The Tragic Situation of Syria’s Christians

Magdi Khalil – May 2014

Coptic Solidarity

The Syrian uprising began as a peaceful protest against an autocratic regime that has oppressed its people for over four decades. However, no more than six months later, the uprising lost its peaceful form due to foreign interventions that aimed to hasten the collapse of the regime. The Syrian issue soon turned into a complex international war, with various overlapping interests.

The situation can be best described as a war of the axes: Shiite, Sunni, and Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood axis, led by Turkey alongside Qatar, believed that the militarization of the uprising would allow the Muslim Brotherhood to establish its control over Syria promptly, so that they can move ahead with their vision of creating a Muslim Brotherhood Caliphate State. However, the conservative Sunni axis, led by Saudi Arabia, managed to push thousands of Salafi Jihadists into the conflict in order to stop Syria from falling into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood―a strong opponent of the conservative ruling families in the Gulf. In turn, Iran realized that these events may end up with the eradication of the “Shiite crescent,” thus trapping Hezbollah in Lebanon. Therefore, it intervened strongly, backed by Hezbollah fighters, in order to maintain the Assad Alawite regime. At that point, the Syrian scene became reminiscent of the Jihadists war in Afghanistan in the eighties of last century.

All Syrian minorities, with the exception of the Christian minority, made apt arrangements in case the regime fell. But unlike other minorities, Christians lacked the sponsorship of a regional State, as well as the ambition or design to establish a state of their own.

In 1900, Christians in Syria (1) made up about 40% of the population. In 1947, this percentage dipped to about 20% as a result of heavy immigration to South and North America. Currently, Christians amount to 8-10% of the population of Syria, according to various estimates (2).

While the losses resulting from the civil war raging in Syria are indeed huge, the Christians have paid the highest price in relation to their numbers. Their religious identity made them a target for the Muslim Brotherhood, Daash, Al-Nusra Front, and all the other Islamic factions. In an interview to the Egyptian newspaper Watani, dated February 4, 2014, Patriarch of Antioch Gregory III Laham estimated that Christian losses in Syria have included the death of 30,000 martyrs and the destruction of 91 churches, on many of which the black flags of Al Qaeda are now raised. Twenty four Christian villages in Wadi Al-Nasarah (Valley of the Christians) and other areas were emptied of their population entirely, and more than 450,000 people out of the 1,750 million Christians in Syria have left the country, according to the Patriarch’s estimates. More than 500,000 Christians have also left their homes to other places. In other words, more than 60% of Christians have either fled the country or faced internal displacement. Other villages such as Me’reba, chakra, and Namer in Daraa; Arbin, Hrasta, Ghassaniya and Daria in Rural Damascus, Al-Yakoubia in Idlib, and Dor in Homs are now completely devoid of Christians (3).

Furthermore, the historic Christian area of Ma’loula was targeted by jihadists who managed to destroy some of its oldest churches and monasteries, killing a number of Christian clergy, including Father Francois Murad, and Father Fady Haddad who was slaughtered. The most recent victim was Jesuit Father Francis Van Der Lugt who was shot on April 7, 2014. The 75-year-old Dutch priest had devoted his life to the poor and needy in Homs, and firmly refused to get out of Syria, saying that he could not possibly leave the Christian community while it was facing that ordeal. Others were kidnapped or taken hostages, including Archbishops Boulos Yazigi and Yohanna Ibrahim, whose fate is still unknown. Syrian organizations had estimated that the number of Christians in the northeast of Syria – an area that is considered a historical Christian stronghold – has declined by a third compared to two years ago (4). The latest news also point to the displacement of more than 3,000 people from the Armenian district of Kasab to Latakia after their town fell into the hands of Al-Nusra front, which is an Al Qaeda-affiliated group. (5)

 Christians are losing their lives, homes and houses of worship, and are being expelled from their ancestral homeland, forced to flee as refugees. The “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” group (ISIS, or Daash in Arabic) is forcing Christians under its control to pay jizyah, while other radical Islamic organizations scheme to exterminate Christians or drive them out of the country. According to Patriarch Laham, the terrifying scenes of displacement, torture and massacres had a devastating effect on Christian children, and as a result, 20% of them suffer from serious mental illnesses.

Although there are some Christians in the Syrian opposition leadership, yet the mainstream Christians tend to support the Assad regime. Christians have compelling arguments for their position, namely that the current Alawite system, driven by its fear of the Sunni majority, is relying on minorities to hold key positions. Christians would also lose the most if the regime were to collapses, as much as Iraq’s Christians did after Saddam Hussein fell. They argue that they are less concerned that Al-Assad is a dictator, and mostly care that he guarantees their protection, involves them in the State administration, and works to maintain a semi secular system. For his part, the Assad regime benefited to a great extent from minorities, often assigning them to the army, security services and to the management of an international public relations campaign, which portrays him as a protector of religious minorities in Syria.

The Syrian civil war, as described by the United Nations, is considered the most serious international crisis since the end of World War II, and one of the largest waves of exodus in modern history. While the war has taken a toll on each and every community in Syria, its impact on Christians was particularly drastic. Furthermore, their current migration out of Syria is following the pattern of permanent emigration, especially to Western countries. Many observers fear that the fate of Syria’s Christians will be like their counterparts in Iraq, where about 70% of Iraqi Christians have left the country, with no indication that they would ever return, which affects the entire Christian presence in the Middle East.

As the case of Syria shows, Christians in the Middle East are in need of special attention and care from the international community so that they may be able to continue to live in the land of their fathers and forefathers.

 _______________________

 Director, Middle East Freedom Forum

 1) At that time, (Greater) Syria included Lebanon.

 2) http://www.ecassembly.org/ar/?p=articles&;id=11281

 3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYia28xayt02-

 4) http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2014/03/article_3076140.html/

 5) http://archive.arabic.cnn.com/2013/middle_east/12/22/meastchristians/

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