Syria’s Christian Exodus: A Community in Peril Amid Ongoing Conflict
Christianity’s foothold in Syria is on the brink of collapse, with its leaders urgently calling for international intervention. Speaking from Rome, Archbishop Jacques Mourad of the Syriac Catholic Church highlighted the dire situation, describing the church as “dying.” He emphasized the need for global assistance to halt the exodus of Christians from the country.
The crisis stems from Syria’s ongoing “disastrous political and economic situation,” as stated by Mourad. Tens of thousands have fled the region in pursuit of safety and stability, according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
ACN’s recent Religious Freedom in the World 2025 report reveals a precipitous decline in the Christian population in Syria, from approximately 2.1 million in 2011 to around 540,000 by 2024.
Archbishop Mourad cautioned that without political reform and enhanced security, the Church cannot stem the tide of migration. “None of the efforts by the universal Church or the local Church managed to stem the tide of the exodus,” Mourad said, emphasizing that the root causes are beyond the Church’s control.
Having survived five months of captivity by the Islamic State in 2015, Mourad now faces the challenge of an increasingly hostile environment for Christians under President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government. He likened Syria’s current plight to that of Afghanistan, as reported by Crux Now.
Mourad further expressed concerns over a potential peace treaty with Israel that might include transferring control of the Golan Heights, which he fears could jeopardize Damascus’s water supply, amounting to “enslavement” of its residents.
He questioned, “Who would accept a treaty such as this?” and called on the international community to uphold human rights values in any agreements.
Additionally, he urged global institutions to work collaboratively with cultural and legal bodies within Syria to restore justice and public trust. This includes implementing training programs to safeguard judicial independence and support civic stability.
The ACN report’s launch was accompanied by a petition advocating for the protection of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees religious freedom. The petition seeks governmental support for communities facing persecution and access to emergency aid and legal assistance.
Following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, religious minorities in Syria, including Christians, Druze, and Alawites, have faced increased violence. Dr. Morhaf Ibrahim, President of the Alawites Association of the U.S., described these attacks as part of a “deliberate campaign of terror,” as noted at a recent Capitol Hill news conference.
Ibrahim held foreign jihadis, Assad loyalists, and militias connected to the interim government responsible for the violence, citing the massacre of nearly 1,500 Alawite civilians on the Mediterranean coast in March.
Richard Ghazal, executive director of In Defense of Christians, warned that Syria is losing its religious diversity to extremist ideologies. He underscored the need for the U.S. to pressure Syria’s interim leadership to implement constitutional protections for minorities and establish accountability mechanisms.
Ghazal stressed the importance of replacing fragmented militias with professional security forces to ensure stability, urging swift action from the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration.
He highlighted that the survival of Syria’s Christian communities hinges on global efforts to enforce religious freedom and protect pluralism, fearing that without such measures, the Christian population will continue to diminish.
Syria’s rich Christian heritage, evidenced by historic sites like Antioch and the road to Damascus, faces threats from the ongoing conflict. A recent suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus underscores the precarious situation. The attack, which claimed over two dozen lives, drew condemnation from human rights advocates and Christian organizations alike.
Ghazal lamented that Syria is “edging closer to losing a 2,000-year-old spiritual and cultural pillar” with each act of violence and exodus, reflecting a “sobering reality” for the nation’s ancient Christian population.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
