Christian minority in Syria: Between hope and fear
Christian minority in Syria: Between hope and fear
Damaskus, Syrien - The Situation of the Christians in Syria remains alarming due to the continuing uncertainties and the lack of reliable data. According to reports from Kathpress the estimates of the Christians currently still living in Syria fluctuate between 300,000 and 500,000. Syrian priest Hanna Ghoneim describes the emotional situation of the people as characterized by "joy and fear" after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The joy refers to the hope of change, while the fear of possible chaos and other violence exists. Before the civil war in 2011, an estimated 1.5 million Christians lived in Syria. The destruction and displacement due to the war forced many to flee; At least 6 million people therefore went to safety inside and outside the country.
religious diversity and uncertainties
Various Christian denominations live in Syria, including the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian-Apostolic Church. This diversity is unique, as there are no other local churches next to each other and work peacefully. In the regions under the control of Kurdish forces, between 50,000 and 150,000 Christians live, whose religious practices can largely take place unhindered. This is contrasting to the areas that are controlled by Turkey, where the Christian presence has decreased sharply and many of its churches were closed. In the rebel stronghold of Idlib, the Christian community was still strong before the war; Currently there are only about 600 people there, mostly older. Services are only allowed in closed rooms, public Christian symbols are not tolerated. According to current statistics, Syria proves a share of around 3.8 percent Christians within the total population. With these figures there has been a challenging for the various denominations that not only have to fight for existence, but also for future development and security, as from the expansions about the spread of Christianity in other countries according to Wikipedia . The religious freedom of Christians in the previous government area was relatively high, but it remains to be seen how future political circumstances will influence this dynamic.| Details | |
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| Ort | Damaskus, Syrien |
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