hundreds of thousands of Christians, whether this Iraq, Syria, they fled. What about those who remain right now? What are the prospects of them fleeing, if you will?</s>PLEITGEN: Well, you know, it's difficult. Some of them certainly have already fled and some have fled their ancestral homeland, like Maaloula, and some come here to Damascus hoping to find a safer place here. And some, quite frankly, have fled the country. There are some organizations helping especially Christians to get out of Syria and get them to places line Europe or like the U.S. But certainly, it's difficult. And you know, if you look at the Christian community here, Wolf, they don't feel like they're guests in this land. They say they're an integral part of what makes Syria what it is, and so many of them don't want to leave at this point in time. But certainly, the prospects are dimmer with every day of the conflict, especially since there doesn't seem to be an end in sight -- Wolf?</s>BLITZER: I think you are right, unfortunately. Fred Pleitgen, excellent reporting for us from Damascus. Thanks so much, Fred. A group of American heroes honored today by President Obama at the White House. Hear what he had to say about these Medal of Valor recipients.