How are Christians treated in Syria?
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) indicates that Christians have been "widely tolerated" in Syria, and have been able to celebrate Christian holidays and attend separate classes for religious education ( n.d. ).
In the late Ottoman rule, a large percentage of Syrian Christians emigrated from Syria, especially after the bloody chain of events that targeted Christians in particular in 1840, the 1860 massacre, and the Assyrian genocide.
The largest religious group in Syria are Sunni Muslims, who make up about 74% of the population, of whom Arabic-speaking Sunnis form the majority, followed by the Kurds, Turkmens/Turkomans, Circassians, and Palestinians.
Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and many hold high governmental positions, while Alawites and members of almost every minority have also been active on the rebel side.
Syrian Christians are all Christians from modern Syria, or those from ancient Roman and Byzantine Syria. For Christians according to denominations that are following Syriac liturgical rite, see: Category:Syriac Christians.
Christians were about 10 percent of Syria's population of 21 million before the war began in 2011. Now, they account for about 5 percent, with fewer than 700,000 left, according to groups that track the persecution of Christians around the world.
Syria has experienced active armed conflict since 2011. No part of Syria is safe from violence. Kidnappings by armed groups, unjust arrests and/or detentions, the use of chemical warfare, shelling, and aerial bombardment of civilian centers pose significant risk of death or serious injury.
Religious clauses are constitutionally entrenched
The State shall respect all religions, and ensure the freedom to perform all the rituals that do not prejudice public order; The personal status of religious communities shall be protected and respected.
While only 10% of the Syrian population follows Christianity, most Syrian people celebrate Christmas and share greetings and good wishes with their neighbours and friends using the Arabic words Milad Majid for Merry Christmas.
The Syrian civil war (Arabic: ٱلْحَرْبُ ٱلْأَهْلِيَّةُ ٱلسُّورِيَّةُ, romanized: al-ḥarb ul-ʾahlīyyat us-sūrīyyah) is an ongoing multi-sided civil war in Syria fought between the Syrian Arab Republic led by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad (supported by domestic and foreign allies) and various domestic and foreign ...
Who is the religious leader in Syria?
| His Excellency Bashar al-Assad | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Asma Akhras ( m. 2000) |
| Relations | al-Assad family |
| Children | Hafez Zein Karim |
| Parents | Hafez al-Assad (father) Anisa Makhlouf (mother) |
The major parties supporting the Assad government are Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. The main Syrian opposition body – the Syrian coalition – receives political, logistic and military support from the United States, Britain and France.
Until then, Syria was the main center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Conversion to Islam had scarcely begun prior to the invasion, apart from Arab tribes already settled in Syria; except for the tribe of Ghassan, these all became Muslim.
Damascus has a special place in early Christianity, through its connection to St. Paul and his conversion to Christianity. According to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus.
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani, Malankara Nasrani, or Nasrani Mappila, are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala (Malabar region), who, for the most part, employ the Eastern and Western liturgical rites of Syriac ...
Iranian Christians tend to be urban, with 50% living in Tehran. Christianity remains the second-largest non-Muslim minority religion in the country.
The Syrian Catholic Church is spread throughout much of the Middle East, but roughly 130,000 of its 200,000 members are in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Alawi Muslims are Syria's largest religious minority. They live mainly in the Nusayri Mountain range in the coastal part of north-west Syria, but also on the inland plains of Homs and Hama. Smaller numbers of Isma'ili Muslims live for the most part in the coastal mountain range, south of the main Alawi areas.
Conversion to other faiths than Islam is not prohibited by law. Muslims who change their faith to Christianity, are subject to societal pressure. Extremely controversial were the blasphemy laws, which made it treacherous for non-Muslims to express themselves without being accused of being un-Islamic.
Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States are currently non-existent; they were suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian Civil War. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, and the Iraq War.
Are Americans allowed to visit Syria?
This is great news for anyone who has been wanting to visit this beautiful and historic country. In the recent years Americans were not able to acquire a Syrian tourist visa, but recently this has been changed. Anybody from the United States (U.S.A.) can now apply for a Syrian tourist visa.
There has been a flow of good news lately as various countries reopen their borders for the first time since the pandemic, and we at YPT have another exciting announcement. Americans can travel to Syria now on our tours.
The persecution of Christians by the Islamic State involves the systematic mass murder of Christian minorities, within the regions of Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Libya controlled by the Islamic terrorist group Islamic State.
Observant Muslims will not eat food that contains traces of pork or alcohol. However, it is common for many secular Muslims to consume things that are typically prohibited by the Islamic script. For example, it is normal for some Syrian Muslims to drink alcohol. Bills at restaurants and cafes are never divided.
Freedom of speech and the media
Internet censorship in Syria is extensive. Syria bans websites for political reasons and arrests people accessing them. Internet cafes are required to record all the comments users post on chat forums.
At Christmas, Christians and Muslims celebrate together. Houses, streets, shopping centers, and stores are specially decorated for the occasion, and the atmosphere is festive in the streets throughout the country.
'Milad Majeed' is how we say Merry Christmas in Syria and we call Father Christmas 'Papa Noel' although Santa Claus is also quite common.
On Christmas Eve, Syrian Christian families lock the gates of their homes, to serve as a reminder of their persecutions during the old times, when Christianity was forbidden. The families get together on the Eve of Christmas and perform Christmas rituals as per Syrian traditions.
About 96 percent of the refugees are Muslim of any denomination; about 3 percent are Christians of any denomination. About 1 percent are nonreligious or of other faiths.
The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam; Islamic jurisprudence shall be a major source of legislation; The State shall respect all religions, and ensure the freedom to perform all the rituals that do not prejudice public order; The personal status of religious communities shall be protected and respected ...
Who is the head of Syrian Christians?
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| Syriac Orthodox Church | |
|---|---|
| Theology | Miaphysitism |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Structure | Communion |
| Patriarch | Ignatius Aphrem II Patriarch |
