In the midst of the civil war, churches and Christian-owned businesses have been targets of bombings by the Islamic State and other extremist groups, and there have been many reports of Christians being abducted, harmed and killed. Even so, many of Syria’s remaining Christians are committed to staying and rebuilding their country. Others are now returning home following IS’s military defeat.
Radical Islamists ‘control much of northern Syria’
CNN claims ISIS has taken control of key entry points into the city of Aleppo.David Holt / Flickr / Creative Commons A new survey of Syrian towns by CNN suggests that much of northern Syria has come under the control of radical Islamist groups. CNN claims that Islamist militants, […]
‘Biggest massacre yet’ in Syria
Rebel forces in Syria have carried out the “most serious and biggest massacre of Christians” since the conflict began, Syrian priests told Fides. In the Christian town of Sadad, near Homs, 1,500 families were held hostage in the last week of October and 45 killed and thrown into mass graves, […]
Kidnapped bishops ‘still alive’
The two Syrian bishops kidnapped in April are believed to be alive, according to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, which says it is continuing to petition for their release. Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi were kidnapped on April 22 after returning from the Turkish border town, Hatay. “Our efforts to rescue […]
One third of Syrian Christians have gone, says cleric
Many Christians have fled from their homes in places such as the historic city of Maaloula.Mounir Soussi Idrissi / Flickr / Creative Commons Almost a third of Syria’s Christians have left since the start of the civil war, according to one of the country’s senior clerics. Syria’s most senior Catholic […]
Leaving home
A couple of days after she fled Syria for Turkey, a colleague sent me a message. “Dear Nuri, this is a court that the extremists established in my city, Lattakia, in the [Syrian] village of Kansabba. This Islamic court issues the law according to the extremists’ religion. It started today. […]
Missing Italian priest ‘still alive’
An Italian Jesuit priest who went missing in Syria several months ago is still alive, according to an Assyrian priest speaking at the European Parliament on Tuesday (October 1). Archdeacon Emanuel Youkhana of the Assyrian Church in the East said the latest reports from inside Syria were that Father Paolo […]
Islamist rebels bolt Syrian coalition
Eleven Islamist rebel groups in Syria have announced they no longer recognise the authority of the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition. Their announcement also calls for the Syrian opposition to unite under an ‘Islamic framework’. Its signatories include members of the Free Syrian Army as well as more radical […]
Assyrians urge US to hold fire
The Assyrian American National Coalition has mounted an online letter-writing drive to urge the U.S. administration to hold its fire in Syria. Assyrians are an ancient ethnic group indigenous to the Middle East, and belonging mostly to various eastern and orthodox Christian churches. “Now, as extremist jihadists have moved their war to […]
Churches hit in Damascus suburb
At least three churches have been damaged as fighting between Syrian government troops and rebels in a Christian village north of Damascus has intensified, reports Middle East Concern. Opposition fighters renewed attacks on Maaloula on September 7. Assurances had been given that no churches would be damaged. This BBC report […]
Christian village ‘overrun’ in Syria
Clashes between Syrian government troops and rebel forces threatened to overrun a Christian village north of Damascus this week, reports the Associated Press. Opposition fighters are reported to have been led by an al-Qaeda-linked rebel faction, which attacked Maaloula on September 4, before pulling out the next day. AP reports […]