Mohammad al-Bashir, Syria’s interim leader following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, has told Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera: “Precisely because we are Islamic, we will guarantee the rights of all people and all sects in Syria.”
NOTE: Image is of Syrian opposition flag which was flown by the rebels who ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
This encouraging statement comes as Syrian Christians wait to see what will happen next following the swift advance of the rebel coalition led by jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, the Sunni Islamist Organisation for the Liberation of the Levant). Following the sudden capture of Aleppo on 29 November, swiftly followed by Hama and Homs, Damascus was taken on 8 December and President Bashar al-Assad fled the country. He had led the country for more than twenty years, following his father’s rule of nearly thirty years.
On Monday 9 December Christian leaders in Aleppo (where the rebels have been in control for the past two weeks) met with representatives of the armed groups. The meeting was described as positive by the Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Aleppo Antoine Audo, who said, “We were all present: bishops, priests and religious. they are trying to build trust by respecting our traditions and our prayers. I told them that we, as Arab Christians, represent a unique reality in history and in the world. I recalled some examples of the history of Muslim Arabs with Christians and the contribution of Christians to this history. I added that the status of the “dhimmi” [non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with certain legal protections provided a special tax is paid] can be interpreted both negatively and positively, that Christians cannot be second-class citizens and that we must work together. They seemed very interested in these considerations.”
Bishop Audo said that things are returning to normal in Aleppo and that preparations are being made to celebrate Christmas on a small scale: “Perhaps there will be no parades and spectacular moments. But anyone who wants to visit us in our churches and bishoprics during the holidays is more than welcome.”
George Makeen of Church in Chains partner SAT-7 (the Middle East Christian satellite broadcaster) wrote: “ We hope and pray that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will be true to its promise to protect minorities and will allow Christians to practise their faith in peace and freedom. SAT-7 has heard from church leaders in Syria this week who are concerned about the future of their country, and are asking for prayer for unity, peace, and protection. What we really want to see, as believers, is the church in Syria being empowered to grow, not just survive, in the coming years. And we also hope and pray that the international community will play its part in upholding the right to freedom of religion and belief for everyone in Syria, and in the wider region.”
Henriette Kats, a research analyst on the Middle East with Open Doors, which has worked in Syria for many years has cautioned: “While HTS promises safety and peaceful coexistence for all minorities, including Christians, doubts persist due to HTS’s jihadist origins and track record of human rights abuses.”
HTS was previously part of al-Qaeda and is still regarded internationally as a terrorist group. In Idlib province, under HTS control since 2015, Christian clergy are not allowed to walk outside in any clothing that makes them recognisable as priests or pastors and crosses have been removed from church buildings. The number of Christians in Idlib has reduced from 20,000 to 600. In 2022, Mohammad al-Bashir promised to protect Christians in Idlib and allowed a historic Armenian Orthodox church to re-open.
An estimated 250,000 Christians now live in Syria – much reduced from a pre-civil war total of 1.4 million. Most Syrian Christians belong to Catholic or Orthodox churches and there is a small number of Protestant churches.
(Agenzia Fides, Aid to the Church in Need, Christian Solidarity International, France 24, Open Doors, SAT-7)
Prayer Points for Syria
SAT-7 has shared the following prayer points.
- Pray for Syrians who have suffered so much violence and injustice over many years. Pray for healing of hearts and minds, and for a new era of peace and justice.
- Pray for freedom and respect for minorities in Syria, and that the rights of all will be upheld.
- Pray for the Church in Syria, for wisdom as it navigates the uncertainty of the current situation, for protection, and for the freedom to grow. Pray that believers will know the presence and comfort of Immanuel amid the fear of the unknown.
- Pray for Syria’s neighbours and the wider region, for an end to the conflicts that are destroying millions of lives, for reconciliation and the acceptance of differences.