CBN - Syria Situation

Jul 22, 2025 #breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews

A persecution watchdog is sounding the alarm as the situation in Syria appears to be deteriorating for minority groups like the Druze and Alawites. Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that Syrian government forces have gone after these groups, killing innocents in the process. The most recent incursion unfolded last week and had deadly consequences. "Syrian government forces have once again launched an attack on religious minority populations – this time against the Druze, a religious group which makes up about 3% of Syria’s population, and who are considered heretics by jihadist groups," CSI wrote in a statement. "Between July 14 and July 18, Syria’s Islamist-controlled government sent troops to occupy Suwayda province, a mountainous region of southern Syria where the majority of the population is Druze. Upon entering population centers in the province, government troops carried out numerous atrocities." This violence might not have been limited only to the Druze population. While details are still unclear about motives and precise details, Khaled Mazhar, the pastor of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suwayda city, was killed alongside 11 other family members. "We're still putting together the details on what exactly happened, but we know that Pastor Khaled Mazhar was attacked by armed fighters sometime last week in Soweda City," Veldkamp said. "He, and his wife, and his children, and several other of his relatives — 12 people in all — were all killed. And there's a 13th person who survived only because they thought that she was dead, basically." While the Druzes were the main target, he said government fighters sometimes kill Christians along the way, especially when they are going after other minority groups. "This violence is not something that can be restricted to one community," Veldkamp said. "It's going to spread, and it's going to affect Christians as well." His warning is one to heed, as Syrian Christians are reportedly fearful over how they could soon be treated, especially after Ahmed al-Sharaa — a former Al-Qaeda leader — rose to power to become ruler after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Despite al-Sharaa's pledge to treat minorities well, the incursion against the Druzes and other past issues show that actions might not align with words and pledges. Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn CBN News. Because Truth Matters™ Download the free CBN News App: http://cbnnews.com/app SUBSCRIBE to the CBN News Channel for more: http://youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline/?s...