Christians of Sweida in Syria took refuge in churches to save their lives

Christians in Sweida, Syria, sought refuge in churches for their lives following deadly clashes with Islamists.

According to published reports, violent clashes between Druze and radical Islamists in the Syrian province of Sweida led Christians in the region to seek refuge in churches to protect their lives and avoid violence.

The clashes have killed civilians, including a Christian family. The Syrian Orthodox Church issued a statement following the clashes, calling on the international community to intervene to stop the deadly clashes.

In these clashes, a shocking report was also published about the killing of "Khaled Mazhar", an evangelical pastor, along with 20 members of his family. Juliet Amor, a member of the Christian organization Open Doors in Syria, wrote about this shocking incident: "They were targeted by Islamists while hiding in their house and all of them were killed."

In her message, Amor emphasized that Khalid and his family had converted to Christianity years ago, but that their murder was a manifestation of their family background, not their Christian faith. “I don’t think the Islamist terrorist group knew about this,” Juliet added.

Juliet Amor wrote about the dire humanitarian situation in the area: “All the roads leading to the city are blocked and it is unsafe to enter. Almost all the Christians have taken refuge in churches because it is safer there than in the city.” She quoted a local priest who had sheltered dozens of displaced Christian families as saying: “About 80 people are living in the church building without food or water. We are Christians, we are not armed, and all we want is peace and a safe return to our homes.”

The “Houran and Jabal al-Arab” diocese of Basra also issued a statement in response to these clashes, calling the war “barbaric” and calling for the immediate intervention of the international community to stop the terrorist massacres in Sweida. The statement also states that these violence is taking the lives of young and old, and asks the world to pray that these cries reach the whole world.