Christian Syrians’ fears have increased following a suicide bombing at St. Elias Church in the Dweila area of Damascus.
Enab Baladi – Damascus
The suicide attacker carried out the attack on June 22 during the weekly Christian prayers, attended by about 200 people. The attack resulted in the death of more than 27 people and injuries to 63 others.
The explosion carried out by the suicide bomber not only caused victims and injuries but also sparked a wave of anxiety among members of the Christian community, especially those residing in the eastern districts of Damascus, where several churches are located within predominantly Christian residential neighborhoods.
Security-Related Fears
The security file has taken centeral stage since the fall of the former regime and remains the government’s greatest challenge in its efforts to impose control and restructure its security apparatus, especially amid incidents targeting minority groups in Syria. These have included individual or repeated violations, beginning in the Syrian coastal areas, then spreading to Sweida, Sahnaya, and Jaramana, and most recently, the bombing of St. Elias Church.
Ibrahim Shalash, a resident of Dweila, told Enab Baladi that the church bombing heightened Syrian Christians’ fears of further violations, bombings, and attacks on their religious sanctities.
Ibrahim explained that although Christians had felt a sense of reassurance during the recent Christmas and Easter holidays—thanks to the security presence surrounding churches and the freedom to practice their religious rituals and celebrations—the bombing incident planted fear in their hearts.
Bassam Al-Khoury, also a resident of Dweila, believes that the current government must ensure full protection of religious sites and sanctities—whether mosques or churches—to prevent such incidents from recurring, contain individual acts, defuse sectarian tension, and establish lasting security.
“As a Syrian citizen, the current government must provide me with full protection. No Syrian should have to live in fear because of their religion or sect. We are all equal under the roof of the homeland and the law,” Bassam said.
Exploiting the Minority File
Moayd Habib, Executive Director of the Approaches Center for Political Development, told Enab Baladi that subversive and unlawful actors—including the Islamic State (ISIS)—have, since the fall of the former regime, sought to exploit the issue of minorities in Syria by directly targeting religious groups. This pattern was previously seen with the Alawite and Druze communities, and now, Christians are being targeted in an effort to ignite sectarian strife in the country.
Habib emphasized that no country can completely prevent bombings if they are meticulously planned, noting that such attacks have occurred in both European and Arab countries.
He explained that the bombing of St. Elias Church reveals a security failure within the current government, which bears part of the responsibility due to unresolved internal issues—including gaps in legislation and policy enforcement.
Habib warned that when any community feels weak and marginalized, it tends to isolate itself, fueling the spread of fear-inducing ideologies such as the extremist mindset of ISIS. He described the fear within the Christian community following the bombing as justified, stating that any group that feels under threat will naturally withdraw inward.
According to Habib, the extremist ideology propagated by ISIS has become a tool used by various countries and factions to serve their internal agendas in Syria. He framed the St. Elias Church bombing as a sectarian provocation aimed at the Christian community—an essential and historic component of Syrian society.
“The Christian community, since the fall of the former regime, has not engaged in chaos,” he said. “It has been a partner in rebuilding the nation, shaping government policy, and participating in ministries. That’s precisely why ISIS and other groups have made it a target.”
Political analyst Ahmad Hammadi added that external forces are actively working to destabilize Syria’s security situation—whether through ISIS, remnants of the ousted regime, or foreign states whose interests were harmed by their diminished influence in Syria and now seek to inflame internal divisions.
Hammadi pointed out that some of these actors aim to use the church bombing to suggest that the Assad regime previously protected minorities, including Christians. However, he reminded that similar attacks had previously targeted mosques as well, due to ISIS’s extremist actions—which, he emphasized, lie outside the control of the current government.
Blame and Escalation
During the funeral service for the victims, John X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, publicly held the Syrian government responsible for the suicide bombing. He stressed that it is the government’s duty to identify those responsible and uncover who was behind the attack.
Yazigi emphasized that what citizens now seek from the government is safety, peace, and protection for all Syrians, without exception or discrimination.
Father Meletios Shtahi also told Enab Baladi that members of the Christian community have faced individual hostile incidents since the fall of the regime, and the government has failed to protect them or hold perpetrators accountable.
He argued that these actions, though claimed to be isolated, now appear institutional, not individual—placing further responsibility on the government to protect its citizens.
Political analyst Ahmad Hammadi stated that the Syrian government’s response—whether from ministers, the Damascus governor, or the General Security Directorate—was one of direct engagement. The government classified the bombing as a national tragedy that affected all Syrians equally, stressing unity and rejecting sectarian divisions.
Hammadi added that there is no justification for Christian fears today, stating that the current government no longer represents any one religion, sect, or ethnicity, but instead serves all Syrians.
Religious Propaganda and Isolated Incidents
Moayd Habib commented on the recent presence of religious preaching vehicles in Christian-majority neighborhoods, including in Dweila, saying the initiative caused significant fear and was a serious misstep. However, he confirmed that the authorities intervened, stopped the vehicles, and detained several clerics responsible for them.
He noted that the advocates of such religious propaganda are not exclusive to Syria, but also exist in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and even the UK. Due to Syria’s sensitive context, the government recognized the issue and took steps to ban these vehicles from operating.
Regarding isolated incidents, Habib stated that such cases were more frequent in the initial months after the fall of the previous regime, during a period of chaos. However, he highlighted a growing role for the Ministry of Interior today, and affirmed that citizens can now file complaints even against members of General Security if necessary.
What the Government Must Do
Habib stressed that internal security forces must ensure the protection of all places of worship—whether mosques, churches, shrines, or monasteries—particularly during this transitional phase.
He also emphasized that the current government cannot rebuild public trust alone, as it remains entangled in foundational challenges inherited from a collapsed former regime.
Therefore, he called for the active involvement of civil society organizations, with the government facilitating their efforts. He highlighted “United Against Racism and Sectarianism,” a global intellectual and cultural organization whose members come from diverse professional and academic backgrounds and are committed to promoting national identity and rejecting sectarianism locally and internationally.
Habib also mentioned the importance of other organizations that provide interfaith educational programs and awareness campaigns—initiatives he believes should play a critical role during the transition period.
Political analyst Ahmad Hammadi concluded that the government must enforce security, hold lawbreakers accountable, and ensure safety for all—not just Christians or Muslims. He emphasized that security must be universal and applied equally to every Syrian citizen.
Christian Fears Grow in Syria After the St. Elias Church Bombing Enab Baladi.
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