Latest news with #GreekOrthodox
LeMonde
16 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Four Syrian weddings, a symbol of reconciliation
The floor was strewn with hairpins, and the smell of hair overheated by hairdryers filled the room. Shelves were stacked with faux-diamond crowns. An esthetician danced a few steps to a pop song playing in the background. In early June in this basement beauty salon in an apartment building in Latakia, a city on Syria's northwest coast and former stronghold of the Assad family, four women were preparing to celebrate their respective marriages in a joint ceremony bringing together different religious communities. At the doorway, a man peeked in. In a rush, two of the soon-to-be brides covered their hair and faces in protest. They were Sunni. The other two were Alawite, a branch of Shia Islam with distinct customs and beliefs. "We've been engaged for a year and a half, ever since Achraf's car broke down in front of my house," said Roula Salman, a 27-year-old physics student from Latakia, with a smile. "By marrying this way, we wanted to show that Syria was still united." It was an unprecedented and symbolic choice against a background of tension. On Sunday, June 22, a suicide bombing targeted the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias church in Damascus, killing at least 25 and injuring around 60 Christians gathered there. Precarious calm In March, a wave of massacres mainly targeting the Alawite community – the religious minority to which the Assad clan belongs and which makes up about 10% of Syria's population – left at least 1,700 civilian victims, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Hundreds of videos showing killings and looting flooded social media, implicating extremist armed factions, some of which are affiliated with the new regime led by the interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, a Sunni and former jihadist leader.
Gulf Insider
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Offshoot Of Syria's Ruling HTS Claims Credit For Damascus Church Bombing
On Sunday, a massive suicide bomb attack tore through the important Greek Orthodox church Mar Elias in Damascus, killing 27 and wounding dozens more. The huge attack just added to the spate of sectarian violence across Syria, which undercuts the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government's claim to be protecting religious minorities. The HTS was quick to blame ISIS for the Mar Elias bombing, and on Monday announced the arrest of a number of ISIS associates who they claimed were involved, vowing to bring them to justice. Now that whole narrative seems in doubt. ISIS never took credit for the Mar Elias bombing, which, since it was the biggest attack in Damascus in a very long time, would be an unusual oversight. Now, another group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah (SAAS), issued its own statement claiming credit for the attack. SAAS, which was said to be formed in February, went on to say that the government's claims of arresting people involved with the attack were 'untrue, fabricated.' The group is being presented as an ISIS splinter group by some reports, but the reality is substantially different. SAAS does indeed have some ISIS defectors within, according to reports, but it also has a substantial number of HTS defectors. SAAS founder Abu Aisha al-Shami was an HTS member, and said he broke away and formed his own group because he perceived HTS as being too soft on Shi'ites and other 'rejectionists.' While HTS has undergone a massive reformation in its presentation in the media, the group was a renamed al-Qaeda affiliate that retains its deeply Salafist ideologies. After a brutal, religiously motivated terrorist attack on Christians in Syria, the EU remains silent. Brussels usually reacts within minutes when it comes to other parts of the world, like Ukraine. This double standard is outrageous, and the lack of condemnation is unacceptable. — Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) June 23, 2025 While playing nice with religious minorities in Syria on paper, they've tended to turn a blind eye to attacks on them, notably the massacre of the Alawites, where well over 1,300 Alawites were killed in March, many by security forces. Those killings continue to this day, and the promised investigation never seemed to go anywhere. Speaking of Alawites, SAAS played a part in these massacres as well. The group regularly brags of carrying out attacks on Alawites and Druze Syrians, including what they called the 'Harvest of Ramadan,' where they listed attacks and vandalism done during the holiday on the Alawite town of Qardaha. That they would be behind the Mar Elias attack is not out of keeping with the way the group has operated in its brief existence. It provides a messaging problem for the HTS though, since the government has not done much about the SAAS at all since it came into existence. The Orthodox Christian leader in Syria has called out the Jolani regime: My respect for His Beatitude Patriarch John X Yazigi has grown tenfold after his historic speech from Damascus openly criticizing the Julani no mistake: the regime will try to harm you see the incitement—calling him an 'Assad regime remnant' or accusing… — Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) June 26, 2025 Syrian Christian leader Patriarch John X. Yazigi issued a statement after the attack criticizing the government for its inability to protect religious minorities, saying 'condolences are not enough for us' and that the government has a fundamental duty to protect all its citizens. For now, though, that has begun and ended with blaming ISIS to justify ongoing operations against ISIS in the east.
Ya Libnan
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Syrian Christian leader rebukes Sharaa holds him responsible for the deadly church bombing
People attend the funeral of victims of a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church on Sunday, in Damascus, Syria, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi Syria's top Christian leader said on Tuesday at the funeral for victims of a deadly church bombing that President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government bore responsibility for not protecting minorities and his condolences were insufficient. At least 25 worshippers died on Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, the first such attack since Sharaa's Islamist-led government seized power in December after the Assad family dynasty's toppling. The attack, which the government blamed on the Islamic State militant group, reinforced doubts among minorities about whether they can rely on government assurances of protection. 'With love and with all due respect, Mr. President, you spoke yesterday by phone… to express your condolences. That is not enough for us,' the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John (X) Yazigi, said at the funeral, drawing applause. 'We are grateful for the phone call. But the crime that took place is a little bigger than that.' The U.S. State Department condemned what its spokesperson Tammy Bruce described as 'a brutal and cowardly attack' and called on the Syrian government to hold all perpetrators of violence accountable and ensure the security of all Syrians, including members of religious and ethnic minorities. She said Washington continued to support the Syrian government 'as it fights against forces seeking to create instability and fear in their country and in the broader region.' Christians made up around 10% of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million, but their numbers shrunk significantly during the 14-year conflict, mainly through emigration. Only a few hundred thousand are now estimated to be living in Syria. Yazigi said the government must prioritize protection for all. 'What is important to me – and I will say it – is that the government bears responsibility in full,' Yazigi said of the church attack. Hundreds were at the service in the nearby Church of the Holy Cross to bury nine of the victims, whose bodies were placed in simple white coffins adorned with white flowers. Social affairs minister Hind Kabawat – the only Christian and only woman in Syria's new government – attended. On Monday, Sharaa said the attack was a crime hurting all Syrians but did not use the word 'Christians' or 'church'. The government said security forces raided hideouts used by Islamic State, killing two of its members including one who facilitated the suicide bomber's entry into Mar Elias Church. IS did not issue a statement of responsibility. Reutera
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Pope Leo XIV urges all sides in Iran-Israel war to reject ‘bullying and arrogance' and talk peace
'Let us listen to this voice that comes from on High:' Leo said. 'Heal the lacerations caused by the bloody actions of recent days, reject all logic of bullying and revenge, and resolutely take the path of dialogue, diplomacy and peace.' The Chicago-born Leo also expressed solidarity with the victims of Sunday's attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria and urged the international community to keep supporting Syrian reconciliation. Syria's Interior Ministry has said a sleeper cell belonging to the Islamic State group was behind the attack at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people. Advertisement 'To the Christians in the Middle East, I am near you. All the church is close to you,' he said. 'This tragic event is a reminder of the profound fragility that still marks Syria after years of conflict and instability, and therefore it is crucial that the international community doesn't look away from this country, but continues to offer it support through gestures of solidarity and with a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.' Advertisement
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Syrian Christian leader criticises president over church bombing
DAMASCUS: Syria's top Christian leader said on Tuesday at the funeral for victims of a deadly church bombing that President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government bore responsibility for not protecting minorities and his condolences were insufficient. At least 25 worshippers died on Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, the first such attack since Sharaa's Islamist-led government seized power in December after the Assad family dynasty's toppling. The attack, which the government blamed on the Islamic State militant group, reinforced doubts among minorities about whether they can rely on government assurances of protection. 'With love and with all due respect, Mr. President, you spoke yesterday by phone... to express your condolences. That is not enough for us,' the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John (X) Yazigi, said at the funeral, drawing applause. 'We are grateful for the phone call. But the crime that took place is a little bigger than that.' The U.S. State Department condemned what its spokesperson Tammy Bruce described as 'a brutal and cowardly attack' and called on the Syrian government to hold all perpetrators of violence accountable and ensure the security of all Syrians, including members of religious and ethnic minorities. She said Washington continued to support the Syrian government 'as it fights against forces seeking to create instability and fear in their country and in the broader region.' Christians made up around 10% of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million, but their numbers shrunk significantly during the 14-year conflict, mainly through emigration. Only a few hundred thousand are now estimated to be living in Syria. Yazigi said the government must prioritize protection for all. 'What is important to me - and I will say it - is that the government bears responsibility in full,' Yazigi said of the church attack. Hundreds were at the service in the nearby Church of the Holy Cross to bury nine of the victims, whose bodies were placed in simple white coffins adorned with white flowers. Social affairs minister Hind Kabawat - the only Christian and only woman in Syria's new government - attended. On Monday, Sharaa said the attack was a crime hurting all Syrians but did not use the word 'Christians' or 'church'. The government said security forces raided hideouts used by Islamic State, killing two of its members including one who facilitated the suicide bomber's entry into Mar Elias Church. IS did not issue a statement of responsibility.
