The Levantine Greek Association formally addressed the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions, calling for urgent European action to protect Syria’s vulnerable Christian communities amid escalating acts of intimidation and discrimination. The petition was presented by Raphael Issa, President and Founder of the Levantine Greek Association, during the Committee's ordinary meeting on July 16, 2026.

The petition highlights the rapidly deteriorating security situation facing Christians in Syria, particularly in the Hama region, where attacks against churches, destruction of property, intimidation of civilians, and systemic discrimination against non-Muslims have become an increasingly grave concern. These developments threaten the continued existence of some of the world's oldest Christian communities—communities that have been integral to the Middle East's cultural and religious heritage for nearly two millennia.

In its petition, The Levantine Greek Association called upon the European Union to:

• Organize an independent fact-finding mission to affected areas of Syria and engage directly with local Christian communities.
  
  
• Intensify diplomatic efforts through the European Commission and the European External Action Service to ensure the protection of Christians and other religious minorities.
  ​
• Condition EU assistance to Syria on measurable improvements in the protection, security, and living conditions of Christian populations, while strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms for violations of religious freedom and fundamental human rights.
  
  

The urgency of the petition has been underscored by yet another incident involving the Rūm town of Al-Suqaylabiyah, Syria, where residents reported that individuals from nearby Qal'at al-Madiq entered the town and harassed local civilians. According to local reports, residents successfully expelled the intruders in self-defense. Following the confrontation, threats were reportedly made to return armed and overrun the town.

Standing in solidarity with our Rūm brothers and sisters, we urge the Greek Embassy in Damascus and the governments of Greece and Cyprus to closely monitor developments in Al-Suqaylabiyah, and to pursue all available diplomatic avenues to prevent an attack against one of Syria's historic Rūm communities.


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Επείγουσα έκκληση της Ένωσις Ελληνολεβαντίνων προς την ΕΕ εν μέσω ανανεωμένων απειλών κατά της Αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια

​Η Ένωσις Ελληνολεβαντίνων (Levantine Greek Association) απηύθυνε επίσημη έκκληση προς την Επιτροπή Αναφορών του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου, ζητώντας την κατεπείγουσα ανάληψη ευρωπαϊκής δράσης για την προστασία των ευάλωτων χριστιανικών κοινοτήτων της Συρίας, εν μέσω κλιμακούμενων πράξεων εκφοβισμού και διακρίσεων. Η αναφορά παρουσιάστηκε από τον Ραφαήλ Ίσσα (Raphael Issa), Πρόεδρο και Ιδρυτή της Ένωσις Ελληνολεβαντίνων, κατά την τακτική συνεδρίαση της Επιτροπής στις 16 Ιουλίου 2026.

Η αναφορά υπογραμμίζει τη ραγδαία επιδεινούμενη κατάσταση ασφαλείας που αντιμετωπίζουν οι Χριστιανοί στη Συρία, ιδιαίτερα στην περιοχή της Χάμα, όπου οι επιθέσεις εναντίον εκκλησιών, οι καταστροφές περιουσιών, ο εκφοβισμός αμάχων και οι συστηματικές διακρίσεις εις βάρος των μη μουσουλμάνων προκαλούν ολοένα και σοβαρότερη ανησυχία. Οι εξελίξεις αυτές απειλούν την ίδια την ύπαρξη ορισμένων από τις αρχαιότερες χριστιανικές κοινότητες του κόσμου—κοινότητες που αποτελούν αναπόσπαστο μέρος της πολιτιστικής και θρησκευτικής κληρονομιάς της Μέσης Ανατολής για σχεδόν δύο χιλιετίες.

Στην αναφορά της, η Ένωσις Ελληνολεβαντίνων κάλεσε την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση να:

• Διοργανώσει μια ανεξάρτητη διερευνητική αποστολή στις πληγείσες περιοχές της Συρίας και να έρθει σε απευθείας επαφή με τις τοπικές χριστιανικές κοινότητες.
  
  
• Εντείνει τις διπλωματικές προσπάθειες μέσω της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής και της Ευρωπαϊκής Υπηρεσίας Εξωτερικής Δράσης για τη διασφάλιση της προστασίας των Χριστιανών και άλλων θρησκευτικών μειονοτήτων.
  
  
• Εξαρτήσει την παροχή βοήθειας της ΕΕ προς τη Συρία από μετρήσιμες βελτιώσεις στην προστασία, την ασφάλεια και τις συνθήκες διαβίωσης των χριστιανικών πληθυσμών, ενισχύοντας παράλληλα τους μηχανισμούς παρακολούθησης και λογοδοσίας για παραβιάσεις της θρησκευτικής ελευθερίας και των θεμελιωδών ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων.
  
  

Ο επείγων χαρακτήρας της αναφοράς υπογραμμίστηκε από ένα ακόμη περιστατικό που σημειώθηκε στην πόλη των Ρωμιών, Αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια (Al-Suqaylabiyah) στη Συρία, όπου οι κάτοικοι ανέφεραν ότι άτομα από τη γειτονική Καλ’άτ αλ-Μαντίκ (Qal'at al-Madiq) εισήλθαν στην πόλη και παρενόχλησαν ντόπιους πολίτες. Σύμφωνα με τοπικές αναφορές, οι κάτοικοι κατάφεραν σε κατάσταση αυτοάμυνας να απομακρύνουν τους εισβολείς. Μετά τη συμπλοκή, αναφέρθηκε ότι εκτοξεύθηκαν απειλές για επιστροφή με τη χρήση όπλων και κατάληψη της πόλης.

Στεκόμενοι στο πλευρό των Ρωμιών αδελφών μας, προτρέπουμε την Ελληνική Πρεσβεία στη Δαμασκό, καθώς και τις κυβερνήσεις της Ελλάδας και της Κύπρου, να παρακολουθούν στενά τις εξελίξεις στην Αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια και να εξαντλήσουν κάθε διαθέσιμη διπλωματική οδό για την αποτροπή μιας επίθεσης εναντίον μιας από τις ιστορικές κοινότητες των Ρωμιών της Συρίας.

_____
​GRCSYR

Recent security operations in the historic Christian town of Saidnaya, Syria, have raised significant concerns among local Rūm Christian Syrians and the global Levantine Rūm diaspora.

Security forces tied to Syria's interim government, alongside local armed groups, have established a major presence in the area. Local sources confirm that several Christian residents have been detained. Notably, some of those held reportedly took part in the localized defense of Saidnaya during an Islamist militant attack in 2014.

The security sweep began after officials discovered a cemetery containing the remains of Islamic militants from the Syrian Civil War. While community members support lawful investigations, many express deep worry over the direction of the inquiries. Residents fear that individuals who defended their homes and churches from extremist violence are now being treated as suspects rather than survivors of a brutal conflict.

Tension and uncertainty remain high in the town. Families of the detained are demanding clear legal justifications, transparency, and strict adherence to due process. On June 14, 2026, the advocacy group Greco-Syrian Nation identified the names of four men from Saidnaya who are being held in custody: George Mansour, Shahab Yaqoub, Rabi Musa, and Botros Sheikh.

Adding to these fears are recent reports of sectarian vandalism targeting public property inside the town. Witnesses state that the perpetrators issued direct threats against Christian residents, declaring an intent to drive them out of the region. Local observers and community leaders warn that these acts cannot be dismissed as random crimes. Instead, they view them as a coordinated campaign of intimidation against one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the Middle East. Earlier this year, the Toronto-based Ethnikos Association of Latakia-Antaradus highlighted similar acts and abuses in its landmark report, "Human Rights Violations and Civilian Targeting in Syria's Coastal Region."

Advocates at the Greco-Syrian Nation called upon the governments of Greece and Cyprus, members of the Greek and Cypriot parliaments, international human rights organizations, and Christian communities worldwide to closely monitor developments in Saidnaya. They urged for:
​

• Diplomatic engagement with Syrian authorities to ensure transparency regarding recent arrests and investigations.
• International monitoring of the human rights situation in Christian-majority communities across Syria.
• Humanitarian, legal, and cultural support for the Rūm population of Saidnaya and other vulnerable Rūm communities.
• Greater cooperation between the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and institutions in Greece and Cyprus dedicated to preserving the shared heritage.

The indigenous Rūm Christians of Syria have survived more than a decade of warfare, mass displacement, deep economic collapse, and severe threats from extremist groups. Analysts warn that any security actions causing instability in Saidnaya now risk speeding up the permanent departure of this ancient community from its homeland.

_____
HCRI; GRSYNA; ETHN.

The European Council announced that the first high-level political dialogue between the EU and Syria will be held in Brussels on May 11, 2026.

​The meeting will be co-chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian transitional government, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. The Commission will be represented by Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica and Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.

​The dialogue will be an opportunity to make progress towards normalising relations between the EU and Syria and to take stock of the various work strands regarding the EU’s support to the Syrian transitional authorities’ efforts towards Syria’s stabilisation, socio-economic recovery and inclusive political transition.

The EU has stood with the Syrian people throughout the last 14 years, engaging in the search for a political solution and leading financial assistance. On May 28, 2025, the EU lifted all economic sanctions on Syria, with the exception of those based on security grounds.

Background Information

​The EU and post-Assad era Syria

Following the fall of the Al-Assad regime, EU leaders addressed the situation in Syria at European Council meetings in 2024 and 2025.

EU leaders stressed the historic opportunity to reunite and rebuild the country and underlined the importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, in line with the core principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

EU leaders called on all parties to preserve national unity and ensure the protection of all civilians, the provision of public services and the creation of conditions for an inclusive and peaceful political transition, and for the safe, voluntary and dignified returns of Syrian refugees, as defined by the UNHCR.

Lifting economic sanctions on Syria

On February 24, 2025, the EU suspended a number of sanctions in view of the situation in Syria.

On May 28, 2025, the EU lifted all economic sanctions on Syria, with the exception of those based on security grounds, also covering weapons and technology that might be used for internal repression.

The EU will maintain sanctions related to the Al-Assad regime in line with its call for accountability and will continue monitoring developments on the ground. It stands ready to apply further sanctions against human rights violators and those fueling instability in Syria.

​These decisions are part of the EU’s efforts to support an inclusive political transition in Syria, as well as the country’s swift economic recovery, reconstruction, and stabilization.

Council conclusions on Syria

On June 23, 2025, the Council approved conclusions reaffirming the EU’s commitment to stand with the Syrian people and to support a peaceful and inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition to help build a better future for all Syrians.

The EU has been willing to engage with the transitional government in regional and multilateral fora, and has urged all external actors without exception to fully respect Syria’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The EU has condemned unilateral foreign military actions and presence, and all attempts to undermine Syria’s stability and prospects for a peaceful transition, including through foreign information manipulation and interference.

EU assistance to Syrians

The conflict in Syria, and the suffering it is causing the Syrian people, is the world's largest humanitarian disaster and refugee crisis, with no parallel in recent history. 6.5 million people are internally displaced and 4.3 million Syrian refugees registered in neighbouring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt).

16.5 million people in Syria require humanitarian assistance and more than half the population lacks a stable source of water.

A total of 9.1 million people are food insecure. Both maternal malnutrition and acute malnutrition in children under 5 are at global emergency thresholds.

The EU and its member states are the leading donors of international aid to those affected by the conflict in Syria. Since the start of the crisis in 2011, the EU and its member states have mobilized more than €37 billion to support Syrians both within the country and across the region.

The EU’s humanitarian aid focuses primarily on critical needs and fosters life-saving assistance. The assistance is channeled through humanitarian partners - NGOs, UN agencies and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement - which provide the most vulnerable with healthcare, food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene services, protection, shelter and education.

Brussels conferences on Syria

Since 2017, the EU has held yearly conferences on Syria and the surrounding region, with the aim of providing support to the Syrian population and neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees and mobilizing the international community in support of a peaceful and inclusive political solution for Syria.

The conferences have been opportunities to engage in and deepen dialogue with Syrian civil society (including representatives from Syria, neighbouring countries and the diaspora), the main UN stakeholders and agencies, EU member states, representatives of third countries, and international NGOs.

At the 2025 conference, entitled 'Standing with Syria: meeting the needs for a successful transition', the EU and its partners committed an overall sum of €5.8 billion (of which nearly €2.5 billion from the EU) for 2025 and 2026. The funds will be used to support Syria's transition and the country's socio-economic recovery and reconstruction, as well as to address the urgent humanitarian needs both within Syria and in host communities across Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

Support following the earthquake

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council co-hosted, on March 20, 2023, the 'Together for the people of Turkey and Syria' international conference. The total pledged at this conference was €911 million in grants for Syria. The Commission alone made €108 million available for humanitarian and early-recovery assistance for the people of Syria.

EU regional funds

Since its establishment in December 2014, the 'EU regional trust fund in response to the Syrian crisis', also known as the 'Madad fund', has mobilised €2.38 billion.

The fund's mandate officially ended in December 2021, with projects running until June 2025, and it has been replaced by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (also known as 'NDICI-Global Europe'). This instrument provides the framework for the EU's cooperation in support of the Syrian people for the period from 2021 to 2027.

Sanctions against the Al-Assad regime

The European Union suspended all its bilateral cooperation with the government of Syria and its supporters in May 2011, following the escalation of violence and the unacceptable human rights situation.

Between 2011 and 2024, the EU adopted sanctions against the Al-Assad regime. However, following the fall of the regime, on 24 February 2025 the EU suspended a number of sanctions, including in the field of energy, transport and financial transactions, in order to facilitate engagement with the country, its people and businesses.

On May 28, 2025, the EU lifted all economic sanctions on Syria, with the exception of those based on security grounds.

Remaining economic sanctions include:

• an arms embargo
• export restrictions on dual-use goods, equipment and technology for internal repression and software for interception and surveillance
• a ban on trade in goods that form part of Syria's cultural heritage
  
  

At the same time, the EU decided to maintain sanctions against individuals and entities related to the Al-Assad regime and responsible for the violent repression of the Syrian people and for human rights abuses.

Individuals and entities listed are subject to an asset freeze, and no funds or economic resources can be made available to them. Individuals are also subject to a travel ban.

These sanctions were last extended until June 1, 2026.

​In addition, between 2023 and 2025 the EU sanctioned individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses under the global human rights sanctions regime.

EU strategy on Syria

The presence of Da'esh and other terrorist groups in Syria poses a serious threat to the country, the broader region and the international community as a whole. In March 2015, the EU therefore adopted the 'EU regional strategy dedicated to Syria as well as the ISIL/Da’esh threat'.

Following the territorial defeat of Da’esh in 2019, the EU has continued to support international efforts to prevent Da’esh from resurging. In December 2024, the Council reiterated its unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in Syria and to the work of the Global Coalition Against Da’esh.

Minority groups in Syria

Syria is home to a wide array of minorities, including: Alawites, Christians (Greek Orthodox, Melkite Greek Catholic, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic etc...), Druze, Kurds, Yezidis and others.

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EC; UNHC; WFP; OCHA

The attacks in al-Suqaylabiyah were not a spontaneous disturbance, but were part of a broader pattern [2][3] that has been ongoing since the fall of the previous government, aimed at uprooting the Christian presence from its ancestral homeland through fear, violence, intimidation, and forced displacement. The message being sent by various government-aligned Islamist groups to the Christians and other minorities in Syria is unmistakable - leave, submit to Islam, or face annihilation.

Given that the Islamist government in Syria has failed to bring stability to the country since seizing power in December of 2024, and given that there has been ongoing persecutions of Christians, Alawites, Druze and other minority communities, the Hellenic Canadian Research Institute calls upon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic to spearhead the international implementation of the February 2026 recommendations in the "Civilian Protection and Human Rights Violations in Syria's Coastal Region" report that was published by the Canadian-based 'Ethnikos Association of Latakia-Antaradus (EALA).' The report provides for the:
 

1. Immediate civilian protection and security measures
2. Release of abducted women, girls and children
3. Humanitarian access and non-discriminatory aid delivery
4. Immediate release of arbitrarily detained civilians
5. Protection and support for forcibly displaced people 
6. Restitution and compensation for sectarian-based dismissals
7. Local self-administration and decentralized governance
8. Victim compensation, reparations, and acknowledgement
9. Protection of religious, cultural, and community institutions
10. Accountability and international legal action 

The full report and recommendations could be downloaded directly from EALA's website here. (Note the following sections: Introduction pages 5-6; Christian Summary pages 52-54; Alawite Summary pages 154-156; and Recommendations pages 315-318). 
 
Mr. Minister,

The ongoing ethnoreligious attacks on the indigenous minority groups in Syria undermine the foundations of peaceful coexistence that have historically characterized the country. The continuation of such attacks opens the door to even further division and tension in a country that has experienced the fallout of war since 2011, which resulted in over 600,000 deaths, displaced over 12 million people, and decimated the economy, causing a 90% poverty rate. In the same period, the Christian population fell from 10% of the population to below 5%, and is rapidly declining.

Following the collapse of the previous regime in December 2024, and with the Islamists seizing control of Syria, the country is still experiencing the fallout of a fragile transition, a severe humanitarian crisis, destroyed infrastructure, and lingering insecurity brought upon their failed rule.

Hellenic Canadian Research Institute


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Το Ελληνοκαναδικό Ερευνητικό Ινστιτούτο καλεί το ΥΠΕΞ να ηγηθεί της εφαρμογής των συστάσεων της EALA στη Συρία μετά την επίθεση στην αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια

Αξιότιμε κ. Γιώργο Γεραπετρίτη
Υπουργός Εξωτερικών της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας
Μέσω ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου

Αγαπητέ κ. Υπουργέ,

Το Ελληνοκαναδικό Ερευνητικό Ινστιτούτο καταδικάζει τις βίαιες ισλαμιστικές επιθέσεις που σημειώθηκαν στην πόλη αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια, στην οποία κατοικούν κυρίως χριστιανοί Ρωμιοί, στη Συρία, στις 27-28 Μαρτίου 2026 [1]. Οι δειλοί τρομοκράτες που επιτέθηκαν σε χριστιανούς πολίτες, τις εκκλησίες, τα σπίτια και τις επιχειρήσεις τους, το έκαναν με βάση τη θρησκευτική και εθνική τους ταυτότητα.

Η επίθεση στην αλ-Σουκαϊλαμπίγια δεν ήταν μια αυθόρμητη διαταραχή, αλλά ήταν μέρος ενός ευρύτερου σχεδίου [2][3] που συνεχίζεται από την πτώση της προηγούμενης κυβέρνησης, με στόχο τον ξεριζωμό της χριστιανικής παρουσίας από την πατρίδα των προγόνων τους μέσω του φόβου, της βίας, του εκφοβισμού και της αναγκαστικής εκτόπισης. Το μήνυμα που στέλνουν αυτές οι διάφορες ισλαμιστικές ομάδες - που συνδέονται με την κυβέρνηση - στους Χριστιανούς και άλλες μειονότητες στη Συρία είναι αδιαμφισβήτητο - ή φύγετε, ή υποταχθείτε στο Ισλάμ ή αντιμετωπίστε την εξόντωση.

Δεδομένου ότι η ισλαμιστική κυβέρνηση στη Συρία δεν έχει καταφέρει να φέρει σταθερότητα στη χώρα από τότε που ανέλαβε την εξουσία τον Δεκέμβριο του 2024, και δεδομένου ότι υπάρχουν συνεχείς διώξεις κατά των Χριστιανών, Αλαουιτών, Δρούζων και άλλων μειονοτικών κοινοτήτων, το Ελληνοκαναδικό Ερευνητικό Ινστιτούτο καλεί το Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας να ηγηθεί της διεθνούς εφαρμογής των συστάσεων του Φεβρουαρίου 2026 στην έκθεση «Προστασία των Πολιτών και Παραβιάσεις των Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων στην Παράκτια Περιοχή της Συρίας», η οποία δημοσιεύθηκε από τον καναδικό οργανισμό «Ethnikos Association of Latakia-Antaradus (EALA)» (Εθνικός Σύλλογος Λαττάκειας-Αντάραδου). Η έκθεση προβλέπει τα εξής:

1. Άμεσα μέτρα προστασίας και ασφάλειας των πολιτών
2. Απελευθέρωση απαχθέντων γυναικών, κοριτσιών και παιδιών
3. Πρόσβαση σε ανθρωπιστικά προγράμματα και παροχή βοήθειας χωρίς διακρίσεις
4. Άμεση απελευθέρωση των αυθαίρετα κρατούμενων πολιτών
5. Προστασία και υποστήριξη των βίαια εκτοπισμένων
6. Πλήρης αποζημίωση για απολύσεις λόγω θρησκευτικών σκέψεων
7. Τοπική αυτοδιοίκηση και αποκεντρωμένη διακυβέρνηση
8. Αποζημίωση, επανορθώσεις και αναγνώριση θυμάτων
9. Προστασία θρησκευτικών, πολιτιστικών και κοινοτικών θεσμών
10. Λογοδοσία και διεθνής νομική δράση

Η πλήρης έκθεση και οι συστάσεις μπορούν να ληφθούν απευθείας από την ιστοσελίδα της EALA εδώ. (Σημειώστε τις ακόλουθες ενότητες: Εισαγωγή βλ. σσ. 5-6· Σύνοψη για την περίπτωση των Χριστιανών βλ. σσ. 52-54· Σύνοψη για την υπόθεση των Αλαουιτών βλ. σσ. 154-156· και Συστάσεις βλ. σσ. 315-318).

Κύριε Υπουργέ,

Οι συνεχιζόμενες εθνοθρησκευτικές επιθέσεις κατά των αυτόχθονων μειονοτικών ομάδων στη Συρία υπονομεύουν τα θεμέλια της ειρηνικής συνύπαρξης που ιστορικά χαρακτηρίζουν τη χώρα. Η συνέχιση τέτοιων επιθέσεων ανοίγει την πόρτα σε ακόμη μεγαλύτερη διχόνοια και ένταση σε μια χώρα που έχει βιώσει τις συνέπειες του πολέμου από το 2011, ο οποίος είχε ως αποτέλεσμα πάνω από 600.000 θανάτους, πάνω από 12 εκατομμύρια που εκτοπίστηκαν, και την καταστροφή της οικονομίας, προκαλώντας ποσοστό φτώχειας στα 90%. Την ίδια περίοδο, ο χριστιανικός πληθυσμός μειώθηκε από το 10% του πληθυσμού σε κάτω από το 5% και μειώνεται ραγδαία.

Μετά την κατάρρευση του προηγούμενου καθεστώτος τον Δεκέμβριο του 2024, και με τους Ισλαμιστές να καταλαμβάνουν τον έλεγχο της Συρίας, η χώρα εξακολουθεί να βιώνει τις συνέπειες μιας εύθραυστης μετάβασης, μιας σοβαρής ανθρωπιστικής κρίσης, κατεστραμμένων υποδομών και της επίμονης ανασφάλειας που προκλήθηκε από την αποτυχημένη διακυβέρνησή τους.

Ελληνοκαναδικό Ερευνητικό Ινστιτούτο

Syrian pages online [1][2] are reporting that a coordinated and deeply alarming act of hate took place overnight in central Syria after armed, government-aligned Islamist groups from the neighboring Sunni villages of Qalaat al-Madiq and Al-Asharinah - operating with the complicity and protection of the so-called “General Security Service” - descended on the predominantly Christian town of al-Suqaylabiyah in organized waves, unleashing chaos and terror.

These self-styled followers of al-Jolani stormed the streets of the town firing their weapons in the air and issuing threats, all while filming their crimes and spreading their videos online. The Syrian "security forces" did not intervene even as the armed thugs openly smashed shops, cafes, burned homes, beat innocent civilians, and desecrated churches and Christian religious symbols.

The anti-Christian attack in al-Suqaylabiyah - right before Easter - was a coordinated pogrom designed to terrorize, loot, and break the will of a very peaceful Rûm (Levantine Greek) city. The ongoing ethnoreligious targeting in Syria is an existential threat to all the minorities of the country - Alawite, Christian, Druze, and others.

The events that took place in the town are part of a broader pattern aimed at uprooting the Christian presence from its ancestral homeland through fear, violence, and forced displacement. The message being sent is unmistakable - leave, submit to Islam, or face annihilation.

In Damascus, the Rûm (Levantine Greeks) and others gathered in solidarity deep into the night, holding the Cross high, chanting for faith, dignity, and life. Their voices carried a message to the world: "We will not disappear. We will not be silenced."

According to an article written by Omar Albam for the Associated Press, Liyan Dweir, whose children were terrified in the hours-long assault and whose clothes shop was riddled with bullets and suffered heavy damage, told the reporter: "We passed through a state of terror, fear, and panic." [3]

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East issued a press release condemning the attack [4], however churches in the town issued statements that certain outdoor religious celebrations will be cancelled.[5] The Greek government issued a statement that they are following the situation, and also noted that the Syrian Government has stated that they will investigate.[6]

At the time of publishing, Global Affairs Canada has yet to issue a statement.

Since the fall of Assad in December 2024, the country’s Alawite, Druze and Christian minorities have been subjected to ongoing attacks by groups loyal to the country’s new Islamist rulers. Hundreds of people have been killed, including Alawites in Syria’s coastal region in March last year and Druze in the southern province of Sweida in July. Earlier this year, the Kurds were targeted.

The Rûm (Levantine Greeks) are indigenous to the land with a history spanning thousands of years. Christians made up about 10% of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million. Today, it is estimated that the Christian population of Syria is below 5% and rapidly declining. They enjoyed freedom of worship under the former government and, initially, many Christians were willing to give the new authorities a chance but the situation worsened in June 2025 after a suicide bombing inside a church at a Damascus suburb killed 25 people and wounded dozens.[7]

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Last update: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 5:54pm (PST)

Syrian Transitional Government
Attn: The Honourable Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria
Sent by email through the Syrian Foreign Ministry

Dear Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and members of the Syrian Transitional Government,

The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute (Hellenic Institute) expresses our deep dismay after viewing a video [1] and reading reports that circulated online on August 21, 2025, that show an anti-Christian incident that took place at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Ananias in Damascus. The Syrian Minister of Culture, Mohammed Yassin Saleh, visited the church as part of a tour led by the Minister in the Al-Midan neighborhood, accompanied by Islamic chanter Moatasem Al-Asali, who brazenly chanted Islamic hymns about Jesus inside the Greek Orthodox Church - a highly inappropriate and disrespectful act within a sacred Christian space.
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During the incident, the Islamic chanter audaciously declared: “Jesus came to proclaim the coming of Muhammad.” Such words, spoken inside a Christian Orthodox church, are not only deeply offensive but also a blatant violation of the Christian faith of the indigenous Rūm (Levantine Greek) community.

The Minister’s visit was neither an act of cultural exchange nor a celebration of religious coexistence. Rather, it was a public display of Muslim dominance over Christians and a breach of mutual respect that should define the new Syrian society. How would the Islamic chanter and the Minister feel if a Christian priest entered the Umayyad Mosque to openly offend Muhammad, the founder of Islam? How would the Muslim majority in Syria feel? Would it be welcomed or celebrated by them? Certainly not. This disparity highlights the disrespectful nature of this incident, the racist undertones and the double standards it entails.

This is a clear desecration of the sanctity of a Christian church and an insult to all Syrian Christians, whether Rūm or not. The Ministry of Culture’s role is to protect Syria’s rich diversity and promote equal citizenship, not to facilitate acts that undermine religious sanctities and mutual respect.

Mr. Minister and members of the Syrian Transitional Government, there must be accountability and respect for all faiths in the new Syria. Therefore, we call upon the Syrian Ministry of Culture to issue a formal apology to the Christian community for this egregious act, and for your colleague, the Minister of Culture, to step down for participating in this anti-Christian incident. Such conduct in the 21st century is totally unbecoming of a high-ranking government minister as it damages social cohesion, and contradicts the fundamental principles of mutual respect and religious tolerance that should be at the core of Syrian society.

As a Canadian organization, we also call upon the Syrian government to immediately implement a Canadian-style process for "Truth and Reconciliation" in which the Muslim majority could learn and come to terms with the centuries old plight of the indigenous Christians, Alawites, Druze and other Syrian minority groups, and for an acknowledgement by the Syrian government of the profound, ongoing impacts of religious and cultural persecution suffered by them, addressing both the trauma and the systemic racism that these groups face in Syria.

Hellenic Canadian Research Institute (Hellenic Institute)

CC:

Global Affairs Canada
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic (A6 Directorate)
League of Arab States
World Council of Churches
Members of Parliament of Canada (Select list)
Members of the European Parliament for Greece
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch*
Canadian Hellenic Congress
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
Hellenic American Leadership Council
Genocide Watch
International Association of Genocide Scholars
Greek Genocide Research Center

The Greek Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, held a meeting today, Friday, July 18, 2025, with His Beatitude Patriarch of Antioch, John X, as part of his visit to Lebanon.

Accompanied by the Secretary General for Religious Affairs, George Kalantzis, the Minister traveled to Balamand, where the Patriarchal See is located, and was received by His Beatitude. During the meeting, the issue of protecting Christian populations in the region, and particularly in Lebanon and Syria, was discussed.

Mr. Dendias expressed his dismay and sincere condolences for the death of the Greek Orthodox faithful in the Holy Church of the Prophet Elias, as well as Greece's interest in the Patriarchate and its flock. The progress of the Greek language program at Balamand University was also discussed.

The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of Greece to Lebanon, Despina Koukoulopoulou, the President of Balamand University Dr. Elias L. Warrak and the Abbot of Balamand Monastery, Georgios.

​After the end of his visit to the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Minister of National Defense stated:
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Συνάντηση ΥΕΘΑ Νίκου Δένδια με τον Μακαριώτατο Πατριάρχη Αντιοχείας κ.κ. Ιωάννη Ι’

Ο Υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας Νίκος Δένδιας είχε συνάντηση σήμερα, Παρασκευή 18 Ιουλίου 2025, με τον Μακαριώτατο Πατριάρχη Αντιοχείας κ.κ. Ιωάννη Ι’, στο πλαίσιο της επίσκεψης που πραγματοποιεί στον Λίβανο.

Συνοδευόμενος από τον Γενικό Γραμματέα Θρησκευμάτων Γιώργο Καλαντζή, ο Υπουργός μετέβη στην Μπαλαμάντ όπου βρίσκεται η Πατριαρχική Έδρα και έγινε δεκτός από τον Μακαριώτατο. Στη διάρκεια της συνάντησης εξετάσθηκε το ζήτημα προστασίας των χριστιανικών πληθυσμών στην περιοχή και ιδιαίτερα στον Λίβανο και τη Συρία.

Ο κ. Δένδιας εξέφρασε τον αποτροπιασμό του και τα ειλικρινή συλλυπητήριά του για τον θάνατο των Ελληνορθόδοξων πιστών στον Ιερό Ναό του Προφήτη Ηλία, καθώς και το ενδιαφέρον της Ελλάδας για το Πατριαρχείο και το ποίμνιό του. Συζητήθηκε επιπροσθέτως η πορεία του προγράμματος ελληνομάθειας στο Πανεπιστήμιο Μπαλαμάντ.

Στη συνάντηση παρευρέθησαν επίσης, η Πρέσβης της Ελλάδος στο Λίβανο Δέσποινα Κουκουλοπούλου, ο πρόεδρος του Πανεπιστημίου του Μπαλαμάντ Dr. Elias L. Warrak και ο Ηγούμενος της Μονής Μπαλαμάντ κ. Γεώργιος.

Μετά το τέλος της επίσκεψής του στο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας, ο Υπουργός Εθνικής Άμυνας δήλωσε:
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