Christians Adopt a Silent Stance in Syria Protests
Christians have taken a modest position in Syria as unrest and protests continue throughout city streets in the country. Protestors have continued to demand reform in government policy, however, Christians are deciding to take a more mitigated approach to voicing their opinions.
Christians in Syria have yet to be seen in large numbers as the government’s stability continues to be shaken. Some commentators have said that the community’s relative absence from protests is due to the stability they enjoy under the Alawite-run secular government.
The current government has been accused of favoritism towards secular Muslims and Christians, and criticized for taking a hard line against Islamist movements over the past 40 years.
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In a region synonymous for political and religious unrest, Syria has been a relative place of stability and sanctuary for many Christian families. The region has served as a place of refuge for Christians following the 2003 overthrowing of the government in Iraq; especially for those who fled in fear of persecution from Islamist fundamentals.
Others have suggested the reason for the Christian relative tranquility was to stop the precedence of division from the region’s nations. Archbishop Yohana Ibrahim told the Daily Star, “Everybody’s worried. We don’t want what happened in Iraq to happen in Syria. We don’t want the country to be divided. And we don’t want Christians to leave Syria.”
Certainly a lack of protest by the Christian community has been attributed to the fear many feel of retribution from other religious factions. They fear that if the government is overthrown a similar reaction of violence and chaos to the coup of the Iraqi Baath party could be repeated.
Syria’s Christians are estimated to comprise about 10 percent of the country’s population of 20 million.
