ishtartv.com - hawarnews.com

6 July, 2025

A researcher specializing in indigenous peoples has warned of a significant threat facing Christians in Syria, pointing to their dwindling numbers as part of a project aimed at emptying the region of their presence and imposing a singular religious identity on the Syrian landscape. He also cautioned against "the significant Turkish threat seeking to exclude those who oppose its extremist religious agenda,"

Christians in Syria are gripped by increasing fears amid ongoing conflict and unrest, with rising sectarian tensions and hate speech fueling genuine concerns for their safety and existence. Many feel insecure due to the absence of security and stability, with these fears exacerbated following the attack on Mar Elias Church in the Dweila area of Damascus. 

Hanna Soumi, the researcher of indigenous peoples' history, believes that what is happening in areas under the control of the transitional government in Syria constitutes a violation of the rights and sanctities of religious communities and beliefs.

"Since last December, we have witnessed some factions entering our Christian areas, including Suqaylabiyah in the Hama countryside, where a terrorist faction burned a Christmas tree in front of the world, despite it symbolizing love, peace, and the birth of Jesus Christ, the King of Peace," Soumi said.

He pointed out that "the attacks began with the destruction of religious symbols, desecration of cemeteries, and breaking of crosses, escalating to acts of slaughter, including the killing of a man and his son from the Armenian community on the coast a few months ago."

He further explained that "numerous massacres have been committed in Damascus, Aleppo, and other areas, the latest being the bombing of Mar Elias Church, where approximately 100 people from the Greek Orthodox community were martyred or injured after a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the church."

Soumi highlighted what he called "corrupt violence," which he considers more dangerous than killing, explaining that "it occurs through attacks on beliefs and the spread of hate speech, leading to severe tensions among Christians and other communities suffering for over seven months from this repugnant, sectarian, one-sided religious discourse."

 He continued, "This nation they seek to impose includes elements from the Uyghurs, Pakistanis, Afghans, Turkmens, Tajiks, Egyptians, and Tunisians, working to effect widespread demographic change by resettling Turkmens and others in various areas."

Soumi noted that "Christians have been present in the region since before history, for over 12,000 years. In Idlib alone, there were 10,000 Christians who were either killed or displaced, and none remain."

 He added, "There is a clear project to empty the region of Christians in a systematic manner to impose a singular, dark vision that we see today." Explaining the violations, Soumi said, "I saw an interview on Syrian television where a journalist asked a Christian: 'Will you emigrate from Syria?' This is an unacceptable question at this stage. How can you tell him to leave? How can you encourage the Syriac Aramean, the owner of this land, to depart?" He emphasized that displacement operations are part of a larger project implemented by certain countries, noting that what is happening today is a practical execution through intimidation, hate speech, and daily killings, making it difficult for indigenous components to live in this sectarian and divisive climate.

 Soumi stressed, "We cannot live with extremists who came from the farthest corners of the earth—east, west, and south—and destroyed Syria with their extremism." He believes Syria is heading toward an unknown fate, stating, "When a Turk presents himself to build a mosque, we say Syrians do not need mosques or churches but factories, workshops, infrastructure repair, bread, gas, and electricity, which are absent in most of Syria."

Soumi warned of "the significant Turkish threat that seeks to marginalize those who oppose its extremist religious project, exclude all components from shaping the constitution, and prevent peoples from reviving their cultures, whether they are Syriacs, Armenians, Assyrians, Alawites, Druze, Kurds, Ismailis, or Murshidis."

He stated, "The Turkish threat looms heavily over us, speaking of Aleppo as if it were the 82nd province, promoting the return of Syrian cities to the Ottoman Empire, and mobilizing its mercenaries from groups like Hamzat and Amshat to commit massacres against religious communities."

To counter this threat, Soumi called for supporting the Syrian Democratic Council, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and the Autonomous Administration, considering them the true alternative to the exclusionary approach. He said, "Armenians, Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Turkmens, Chechens, and all components in NE Syria have managed to unite their ranks under a social contract that preserves rights."

He also urged major powers to intervene to stop the violations, pointing out that "massacres, corruption, theft, and sectarian arrests continue daily in Syria, signaling a dark future if the international community does not act."

Soumi clarified that "mercenaries of ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra have taken control of most areas, except for the city of Qamishlo, which has held firm thanks to the unity of its components."

"This is what leader Abdullah Ocalan called for, whose ideas contributed to protecting Christian neighborhoods from the fate of the Yazidis and Assyrians in Khabour in 2015," Soumi concluded.