Syria: ‘They Are Killing Women and Children Inside Their Own Homes’ – Christians Under Attack

As the civil conflict in Syria continues, over 1,300 people have lost their lives, with the majority being civilians. The global audience watches with great concern as those living in affected areas describe horrific conditions. Despite calls for unity by the transitional president of Syria, violence and retaliatory killings persist. Hundreds of people have fled their homes in coastal provinces like Latakia and Tartous, which were strongholds of support for former leader Bashar al-Assad. Residents recount scenes of looting and mass murders, including children. In Hai Al Kusour, a predominantly Alawite neighborhood in the coastal city of Banias, streets are reportedly filled with scattered bodies. Men of various ages were shot there, according to witnesses speaking to the BBC. People were too afraid to even look out their windows. When they managed to connect to social media, they learned about the deaths of their neighbors through Facebook posts. One man, Ayman Fares, who was previously arrested as an Assad critic but released after his fall, claimed he escaped death because the fighters attacking his neighborhood recognized him. He described families being killed inside their homes, with women and children covered in blood. Some families ran to their rooftops to hide but could not escape the bloodshed. Another resident, Ali, confirmed this account, stating that armed civilians joined forces with factions in the killings. Although many blame the transitional president Ahmed al-Saraa for dissolving security forces without a clear strategy, others call for justice. Syrians are divided on what is happening; while many condemn the killing of any civilian, some call for jihad. To lead Syria to a safe and democratic future, many argue that Saraa must end the presence of foreign fighters and draft a constitution protecting all Syrians regardless of origin or religion. Meanwhile, the Patriarch of Antioch, John, described the reality faced by Christians and Alawites in Syria, emphasizing that many Christians have been killed and expelled, especially in neighborhoods like Al-Kousar. He urged the head of the jihadists, Jolani, to stop desecrating religious icons and destroying images of the Virgin Mary, hoping for a united and supportive new Syria.