A prominent Syrian Christian leader publicly criticized President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a funeral service last Tuesday, accusing his administration of failing to safeguard religious minorities after a suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus resulted in at least 25 deaths.
The explosion took place on June 22 in the Al-Douweila district of Damascus during a prayer service at Mar Elias Church, killing at least 25 and injuring 59 others. The attack, which occurred during Sunday mass, was the deadliest on Syrian Christians since the fall of the Assad regime.
The assailant, identified as a member of the Islamic State terrorist group, entered the church, opened fire on worshipers, then detonated an explosive vest. Syria’s Ministry of Health initially reported nine fatalities, but the number rose significantly by Monday, with Assistant Health Minister Hussein Al-Khatib seen visiting survivors in hospitals.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John (X) Yazigi addressed mourners at the Church of the Holy Cross, where nine victims were laid to rest in white coffins covered with flowers. The service was attended by Social Affairs Minister Hind Kabawat, the only Christian and the only woman in Syria’s new government.
“With love and with all due respect, Mr. President, you spoke yesterday by phone ... to express your condolences. That is not enough for us,” he said, according to Reuters. Yazigi, the most senior Christian cleric in Syria, said the bombing was a direct result of government failure and demanded action rather than sympathy.
“What is important to me — and I will say it — is that the government bears responsibility in full,” he added, drawing applause from hundreds of mourners.
President al-Sharaa condemned the bombing as a crime against all Syrians in his June 23 address but did not specifically mention Christians or churches. The government later reported that two Islamic State militants were killed in follow-up security operations, including one believed to have facilitated the bomber’s entry into the church.
The Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack via a statement reported by The Telegraph. The group has a history of targeting Christians and other minorities, adhering to a sectarian ideology that considers non-Sunni groups as enemies.
Around the same time, two other churches in Damascus were targeted: the Deir Ibrahim al-Khalil Monastery in Douweila and the Church of Our Lady in Maqsura, according to All Arab News.
Once comprising 10% of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million, Christians now number only a few hundred thousand, with most having fled the country since the start of the civil war due to fears of persecution and insecurity.
