Orthodox Church in Syria Pleads: Stop the Massacres of Christians and Druze

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Syria has issued an urgent appeal to the international community, calling for an immediate end to the ongoing massacres of Christians and Druze in the southern Syrian region of Suwayda. In recent days, the area has witnessed a surge in brutal attacks, leaving dozens dead, including women and children.

“We raise our voices in pain, in mourning, and in desperate prayer: stop the bloodshed!” — Official statement from the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria

Systematic Attacks on Religious Minorities

Since early July, Suwayda has been engulfed in violence as local Druze defense units clash with Shiite militias and jihadist groups associated with the Syrian regime. Armed attackers have targeted several villages, burning homes belonging to Druze and Christian families, looting shops, abducting civilians, and desecrating churches.

One of the most horrifying incidents occurred in the village of al-Qarah, where multiple Christian families were reportedly slaughtered. Among the victims was Pastor Khalid Mejeri, a convert from a prominent Druze family and the leader of the Evangelical “Good Shepherd Church,” who was murdered alongside his wife and children.

Community elders and local activists say the violence is part of a deliberate campaign by Iran-linked Shiite factions and regime-affiliated militias to undermine the Druze community’s autonomy and destabilize the historically diverse and independent Suwayda province.

“Silence Is Complicity”

In its official appeal, the Greek Orthodox Church stressed that the violence is not incidental but rather part of a coordinated assault on religious and ethnic minorities, and called on international institutions, governments, and faith-based organizations to intervene.

“Defend the people. Defend faith. Defend life. Silence is complicity.”

The Church’s statement has been submitted to the United Nations, the Vatican, the European Union, and the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Suwayda, long known for its Druze majority and relatively autonomous governance, has become one of the last bastions of local resistance to both the Assad regime and radical Islamist groups. As the situation worsens, local Christian and Druze leaders fear a broader campaign of ethnic and religious cleansing.

The Greek Orthodox Church called for immediate international protection for civilians, an investigation into the atrocities, and accountability for the groups responsible for the killings.