Tag: Syria

Christian-Jewish Charity Delivers Ambulances to Syrian Minorities Near Israeli Border

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NOAH LEVY (Guest writer)

A Christian-Jewish humanitarian organisation has provided five refurbished ambulances to religious minority populations in southern Syria as violence against Christian and Druze communities escalates, according to a press release from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

The vehicles, formerly operated by Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service, were transferred to local medical teams on Sunday and fitted with medical kits to equip emergency medical technicians and doctors responding to civilian casualties.

Medical personnel also received first-aid and emergency response instruction from MDA paramedics focussing on proper operation of the vehicles and equipment.

The Fellowship coordinated the transfer with Magen David Adom, COGAT and the Israel Defence Forces.

“When Druze and Christian communities just across our border are targeted for their faith, indifference is not an option,” Yael Eckstein, the Fellowship’s president and global chief executive, said in the statement.

The delivery follows attacks on the minority populations over the past year in areas where access to emergency medical care remains limited.

Last year, the Fellowship established two medical clinics in buffer zone villages, supplied hospitals in the Al-Suwayda region with equipment and medicines, and distributed thousands of food parcels to families affected by recent violence.

The organisation has previously assisted persecuted Christians in the region, including providing food aid, funding medical facilities and supporting refugees fleeing Islamic State attacks.

Suicide bomber targets Christian celebrations in Aleppo, Syria on New Year’s Eve

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on New Year’s Eve, killing one police officer and injuring two others in what authorities described as a failed attempt to attack Christian worshippers, according to The Syrian Interior Ministry.

The Syrian Interior Ministry said on its Telegram channel that the attack occurred in the Bab al-Faraj neighbourhood when the assailant, identified by local authorities as a member of the Islamic State, opened fire during a police interrogation. A police officer physically restrained the attacker, at which point the bomber detonated his explosive belt. According to authorities, the attacker was attempting to reach a nearby Christian neighbourhood and religious sites, including a Greek Orthodox church, to target New Year’s celebrations.

The Aleppo bombing represents the latest in a series of recent Islamic State attacks in Syria. Just a week earlier, an explosion at an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people. Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, which analysts believe operates as a front for IS, claimed responsibility for that attack. On December 13, an IS attack in Palmyra killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian.

These incidents come as Syria continues military operations against Islamic State remnants under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, an Islamist leader who previously fought against IS during the Syrian civil war. In November, Syria officially joined the U.S.-led coalition against IS and has since been conducting coordinated raids with U.S. Central Command targeting IS sleeper cells throughout the country.

Threats to Christian Communities in Syria This Christmas

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Syrian church leaders have advised Christians to scale back Christmas celebrations this year, despite assurances from the newly empowered Islamist group that religious freedom will be respected.

On December 18, a Greek Orthodox church in Hama was attacked by unidentified gunmen. The assailants entered the church compound, attempted to destroy a cross, and damaged headstones in a nearby cemetery.

In Damascus, residents of Bab Touma, a predominantly Christian neighbourhood, were unsettled by SUVs driving through the area playing Islamic songs at high volume.

The Iraqi Christian Foundation has reported that Christians in Maaloula, an ancient town in southwestern Syria where Aramaic is still spoken, are being threatened with expulsion by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group. The organization described this as an act of ethnic cleansing.

Rights activists have also raised concerns about the lack of internet access and communication in Maaloula, warning of a potential massacre in this historically significant Christian town.

The Iraqi Christian Foundation, which advocates for Christian rights in West Asia and provides aid to Christian genocide victims in Iraq and Syria, shared this information on social media, calling for prayers for Syrian Christians.

Orthodox Christmas is 7 January, 2025.

Syrian Christians Face Uncertain Christmas Under New Islamist Rulers

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Syrian Christians gathered in Damascus to observe Christmas Eve on Tuesday, marking their first celebration since President Bashar al-Assad was removed from power in early December. The service, held at the Lady of Damascus Church, came under the watchful eye of the nation’s new rulers, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The event served as a test of HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s pledge to protect religious minorities in Syria.

Security was a central concern, with HTS vehicles positioned outside the church to prevent possible violence. Worshippers proceeded with their service, lighting candles and singing traditional hymns, despite the tension surrounding the celebration.

Earlier that day, protests erupted in Damascus in response to the burning of a Christmas tree in northern Hama.

Recent events have heightened the fear among Christians. On December 18, a Greek Orthodox church in Hama was attacked, leading to vandalism of a cross and damage to cemetery headstones. In another incident, vehicles passed through Bab Touma, a historically Christian neighbourhood in Damascus, broadcasting jihadist songs.

HTS, a group with origins in al-Qaeda, has vowed to protect minority groups, including Christians. However, many in the Christian community remain wary, pointing to these recent attacks as evidence of ongoing hostility. The group’s leader, a former jihadist, has promised to avoid acts of retribution against members of Assad’s Alawite-dominated government.

This Christmas season has left Syrian Christians balancing their celebrations with the realities of an uncertain future. While HTS has made public commitments to safeguard minorities, the community awaits concrete actions to ensure their safety and freedoms.

Syrian Rebel Victory Raises Questions for Christian Minority

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The recent capture of Damascus by rebel forces has ended 53 years of Assad family rule in Syria, prompting both hope and uncertainty for the country’s Christian minority.

Fr Bajhat Karakach, a Franciscan friar serving as Aleppo’s Latin-rite parish priest, explained that many Christians welcomed the regime change according to Vatican News Service. He stated that Syrians, including Christians, had grown weary of living under a government that offered little economic growth or development.

Over the past few years, rebel groups have shown increasing tolerance towards Christians, including returning previously confiscated property. After taking control of Aleppo, the rebels sent messages of tolerance to all minority groups, including Christians.

However, concerns remain about the future of Syria’s Christian community. Before the war, Christians made up about 10% of Syria’s population. Due to persecution by extremist groups and the impact of the civil war, their numbers have fallen from 1.5 million in 2011 to approximately 300,000 in 2022.

The international community’s role in stabilizing Syria and helping develop a new constitution that respects the rights of all citizens has been emphasized by religious leaders. Christians in Syria have faced challenges in recent years, including violence and discrimination. In Aleppo, the proportion of Christian residents decreased from 12% before the war to 1.4% in 2023. More than 20 churches were damaged during the conflict.

As Syria enters a new era, the fate of its Christian community remains uncertain. While some religious leaders express cautious optimism, others stress the need for continued vigilance and international support to ensure the protection of minority rights in the country’s future