CV NEWS FEED // The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria on December 8, 2024, has sent shockwaves through the Middle East and raised serious concerns about the future of the country’s Christian community.
A coalition of predominantly Islamist militants, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Damascus in a swift offensive, effectively ending the Assad family’s decades-long rule.
HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., is led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. Despite his group’s Islamist roots, al-Jolani has thus far refrained from targeting religious minorities and claims to pursue a nationalist agenda rather than a radical Islamist one.
President Joe Biden on Sunday announced his administration’s support for the regime change war and pledged to support a new government in Syria. “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen,” Biden said. “The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country.”
Biden also noted that the forces now in control of the Syrian government have links with terror, and that the U.S. has already launched strikes against ISIS camps in the destabilized country.
The New York Post reported: “Biden underscored the risks of Syria becoming a haven for ISIS after the collapse of the oppressive regime and vowed, ‘We will not let that happen.’”
Experts remain skeptical about the long-term implications for Syria’s diverse religious landscape, particularly its Christian population. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), a global watchdog for Christian persecution, has issued a stark warning about the precarious situation facing Syrian Christians.
Syria’s Christian community, which comprised approximately 10% of the country’s population before the civil war, has deep historical roots. Aleppo, in particular, has been a center of religious diversity for centuries, home to various Christian denominations including Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syriac, and Armenian Christians.
The ICC reports that the militant takeover has triggered a mass exodus of Christians, with many seeking refuge in nearby regions or within local churches. The organization had to evacuate its personnel from Aleppo following the city’s capture on December 2.
King emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“The coming days and weeks will be crucial for the fate of the Christian community,” he said. “This tragedy is not isolated — it reflects a broader trend of Christian communities in the Middle East being targeted and displaced.”
Following the regime’s fall, the Assad family was granted asylum in Russia. HTS militants entered the presidential palace peacefully and escorted the prime minister out in what appeared to be a symbolic gesture of a “formal” transition of power.
The international community now faces the challenge of addressing the potential dangers to minorities and preventing further atrocities.
The coming days will be critical in determining how the various rebel factions consolidate power and whether they can maintain stability in a post-Assad Syria. The next actions of nations like the U.S. and of Syria’s new leadership will be crucial in shaping the future of the country and the fate of its religious minorities.