Syria: Christians Facing Existential Terrorist Threat
by Uzay Bulut • January 3, 2025 at 5:00 am
The leader of [the al-Qaeda-and-ISIS-linked terrorist group] Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has openly stated that his goal is to establish sharia law: "Syria will be governed by the shari'a of Allah," he has pledged. He has already banned music from restaurants and cafés.... The group is largely supported by Turkey.
The Biden administration, apparently never to be deterred from a woozy hope of bringing terrorists in from the cold, just removed a $10 million bounty from Jolani's head.
Syria's HTS regime has appointed Anas Hassan Khattab, a former Al-Qaeda commander and a UN-designated terrorist, to head the General Intelligence Service (Mukhabarat).
Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church are the largest Orthodox entities, yet they still have not publicly addressed the situation of the Syrian Christians, or even attempted to send humanitarian aid.
Sadly, most Christians, with a few impressive exceptions, do not seem to be supporting their Christian brethren in Syria, just as they basically do not seem to be supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, China or Egypt.
So far, the US government, which at least officially promotes universal respect for religious freedom, has, under the Biden administration, allowed Turkey to help HTS conquer Syria.
One hopes that the incoming Trump administration will right this wrong and not allow the new Sunni "head of the octopus," through its al-Qaeda-affiliated proxy, the HTS, to run Syria.
The al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" -- a coalition of Syrian and international Islamist groups -- took control of Syria, after a 10-day offensive, on December 8, 2024.
Since then, hostility against Christians and other minorities in Syria has soared. Christians are increasingly the victims of intimidation, vandalism, violence and discrimination. They are hostages at the hands of Islamists.
The Christian population of Syria is around 500,000. Most are of Greek ancestry, dating from the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.
Currently, the predominantly Christian ancient town of Maaloula, where the people still speak the language of Jesus, Aramaic, is being targeted by Islamists.
