Syrian Christian leaders say they cannot trust the Islamist-led Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa to provide the safety they need after a week of deadly clashes that claimed the lives of 1,000 people in the southern region of Sweida and urged international protection.
Greek Catholic Father Toni Butros of Sweida posted a video circulated on X July 21 in which he wants to bring international attention to “massacres that have happened to us in Sweida.”
Bloody sectarian clashes drawing in Sunni Muslim Bedouins and armed tribes quickly erupted against the Druze and Christian communities on July 13. Syrian government forces sent to quell the violence, were among those caught perpetrating atrocities, harboring jihadist sentiments.
Druze Civilians Hunted Down
Widespread violations were directed mainly toward Druze civilians who were hunted down and killed in their homes and cars. Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia, shot others in the street.
Christians, too, were caught in the crosshairs with churches set on fire, including the Greek Melkite Church of St. Michael in Al-Sura. Meanwhile, 38 Christian homes were set ablaze leaving numerous families homeless.
L’Oeuvre d’Orient, a Catholic charity, reported July 21 that several hundred Christians, most probably those whose houses were burned, are currently sheltering in the Melkite parish in Shorba, the Capuchin Franciscan fathers’ church and the Greek Orthodox archdiocese in Sweida without water, food or electricity.
An evangelical pastor, Khalid Mezher, who was of Druze origin and converted to Christianity, was killed along with 12 members of his family, including children, when Islamist militants stormed his home, SyriacPress media reported July 19.
Read more: https://www.osvnews.com/syrian-christian-leaders-say-islamist-government-cant-protect-them-or-druze/
By Dale Gavlak | OSVNews
