The Christians of Syria, in the process of disappearing

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Christianity in Syria: Facing Extinction in the New Islamized Regime

Almost two weeks after the *brutal Islamist attack* on the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Damascus, the *new Islamic government* remains silent, providing no answers and making no arrests. The fear is palpable: Syria is on the verge of becoming a *Christian-free zone*. Before the civil war, Christians accounted for around 10 percent of the population, but the ravages of conflict have plummeted that figure to a mere *four percent*, as confirmed by Bishop Jean Abdo Arbach. If this recent wave of violence continues, that number could dwindle to dangerously low levels.

The horrific attack on June 22 left 25 dead and 60 injured, marking it as the deadliest incident since the sectarian clashes of 1860 under Ottoman rule. The *Sunni Islamist government*, which emerged after the downfall of the *Bashar al-Assad regime*, hastily attributes the gruesome attack to the Islamic State, even though another obscure radical group has claimed responsibility. It’s a desperate attempt to divert attention from the reality of their alarming agenda.

The Historic Threat to Christianity

In addition to being a bastion of Christianity in the Middle East, the church in Syria is a *historical treasure*. The *Bishop of San Pedro* once roamed the very streets of Damascus, and it was here the term *”Christian”* found its roots in the city of Antioch. The loss of this heritage would inflict irreparable damage not just to lives, but to history itself.

The *Assad regime* once provided some level of protection to religious minorities.
Now, under the *new Sunni Islamist rule*, that protection has vanished.
Massacres of Alawite families in Assad’s regions have been followed by assaults on *Druze* and now Christians.

As if to amplify the threat, the Archimandrite Meletius Shattaahi recently condemned Sunni activists cruising through Christian neighborhoods, loudly proclaiming their Islamist doctrine. The government of former jihadist Ahmed al Sharaa desperately tries to project a *moderate image* abroad, while turning a blind eye to the *growing oppression* facing minorities at home.

The American Plays a Dangerous Game

This *Islamist regime’s* campaign reaches further; thanks to a Saudi initiative, al Sharaa met with President Trump to push for lifting sanctions that have long stifled Syria’s economy. Just like that, the *Biden administration* facilitates the regime’s return to the global stage while ignoring gross violations of *human rights* and *freedom of worship*.

Meanwhile, Israel expresses wariness toward this new regime, cautiously expanding its occupied territories in southern Syria. However, with the regime’s distancing from Iran and Hezbollah, a dangerous agreement might soon be in the making.

On *the home front*, al Sharaa is emboldened. The government’s *controversial Islamist decrees*, particularly targeting women’s dress codes, alongside bans on alcohol, highlight a jaw-dropping effort to impose *Sharia law* throughout Syria.

“At this rate, if these trends of violence and oppression continue, Syria’s historical Christian presence may soon become a mere memory.”

It’s time to wake up to the crisis at our doorstep. The *Christian heritage of Syria* could vanish forever without immediate action and international pressure on a government that prioritizes ideology over humanity.

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