Originally published in CBN
As Syria descends into uncertainty after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, persecution experts are warning about what could befall Christians and members of other minority groups.
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In the days leading up to the regime’s fall, David Curry, president and CEO of Global Christian Relief, emailed an “urgent” message to supporters, noting Christians are “caught once again in the crosshairs of war.”
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Already, Curry said thousands were becoming displaced, with road closures and refugee camps swelling. Others, he said, were trapped in their homes.
In a statement shared with CBN News on Sunday after Syrian rebels entered Damascus and Assad reportedly fled the nation with his family, Curry further underscored the difficult nature of the situation.
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“The so-called “opposition forces,” Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are little more than a reconstructed remnant of ISIS and Al Qaeda fighters,” he warned. “Considered a terrorist organisation, they have, in less than two weeks, ethnically cleansed the northwest of Syria, including Aleppo and beyond, of Kurds and Christians.”
And Curry said it’s expected this reign of terror will only progress into other areas of Syria.
“When the civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Christians comprised approximately 10% of the population, about 1.5 million people,” he added. “After years of constant fighting and persecution by jihadist radicals, that number has dwindled to just 300 000 — now there is no safe place for Kurds and Christians.”
International Christian Concern (ICC), another persecution watchdog, released a country profile on Syria December 3, noting religious minorities inside the nation are “regularly subjected to the worst violations imaginable.”
The situation in Syria has long been perilous, with Assad struggling in recent years to retain power.
“Though conditions are dire for Christians and other religious groups in the south, where Assad wields most of his power, the situation is not better in the north, where Turkish-backed terrorists continue to fight for territory and perpetrate heinous acts of violence against Kurdish and Yazidi religious communities,” ICC notes.
Persecution manifests itself in government restrictions, torture, imprisonment, acts of terrorism — and more. After decades of authoritarian rule at the hands of Assad, who took power in 2000, it’s unclear what comes next (his family has held power for the past 50 years).
Many Christians have reportedly fled Syria after HTS, a terror-designated group, took over. Jeff King, president of ICC, told The Christian Post the coming days will be essential to understanding what’s next for the Christians who remain behind.
“The coming days and weeks will be crucial for the fate of [the] Christian community,” King said. “Christians, with roots stretching back nearly two millennia, now face an uncertain and perilous future.”
A look at the recent past could offer some clues about the future. Christian Solidarity International said HTS has made claims about being tolerant of minority groups in recent days, but that there is reason to take caution that “deadly risks likely lie behind the diplomatic rhetoric.”
While CSI said the group has thus far treated Christians and other groups well after overtaking Aleppo last week, the past hasn’t shown the same patterns.
“HTS and its predecessors have been fighting in Syria for 13 years; in Syria’s Idlib province, they have been in power since 2015,” CSI noted. “Christians are not seen as heretics, but rather a subjugated and protected class in HTS ideology. In practice, however, HTS has often targeted Christians throughout Syria in violent attacks and kidnappings, repeatedly killing Christian civilians and confiscating their property.”
The organisation continued, “Since 2012, the vast majority of Christians who lived in Aleppo or Idlib during the periods under the jihadists’ authority have fled.”
Christians have also faced assault at the hands of HTS in other areas throughout Syria during the civil war, experiencing kidnappings, bombings, and other acts of violence. CSI concludes the future for religious minorities right now is “uncertain.”
The broader population reportedly faces food shortages, curfews, and other restrictive measures, according to The Christian Post.
Some Christian leaders have reportedly stayed behind to help those stuck and struggling and to encourage the faithful. Let’s pray for Christians, other minority groups, and Syrian leaders.
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