Misleading reports about ‘slaughter of Christians’ could endanger Syrians, says Open Doors expert

An Open Doors spokesperson warns that misleading reports online of a ‘slaughter of Christians’ in Syria could leave Syrian believers in danger.

Open Doors supporters are among many around the world who are steadfastly praying for Syria, in the wake of recent violence. More than 1,500 people were killed in recent hostilities in Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, which began last Thursday (6 March). Most of those killed are civilians. The church in Syria is asking for urgent prayer as the country faces further turmoil.

There have been reports on social media that Christians are particularly targeted in these attacks, with some influential commentators asking why the ‘mainstream media’ isn’t reporting on this religiously motivated violence. It has even been accused of being a ‘cover up’. The truth, according to local Open Doors sources, is rather different.

No evidence of Christians being targeted

These attacks are indisputably tragic, but only four of those killed are known to be Christians – and they do not appear to have been targeted for their faith. All reports suggest that nearly all the civilians killed were from the Alawite people. The Alawites are an ethnoreligious group which is an offshoot of Shia Islam. The deposed former President Bashar al-Assad had the same background.

Matthew Barnes*, Communications officer for Open Doors in the Middle East and North Africa, says that he has seen no evidence of any major attack on Christians in the last few days – despite reports of a ‘slaughter of Christians’ from some online.

“We know that four Christian men have died in the region where the violence took place. We know that one of them was hit by a stray bullet,” says Matthew Barnes. “And we have no evidence that any of them were killed because of their faith. This certainly doesn’t equate to a ‘slaughter of Christians’.”

False rumours could endanger Syrian Christians

There is more at stake, however, than misinformation. Matthew Barnes is concerned that false rumours spreading online could have severe negative repercussions for Syria’s Christians.

“I’m terribly worried by it, because something like this can rebound onto the Christians there,” he says. “When a Christian NGO recently started a lawsuit against the new president, the Syrian government summoned a bishop from the same denomination as the NGO and asked why Christians are so against the president.”

Barnes explains that those with the power to persecute Christians are increasingly aware of what is being said about Syria online: “The lesson is that we must assume that everything that’s in the news, or even on social media, will be seen by governments and other armed groups. And that can have terrible repercussions on the Christian population, who likely had nothing to do with the rumours.”

Increasing concerns

While this recent violence has not disproportionately impacted Christians, that isn’t to say that the situation in the country is safe for believers. “When I visited Christians in Syria last week, they were still cautious but optimistic. Now I think they are more cautious,” says Matthew Barnes. “Churches in Tarus and in Batia and the surrounding villages cancelled all their church services, because of the security situation. Christians in the Mediterranean region are very fearful that they will be stuck in the middle of this infighting.”

On top of this uncertainty, there are existing persecution issues in the country. Christians in Syria who have converted from Islam are particularly vulnerable to persecution from their families and communities. There is also the legacy of the previous takeover of Syria by so-called Islamic State, in which Christians were brutally targeted.

Barnes continues: “One person I know said that she knows of people now wanting to leave the country. Hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled Syria in recent years. I’m afraid if violence like this becomes commonplace, we will have another big exodus.”

Calls for prayer

Matthew Barnes joins the Syrian church in asking for the global church to keep praying. “What people can do in the first place is prayer, of course,” he says. “Pray for safety in Syria. Pray that the government will be able to control all those people with bad intentions like those who killed so many civilians, that justice will be done.”

Please also pray for Christians in the country to be salt and light in the face of this wave of violence and fear. And, of course, pray for all Syrians affected by the tragic killings. Though the violence is not currently targeting Christians, the country still certainly needs our prayers.

*Name changed for security reasons