The persecution of Christians in Syria is ongoing; not only have many Christians left, but those who remain are in a dire situation. The ISIS caliphate has been destroyed, but ISIS remains a presence in the region, and Shia militias also make life difficult for Christians. International action is urgently needed. In the words of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the 3rd Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom in Washington, DC in December 2017: “All Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East are facing dire consequences due to the constant upheavals and disastrous war-making that have afflicted the region for a season of intolerable length….In trust we turn to the almighty and merciful God in a prayer for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle East in general. We especially pray for the Churches in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, which have suffered most grievously due to recent events. We encourage all parties regardless of their religious convictions to continue to work for reconciliation and for the just recognition of peoples’ rights. We are persuaded that it is not arms, but dialogue, pardon and reconciliation that are the only possible means to achieve peace. Our appeal continues to this day, more urgent than ever.”
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Syria, see here.
“Syria’s Christian population reduced by two-thirds since 2011: party,” by Karwan Faidhi Dri, Rudaw, August 9, 2021:
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — About two-thirds of Syria’s Christians have fled the country in the past decade of conflict in the country, according to data from an Assyrian political party.
Christians made up eight to ten percent of Syria’s population before the start of the civil war in 2011. Today that number has decreased to three percent, the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) told Rudaw. The party is close to the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition.
The number of Christians in the Kurdish-populated Jazira region in the very northeast of the country has decreased from 150,000 to around 55,000.
The data was confirmed by other Christian parties in Rojava. ADO obtained figures about Christians in regime-held areas from the Vatican.
Syria’s Christians helped to defeat the Islamic State group (ISIS). The Syriac Military Council is part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and is a partner force of the global coalition against ISIS….
