When modern Christians, especially in the United States think of persecution on behalf of the faith, most think of the long history of martyrs who have had their blood spilled by haters of Christ during the early periods of civilization and in the Middle Ages.
Others will reflect on how modern believers are censored on social media, made fun of in pop culture, or prosecuted for pro-life advocacy. And they would be right to a degree.
However, the real persecution of Christians happening today is going down, as we speak, in the country of Syria, where over 1,000 followers of Jesus were murdered in a 48-hour period. Pray for the persecuted Church.
“Christians and other religious minorities in Syria are sounding the alarm as more than 1,000 people have been killed since last Thursday in what rights groups describe as some of the worst atrocities since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December,” The Christian Post reported.
“The violence, centered in Syria’s coastal regions, has primarily targeted Alawites, Christians and other minority communities, GB News reported, explaining that tensions escalated after an ambush on a security patrol near Latakia by gunmen loyal to Assad. This triggered a severe response from forces linked to Syria’s Islamist-led interim government,” it added.
None of us should be taken by surprise over Christians being persecuted. Jesus warned us in Sacred Scripture that since the world hated Him, it would most certainly hate us. Faithful believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works in them to conform them to the image of Christ.
Just by living a faithful life, the Holy Spirit shines through a believer and that light exposes the darkness of the world’s sin. They don’t want this light. Instead, those who are lost would rather live in their own filth, taking pleasure in things that offend a holy, righteous God.
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Thus, when the light shines on them, they make fun of it, beat it up, or brutally murder those who shine it forth.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 745 of the dead were civilians, many of whom were killed in shootings. Hundreds of others were members of security forces or militants. Witnesses and local monitors cited in media described the unfolding events as “sectarian massacres.”
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the SOHR, said the violence aims to expel Alawite families from their homes, with many residences looted and burned in the cities of Jableh and Baniyas. The Alawites were closely associated with Assad’s regime. Videos and reports from the region depict harrowing scenes of mass graves, bound bodies and devastated villages. In one instance, 69 Alawite civilians were reportedly executed during a security sweep.
Thousands of Christians and Alawites have been flooding out of Syria, leaving behind their homes, seeking refuge at a military base in Russia. The Christian population in Syria had been shrinking during the Syrian civil war.
Radical Islamists see Christians as being both politically and ideological aligned with the previous regime and feel they stand in the way of creating an Islamic government.
Patriarchs hailing from Syriac Orthodox, Melkite Greek Catholic Churches, and Greek Orthodox Churches, all put out a joint statement condemning the harsh violence being perpetrated by radical terrorists.
“Homes have been violated, their sanctity disregarded, and properties looted — scenes that starkly reflect the immense suffering endured by the Syrian people,” the joint statement goes on to say. “The Christian Churches while strongly condemning any act that threatens civil peace, denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians, and call for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values.”
“The Churches also call for the swift creation of conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people,” it continued. “They urge efforts to establish an environment that facilitates the transition to a state that respects all its citizens and lays the foundation for a society based on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, free from the logic of vengeance and exclusion.”
Rights groups, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights, have documented mass executions, looted properties and systematic killings. The interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and also known as Jolani, has condemned the violence and called for accountability.
In a televised address, he urged restraint from security forces, saying there was a need to uphold moral values even in the face of conflict. Sharaa has reportedly established a committee to investigate the killings, pledging to punish those responsible for harming civilians or violating human rights.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio came forward and condemned “radical Islamist terrorists” before going on to express his solidarity in standing behind Syrian Christians. He called for the current government in that country to protect minorities and civilians.