The European Parliament has passed an urgent resolution demanding increased protection for Christians and other minorities in Syria.
The resolution condemns, and is the direct result of, the suicide bombing of the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church in Damascus last month.
Twenty-five people were killed in the bombing, which is believed to have been the work of a splinter group of Islamist radicals, although other sources claim members of Syria’s security services were involved.
Syria is currently dominated by HTS, an Islamist offshoot of al-Qaeda. Despite its origins, the group has been keen to portray itself as inclusive and unthreatening towards Christians and other minorities.
However, aside from the church bombing, there have been other incidents of serious sectarian violence. In March, hundreds of Alawites were massacred, although whether this was with the support of the government or merely an indication that they lack the power to rein in all the armed factions in the country is unclear.
Christian advocacy group, ADF International, welcomed the European Parliament’s resolution calling for increased protection for religious minorities and more action against violent extremism.
Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, said, “This resolution marks an important step toward building international momentum to protect Christians and other religious minorities in Syria.
“The European Parliament is right to demand accountability, not only for the Mar Elias attack, but for the broader pattern of religious persecution in Syria, and to condition future support on the Syrian government’s compliance with human rights obligations.”
The resolution also demands that the Syrian government ensure the Mar Elias church is rebuilt.
ADF has raised concerns that Christians in Syria are reportedly subject to increased levels of discrimination in both public and private sector employment. Stories of harassment and intimidation are also on the rise, increasing fears that Syria’s historic Christian population may disappear over time through emigration.
