Nuri Kino
Today marks the start of the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. Human rights advocates from across the world will convene to discuss how to combat the rising threat of religious and ethnic persecution. ADFA (A Demand For Action), a partner of the summit, will rally U.S. lawmakers to press for Indigenous rights and equal rights for religious and ethnic minorities under Syria's new regime. We will be joined by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church, who will travel from Damascus to lend his support.
Two months ago, on December 2, 2024, ADFA celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Södertälje, Sweden, home to a large Christian Middle Eastern diaspora. The day was marked by mixed emotions as two of our volunteers, Samuel and Harut, learned that Syrian towns had fallen to insurgents after Bashar al-Assad's exit. These men, who had fled Syria to escape conscription into Assad's army, were heartbroken as their families in Syria fled to mountains, fearing for their lives. Many Christians across Syria were uncertain about their future under insurgent rule, given the radical history of groups like HTS and their ties to ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Weeks later, the insurgents promised "equal rights," but many were skeptical. Samuel and Harut's families returned to their homes, celebrating Christmas with a mix of joy and fear, knowing they could not escape the uncertainty of their future. The situation was complex—jihadist factions in Syria had fractured, and former terrorist-controlled areas like Idlib had now seen a temporary, forced relaxation of their religious restrictions—Christmas trees and church masses were allowed.
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