Christians in Syria

Christians in Syria were much freer before Hafez al-Assad took power, when Protestant Christian Fares al-Khouri was elected prime minister of Syria in 1954. Under Assad Christians are legally banned from becoming the head of state.[1]

The situation for Christians has worsened since the beginning of the Syrian War. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, over 60 percent of all churches in Syria that have been destroyed during the war have been by the Assad regime.[2] In April 2013 the Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and the Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yazigi have been kidnapped by opposition forces.[3] In June 2013 parts of the Free Syrian Army destroyed a Christian village and massacred its population. 350 militants broke into homes and led their residents together to a place, where they were executed.[4] Since the rise of the Islamic State the persecution has increased.

## See also[edit]

* Religion and Atheism in North Korea
* Religion and Atheism in Laos
* Religion and Atheism in Vietnam
* Christians in Iran
* Christians in Sudan
* Open Doors

## External links[edit]

* Syria at Open Doors
* Video:Christians Flee Syria in Wake of Targeted Violence
* Video:Christian Persecution in Syria
* Christians in Syria: Separating Grim Reality from Islamist Propaganda at FrontPageMag.com

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Yamin, Bahnan / Moubayed, Samira / Barq, Mirna and Stifto, George (May 11, 2017). Don't be fooled: Assad is no friend of Syria's Christian minorities. The Hill
2. ↑ Yamin, Bahnan / Moubayed, Samira / Barq, Mirna and Stifto, George (May 11, 2017). Don't be fooled: Assad is no friend of Syria's Christian minorities. The Hill
3. ↑ http://cnsnews.com/news/article/syrian-christians-plan-sit-protest-syrian-rebel-kidnapping-bishops
4. ↑ http://syriareport.net/syria-militants-massacre-christian-village/