A New Era of Uncertainty
Since the toppling of the Assad regime and Julani’s rise to power in December 2024, Syrian Christians have faced unprecedented uncertainty and danger.
Daniel, one of our on-the-ground Field Ministers in the country, explains that during the Assad regime, converts to Christianity could not officially change their religion on government documents, but they could worship freely. “If you want to go to church, it’s okay; you are safe. The government will not ask you about anything,” Daniel said.
However, life under Julani, Syria’s leader and former Al-Qaeda affiliate, is different. “The big thing is that all the Christians in Syria are afraid because of the people who took the lead…Julani put some of the jihadists as leaders in the army, as generals in the new Syrian army,” said Daniel. “So, it's very bad when your army is groups of jihadists from ISIS and Al-Qaeda. You cannot feel safe as a Christian or as a minority.”
Rising Violence and Growing Fears
Recent violence in coastal cities like Latakia and Tartus has heightened fears. While targeting primarily Alawites—the religious minority group to which former President Assad belonged—the bloodshed has Christian communities worried they could be next. “They killed, I think, until now, about 2,000-2,500 people,” Daniel said. “People are afraid because they think that when they finish with the Alawites, the jihadists will attack the other minorities like Christians, Kurds, and Druze, especially the Christians…The people are afraid all the time."
Daniel said that he has not seen instances of Christians being targeted directly for their faith, although Christians have been swept up in the violence, and some have lost their lives. “Some of them died because it's a street war. So they died, and two men died because they were from an Alawite village,” he said.
Converts at Critical Risk
For converts to Christianity from Islam, the situation is life-threatening—specifically because of their faith. “For the convert, it’s very, very, very hard because, you know, in Islam, the one who converts to another religion, they should kill him, you know? So it's very dangerous for them,” Daniel explained.
Emergency Evacuations and Refugee Support
Our team is actively evacuating converts who would likely be murdered or reported for apostasy from Islam. They are taking shelter in our safe houses in Syria while we coordinate their emergency travel with our team in Lebanon. “We sent two or three families until now to Lebanon, because they converted from Islam to Christianity, and it's very dangerous for them now, because the people in their neighborhood knew that they are going to church, and they start to threaten them that, ‘We will tell the government about you, and we will kill you,’” Daniel explained.
“We helped one guy, a convert, from Syria to travel to Lebanon, like two weeks, three weeks ago...and there's also another family we are helping now to travel because they are Alawites, and they converted to Christianity.” There have been several other instances of converts who have no other option but to flee, including one man who had already lost several members of his family targeted because they are ethnic minorities.
However, the danger has reached a point that it is not only the converts trying to flee. “Everyone, every Christian, now wants to travel out, wants to go out of Syria, and it is a big problem,” Daniel said. “They are saying Syria is not for the Christian anymore.”
In Lebanon, our Field Minister Amin is welcoming refugees and searching for stable housing opportunities. In time, he and our other Field Ministers in the country will work with these brave believers to find paths forward of independence and dignity.
Providing Hope Amid Persecution
In addition to facilitating emergency rescues, our Field Ministers are providing both practical assistance and spiritual encouragement to the Christians who remain in Syria. “We are still helping Christians, and we are helping the church also with the Emergency Relief Kits case as much as we can,” Daniel said.
As Easter approaches, Syrian Christians are looking to the date with trepidation, as violence against Christians tends to increase with Holy Week and Easter. “We are afraid about 20 April, Resurrection Day…There is a tradition that the people visit seven churches on Good Friday. So all the people visit all the services in all the churches, the Catholic, the Orthodox, the Evangelical. So, we are a little bit afraid about that. We are praying for the services that nothing will happen.”
When asked how peace might come to Syria, Daniel replied, “I don't know how peace will come. I think when Jesus comes!” Our Field Minister Farid added, "Fear increases every day because of what is happening in our country, but we rely on the Lord Jesus."
Our work in Syria—and for the many refugees who have fled the dangerous regime—is far from finished, and we need your help as we continue to rescue, restore, and rebuild the lives of those who have lost everything in the wake of the regime change. Please, as you can, support these brave believers through prayer and financial giving. Thank you!