The Assad family's rule of Syria, which lasted more than 50 years, collapsed on December 8. Jihadist forces took control of Damascus after President Bashar al-Assad escaped to a luxurious life in Moscow. Today, roughly half a million Christians and 2.5 million Kurds in Syria face a future of persecution and abuse at the hands of jihadist terrorists.
The offensive launched by the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, began on November 27. These terrorists, backed by Turkey, first captured Aleppo and a string of other towns and cities in a matter of days, before converging on Damascus.
Since 2017, HTS has been the dominant Islamist militia in Syria. A former branch of Al Qaeda, in 2018, HTS was officially designated a terrorist organization by the US government. The group's name, Hayat Tahrir al Sham, means "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant," meaning much of the Middle East, including Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. Since 2019, HTS, working with Turkey, has controlled northern Idlib through the so-called "Syrian Salvation Government" (SSG). Now, as Turkey and the HTS plan to "reshape Syria," both Kurds and Christians find themselves under siege.
HTS, which cooperates with the Turkish military and Turkish-backed groups in Syria, is committed to establishing an Islamist state across Syria, at least for a start. The founder and current leader of HTS is Ahmed Hussein Al-Shara, better known as Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani, Before founding HTS, Jolani led Jabhat Al-Nusra, a Syrian al Qaeda affiliate.
In a 2019 report on terrorism by the US State Department, HTS/Al-Nusrah Front is described as one of "the world's most active and dangerous terrorist groups".
In 2022, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a hearing on religious freedom in Syria, and stated:
"The al-Qaeda offshoot Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) continues to brutalize and displace religious minority communities in the northwestern region of Idlib, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has increased its presence in eastern Syria, waging almost daily attacks and destabilizing the region for religious minorities. Opposition groups leverage their Turkish financing and military support to wage campaigns of religious and ethnic cleansing in Afrin."
During the jihadi offensive that began last month, HTS was supported on the northern front by the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of a dozen Islamist armed groups largely financed, equipped and trained by Turkey.
According to a 2022 report by the US State Department, at the time, most Syrian Christians lived in and around Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Hasakah.
All these areas except for Hasakah (the majority of which is currently under Kurdish control) fell to Turkish-backed jihadists beginning on November 27.
According to the human rights organization Open Doors, there are around 579,000 Christians in Syria. Many of them fled cities and villages seized by jihadists, to take refuge in the formerly government-controlled Wadi al-Nasara ("Valley of Christians"). With the collapse of the Assad regime, the Valley has fallen to jihadists, and the lives of those Christians are in danger.
On December 7, HTS reportedly warned the Christian population of the Valley of the Christians to "not stand with the regime." The news website Orthodox Christianity reported on December 9:
"Syrian Christians are sure to face escalating hardships and persecution as the capital city of Damascus was taken by Islamist rebels...
"His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim of Aleppo of the Antiochian Orthodox Church issued a statement on November 30, urging his flock to remain in peace and prayer and promising to remain with his flock to the end.
"Met. Ephraim was enthroned as the ruling hierarch of Aleppo in December 2021. His predecessor, His Eminence Metropolitan Boulos (Paul), was captured by Islamist rebels in April 2013 and never heard from again.
"Fr. Bassam Nasif, professor at Balamand University and close associate of Met. Ephraim, tells the Orthodoxia News Agency that things are tragic for Aleppo and especially for the Orthodox Christians who are still there and refuse to leave the area, their homes, and their churches.
"Every hour that passes, we don't know what will happen and who will survive this ordeal. Everyone left Aleppo, both Syrians and Armenians—only our Metropolitan Ephraim of Aleppo and Alexandretta remained, along with two or three priests who are with him in the Metropolis.
"'Please pray for them because we don't know if we'll see them again. We all remember that 11 years ago, Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo, his predecessor (the blood brother of the current Patriarch of Antioch John) was kidnapped by Islamists and has been missing since then. We fear the same could happen to the current Metropolitan.
"'Aleppo is currently under occupation. All municipal employees of organizations and services left their jobs, and rebels took their positions. They took down the Syrian flag from public buildings and raised their own.'"
According to reports coming from Syria, jihadists began abusing Christians in the towns and villages the minute they took over. The X account "Greco-Levantines Worldwide" reported on December 10:
"Father Michel Nouman, one of the most well-known priests in Homs, shared a troubling incident on Facebook. He recounted how a group of Muslims attacked Christian farmers in a Christian village. The Christians were abused, beaten, and accused of being infidels [kafirs]. This is what we are facing as Christians right now in Syria."
The same account further reported on December 11:
"HTS factions desecrated the Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Al-Suqaylabiyah, in Hama province's countryside, vandalizing and destroying its contents, as shown in the video."
If an international diplomatic intervention to protect Christians does not take place, the fate awaiting them can be seen in how Islamic jihadists treated them when they took control of Syrian towns and villages at the beginning of the civil war in 2011. In jihadi-held territories in Syria, as noted in a January 2024 Open Doors report:
"Due to their public visibility, the leaders of historical church communities are particularly targeted for attacks or kidnapping in areas where Islamic militants are active... In areas controlled by radical Islamic groups, most of the church buildings belonging to the historical church communities have either been demolished or used as Islamic centers. Public expressions of Christian faith are prohibited, and church buildings or monasteries cannot be repaired or restored, regardless of whether the damage was collateral or intentional.
"Fear among Christians has been at a high level over the last years, particularly caused by the threats, intimidation and kidnappings carried out by radical Islamic groups such as the al-Qaeda affiliated Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the Ansar Brigade and the Al-Farouq battalions. Particularly in the northeast, a number of factors (combined with the Turkish invasion of northern Syria) have dealt a blow to Christian confidence in Deir ez Zaur, Al-Hasakah and Qamishli as well as the predominantly Christian villages on the border with Turkey: For instance, the reactivation of ISIS sleeper cells, church bombings, the murder of an Armenian priest together with his father in November 2019 and the 2022 attack on a prison in Hasaka in which several IS militants broke out. The escalation of Turkish aggression and the potential for a large-scale invasion of the border areas make Christian communities feel extremely threatened since the areas are controlled by radical Islamic militias and Turkish authorities...
"The strict Islamic law imposed by militants in [the Turkish occupied city of] Afrin hinders the return of Christians, while the accelerated return of refugees and IDPs [internally displaced persons] from Lebanon could force Christians to return to areas under the control of Islamic militants where they are vulnerable...
"Men in particular face the threat of abduction and killing, particularly if they are in a position of church leadership. Women also risk abduction, as well as the threat of sexual harassment and rape."
The severe persecution of Christians in Syria has led to the community's population collapse. About two-thirds of Syria's Christian population has fled the country since the start of its brutal civil war in 2011.
In 2014, Islamic State (ISIS) set up its caliphate covering large parts of Syria and Iraq, and a strict version of Sharia law was implemented. The ISIS-caliphate was finally eliminated due to intervention by the West and Russia in 2019. During the ISIS period, Syria's Christians were severely persecuted, even massacred, leading to a major exodus of the community from the country.
Since then, Turkish military campaigns have led to the occupation of large swaths of Syrian territory by Turkey-backed jihadist forces such as HTS. Some of Turkey's military campaigns targeting Kurds in Syria include:
- From August 2016 to March 2017, Turkish troops and Turkish-backed, Islamist "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) seized the region between Afrin and Manbij districts, pushing US-allied Kurdish militia east of the Euphrates River during Turkey's "Operation Euphrates Shield".
- In 2017, HTS jihadists took control of the town of Idlib, which they have since occupied and exploited together with Turkish forces.
- In 2018, Turkey carried out another military invasion against Syria, which it called "Operation Olive Branch." Around 25,000 FSA fighters joined Turkish forces to capture towns and villages controlled by the Kurds, seizing the Afrin region of northwest Syria.
- Throughout 2019, fighting intensified in Syria. During Turkey's "Operation Peace Spring" military campaign, Turkey and its jihadist allies invaded northern Syria, created a so-called "safe zone" along the Syrian-Turkish border, where it uses Islamic fighters to control predominantly Kurdish and Christian areas.
- In 2020, Turkey launched "Operation Spring Shield," to counter an offensive by the Syrian government in Idlib.
According to many reports, those jihadists allied with Turkey targeted religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians, in the northern region and along the border. A June 2020 USCIRF hearing entitled "Safeguarding Religious Freedom in Northeast Syria," noted:
"Turkish armed forces attacked, murdered, kidnapped, raped and detained Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Yezidis, and destroyed their religious sites. They also moved internally displaced Syrians (IDPs) - predominantly Sunni Arabs - from other parts of Syria to the homes of minority refugees in the north. This is causing a considerable demographic change which will prevent Christians and other minorities returning to their villages. In Afrin, Turkish-backed troops are reported to be targeting Kurdish Christians."
Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been displaced during Syria's 13-year-long civil war, and those who remain in their homes under jihadist rule are often persecuted, harassed, or killed. According to Open Doors:
"According to in-country sources, Christians in the area occupied by Turkish armed forces feel that there is no future for Christian communities there because of Turkish aggression as well as the impact of Shiite militias. Examples include the water cuts and steady bombing by Turkey and its proxies in areas with significant Christian populations e.g., Al Hasakah and Khabour Valley, among others.
"The lack of water and unsanitary conditions led to outbreaks of dysentery, typhoid and other contagious diseases. Meanwhile, Turkey's Islamic allies built dams in areas under their control, further reducing the flow of water from the Euphrates. As a result, millions of people are existentially threatened by the resulting drought, which seriously affects agricultural production, drinking water supply and the health of the population. These developments and the role of Shia militias (including kidnappings) continue to have a negative impact on the Christian community and lead to demographic changes in Christian villages and neighborhoods...
"The Turkish invasion of northeast Syria has raised concerns among Christian leaders, as elements within Turkey's forces and their allies pursue Islamist agendas hostile to non-Sunni communities. Land theft, population shifts, and the spread of radical Islamic ideas pose significant challenges for Christians, while Iranian militias actively recruit and spread Shia ideology. According to Christians in the country, there has been an increase in the number of radical Islamic madrassas, leading to a wider spread of radical Islamic ideas and discrimination against religious minorities. The presence of armed mercenary groups and the increasing military forces of Iran and Turkey have heightened tensions and increased the risk of attacks against Christians. The future remains uncertain, and there are concerns about the potential for further persecution and a further decline of the Christian population in Syria."
Syrian Christians are today a persecuted minority, but the Church has been present in Syria since the time of the New Testament, where the conversion of Saul/Paul is mentioned on the road to Damascus (see Chapter 9 of the Book of Acts). The New Testament confirms that the Syrian cities of Damascus and Antioch had Christian communities. The Christian faith spread fast and, at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, 22 Syrian bishops were present.
In the 7th century AD, when Islam invaded and captured Syria, Christianity was the majority religion in Syria. Caliph Omar dismissed Christian officials, and his successor obliged all Christians to wear distinctive clothes. By the 9th century, Islam was gaining the upper hand, many churches had become mosques and, by about 900 AD, approximately half the Syrian population was Muslim. In 1124, the Aleppo cathedral was made into a mosque. Throughout the centuries, the Christian church in Syria has gone through – and is still going through – considerable levels of discrimination, intolerance and attacks.
Syria also holds a profound place in Greek history, dating back to the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE. The vast majority of Christians in Syria are of Greek ancestry. "The Greco-Syrian Nation," a digital platform that serves as an online voice for the Syro-Greek Christians, posted a press release titled "Post-Ba'athist Syria | What do we do now?" In it, they wrote:
"The Rum [Greek] Orthodox and Melkite-Rum Catholic Christians of Syria represent a distinct ethnicity with a rich cultural heritage that deserves recognition and representation in any future political landscape of our beloved Levant...
"It is our hope that a post-Ba'athist Syria will be secular and democratic, a state that embraces the diversity of its people and recognizes its ethnic and religious pluralism. Therefore, we will continue to advocate for the right of Syrian Rum, and all Levantine Rum, to continue to exist in our ancestral lands and strive for the recognition of our ethnic Rum identity, as well as our right to revive our ancestral Greek language throughout the Levant."
Hadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of Jusoor News and a Syrian-American Christian, told Gatestone:
"Christians in Syria are cautiously anticipating the unknown future amid the chaos and hatred left behind by the Assad regime. The shocking revelations of crimes against tens of thousands of civilian detainees have left the entire Syrian population, including Christians, in despair. Yet, their greatest concern remains whether a new government will safeguard their cultural, social, and religious freedoms. In this critical juncture, Syria's Christians need diplomatic and political support from Europe to ensure they have a seat at the table in shaping Syria's future, along with autonomy and recognition to protect their unique identity."
This millennia-old Christian community in Syria might come to an end due to the ongoing jihadist takeover of the country. Syrian Christians need immediate international support to protect themselves from Islamic terrorists. Eiad Herera, Spokesman of the Antiochian Greek Organization "A.G.O.", told Gatestone:
"Christians in Syria, at this point, want equality and not to be treated as second-class citizens. Therefore, the ideal vision for state-building is the explicit declaration and pursuit of a civil, democratic, and secular state.
"The role of the United Nations and major powers is essential and pivotal in ensuring the establishment of this state, which must inherently protect all citizens and minorities.
"At this point, failure to build such a state means the region and the world will face significant security challenges, along with an increasing threat to the status and existence of minorities, particularly Christians, who are living in constant and profound anxiety."
Both President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance recently wrote regarding Syria: "This is not our fight." However, to prevent further abuses, massacres, or forced displacements of Christians and Kurds, and to stop the spread of jihadism in the region, the US should get involved to protect Kurds and Christians there and to make sure that that Syria will not become Turkey's "Afghanistan."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Al-Jolani are now making all sorts of human-rightsy promises that they know the West likes to hear – just as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini did before he took over Iran, and as the Taliban did before they quickly demolished 20 years of US human rights progress in Afghanistan.
Just as Iran is the Shiite "head of the octopus" whose tentacles consist of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other assorted militias, so Erdogan is the Sunni "head of the octopus" in Syria. While everyone is busy staring at rival terrorist groups in Syria, it is crucial not to forget for a minute the country backing them: Turkey.
Erdogan's dream has always been the "liberation of Jerusalem":
"Conquest is Mecca, conquest is Saladin, it's to hoist the Islamic flag over Jerusalem again; conquest is the heritage of Mehmed II and conquest means forcing Turkey back on its feet."
A jihadi Syria provides a conveniently straight path to fulfill Erdogan's long-term dream.
Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
