At least 30 Syrian Christians were murdered on June 22 at Mar Elias Eastern Orthodox Church in the capital of Damascus. Christians have faced extreme social discrimination, but the tragedy marked the first suicide attack on their community in Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December. At least 60 more were injured by an Islamic extremist who first opened fire, then detonated a suicide bomb. (RELATED: Suicide Bombing in Syria Kills at Least 25 in Eastern Orthodox Church)
Government Denies Terrorist Group Exists
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa blames the attack on the Islamic State (ISIS). After condemnation of the attack, government forces conducted raids on areas suspected of holding ISIS fighters. The president spoke to Eastern Orthodox leaders by phone while dispatching members of the cabinet to meet with the church community.
Sharaa, better known to the world by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was himself formerly a member of the al-Qaeda cell that evolved into ISIS a decade ago. Seeking a localized jihad rather than a global struggle, Sharaa struck out on his own to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). It was this group that he led to victory last winter. (RELATED: Syria’s New Leader Will Bring Jihad Not Peace)
However, there may be more to the government’s focus on ISIS than meets the eye. The jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah (SAS), not ISIS, claimed responsibility. The terrorist organization was formed in February by former members of the ruling HTS who sought to “finish what we started” and protested Sharaa’s turn towards relative moderation in his approach to Islamic governance. (RELATED: New Syria Doubles Down on Jihad)
Until the Mar Elias Church attack, Christians had been targeted by Islamists, imploring them to convert, but not yet any open violence. The Syrian government actually intervened on the church’s behalf several months ago to prevent Islamic proselytizing in the area after complaints from parishioners. SAS cited this as its reasoning for targeting Mar Elias in particular.
The church attack is not the only crisis that the government has denied was the handiwork of this group with close ties to the president. Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for arson in the plains of Latakia, a city primarily composed of minority Alawites, while the government denied that the fires were anything but natural.
SAS has loudly released public statements taking credit for the bombing and other terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, the government denies the group even exists. The political calculus is evident in obscuring the responsibility of terrorists who were Sharaa’s frontline until a few months ago.
The government promised to establish Islamic rule while protecting Syria’s religious minorities. Meanwhile, at least a thousand Alawite men, women, and children have been killed on the coast of Latakia. Government forces recently clashed with the Druze minority scattered across the south. (RELATED: Syrian Bedouin and Druze Feuds Escalate to Regional Conflict)
Israel hosts its own Druze population, noted for fighting on the side of the erstwhile Jewish state since its foundation. In response to internal outcry, Israel has engaged in a bombing campaign to prevent the Syrian Druze from facing the same fate as the Alawites for the past three days.
Orthodox Bishop Takes Aim at Government
On June 24, Bishop John X, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, delivered a moving homily at the funeral of those murdered at Mar Elias. John X leads the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, which can trace itself to the Apostle Peter. The Patriarchate holds jurisdiction over the least 4 million members of the Greek Orthodox Church throughout the Middle East.
Mournful for the lost, most of John X’s homily at the funeral was addressed directly to President al-Sharaa.
John X tied the terrorist attack to the wider Syrian crisis, declaring that “what happened is not an isolated incident, nor a personal act, nor an attack on one individual or one family.” Rather, it “is an attack on every Syrian and on all of Syria,” and “specifically on the Christian entity” that is “a fundamental component of our beloved Syria.”
From there, the bishop, who presides over more than 4 million Eastern Orthodox faithful, made clear that he was speaking for “Mr. President” to hear. In the immediate aftermath of the “unacceptable” attack, “not a single government or state official was present” except for Hind Kabawat, the only woman and only Christian in the Syrian cabinet.
Speaking for all Christians, John reminded the government of crime after crime perpetrated against the Christian minority. However, he stated that they would remain undaunted, for “we are an integral component of this nation, and we are here to stay.”
From the Bishop of Antioch’s perspective, the phone call the president shared with another Greek Orthodox bishop was “not enough” as a crime of that scale “deserves more than just a call.” The proposed day of mourning was portrayed similarly.
I will say it plainly: we were informed that the government intends to declare an official day of mourning for the nation. Mr. President, announce this day not as a day of mourning. As Christians, we do not desire anyone to mourn for us. I [would] find it beautiful that you declare this day a day of mourning for the government itself.
Patriarch John took umbrage at the notion that the fallen were merely “casualties.” Rather, he demanded they be recognized as “martyrs for both faith and homeland.” From there, he turned to the most direct condemnation within the homily:
The controversy around is important for us to know who stands behind this heinous act. We were promised that. While that matters greatly to us, what matters even more is to emphasize — and I will say it plainly — that the government bears full responsibility
…
We are Syrians, proud and genuine. Our country is our land and our dignity. I have said it before and I will say it again: we have extended our hands to you to build the new Syria, and we still, sadly, wait to see a hand extended back to us.
After the address to the government, the funeral homily concluded with Bishop John remembering “Jiries, Bishara, and Boutros [Peter].” These three young men threw themselves on the attacker and, in sacrificing themselves, minimized the range of his suicide bomb. As he concluded, John emphasized that “they would have acted likewise to protect those around them, even if they had been in a mosque.”
Richard Ghazal, the executive director of the advocacy group In Defense of Christians, authored a piece in The Hill on Syria’s minority crisis last week. In the editorial, he advocated for the United States to establish diplomatic relations with the new Syrian government to use as leverage to receive guarantees of internal security and constitutional protection for Syrian religious minorities.
Ghazal told The American Spectator that “the martyrs of Saint Elias Church were not only victims of terrorism — they were canaries in the coal mine of Syria’s unraveling social fabric.” He called the tragedy “an indictment of the Syrian Transitional Government’s inability to gain control over radical Islamist elements.” Ghazal praised Patriarch John X for reminding us that “this was not merely an attack on a faith community, but on the very idea of Syria as a homeland for all Syrians.”
In terms of American policy, Ghazal told The American Spectator,“[I]f the United States and international community seek a stable post-Assad Syria, then safeguarding its Christian communities must be a policy imperative.”
“Survival of the Syrian Christian community,” he said, “and its ancient heritage is a bellwether for the nation’s capacity to govern with legitimacy, blind justice, civility, and moral restraint.”
Shiv Parihar is an editorial intern at The American Spectator. Follow him on X @ShivomMParihar.
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