“Syria is almost emptied of the Christian component, and this is the biggest disaster,” Jamil Diyarbakirli, director of the Sweden-based Assyrian Monitor for Human Rights, told Rudaw. “More than two-thirds of Syrian Christians have fled the country.”
Diyarbakirli described the future of Syria’s Christians as “unpredictable,” but said that “no violations have occurred against Christians so far” in the ongoing offensive by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists against the Syrian government that has seen the rebels take control of key cities such as Hama and Aleppo, the largest in the country and home to a significant Christian minority.
“Things seem to be in order this time, and there is an international green light to prevent any violations against citizens that affect their lives and security,” he said.
Syria’s Christian population, which was an estimated 10 percent of the total before the conflict, has largely supported the government of President Bashar al-Assad since the civil war erupted in 2011. The president marketed himself as a protector of minority communities in the face of jihadists.
According to Diyarbakirli, over 4,000 Christians have been killed since the civil war began. He blamed all parties for their deaths including the regime, the opposition, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“There are a number of Christians in prisons in different areas of Syria, estimated at more than 600 people,” he added.
HTS, including its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has placed particular emphasis on protecting the Christian community in Syria in places they recently took from the regime.
In a statement on Telegram after taking over Aleppo, Jolani said the city “has always been a meeting point for civilizations and cultures, and it will remain so, with a long history of cultural and religious diversity.”
He issued another statement calling on residents of the Christian-majority town of Mhardeh in Hama not to flee as HTS took over the province.
“We will ensure your protection and safeguard your property,” he said.
But many Christians are approaching his remarks with caution. HTS has its roots in al-Qaeda - the global jihadist franchise that Jolani broke ties with in 2016 and one that is infamous for the brutal persecution of minorities.
