Syria: Suicide Bomber Attacks Orthodox Church in Damascus

A statement from the Syrian Interior Ministry explained that "a suicide bomber affiliated with the Daesh group entered St. Elijah Church, opened fire, and detonated his explosive belt." According to the Ministry of Health, quoted by the SANA news agency, the attack left 20 dead and 52 injured.

AFP correspondents saw rescuers evacuating people after the attack, which damaged the church, where wooden debris and icons were scattered on the ground, littered with pools of blood. The area was cordoned off by security forces.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry described this criminal act, "targeting Christian worshippers as a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and destabilize the country." The Interior Minister stated that "specialized teams" had begun investigating.

A Sadly Predictable Attack

Most recently, an article on this website was titled "Islamic State Regains Strength in Syria and Iraq." It reiterated a report from The Christian Post, which, based on a variety of sources, described the resumption of Daesh activity on Syrian territory. It noted in particular the transfer of jihadist fighters to cities such as Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus.

ISIS had already attacked members of the Syrian transitional government, dubbed the "Syrian apostate regime." This upsurge in activity raised fears of a resumption of attacks, although some believed that ISIS jihadists would still need time to gather the necessary resources to carry out their actions.

But it is not only ISIS jihadists who pose a threat to Christians. For example, on June 8, the cross on the Syrian Orthodox St. Mary’s Cathedral in Homs was machine-gunned. It was not the Islamic State, but members of one of the jihadist groups that had seized power, eager to take revenge and threaten Christians.

For Jacques Mourad, Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Christians in Syria are not currently being persecuted, but they still live in insecurity. Religious services and processions can currently take place without hindrance. The new government has also made numerous conciliatory gestures toward Christians and other religious minorities.

But regulations vary greatly depending on the region, and no one wants to incur the displeasure of the new leaders, Archbishop Jacques Mourad said during an online press conference organized by the organization Aid to the Church in Need.

The fact that Islamist militias control the streets is worrying for many people, the archbishop explained. While many Syrians are satisfied with the new government, fear also reigns among Muslims: "For the Islamists, if a Sunni doesn't toe the line, he is considered a blasphemer, and blasphemy is punishable by death!" 

The June 22 Sunday attack in Damascus is likely only the first in an era where the jihadist factions of the interim government—which diverge on several points—and those of Daesh risk killing each other, in the process attacking the Christians they would like to see leave Syria. And, unfortunately, they could achieve this through a terror campaign.