Churches Threatened With Attack in Syria

At least two churches in the Damascus area of Syria were daubed with threatening graffiti on November 7.

At the Church of Mar Elias Il Morra – in Maarrat Saydnaya, located in the Rif Dimashq Governorate that surrounds Damascus, the Syrian capital – unidentified extremists painted the words, “After Mar Elias Dweila, Mar Elias Il Morra comes next.”

The reference to “Mar Elias Dweila” was a reminder of the June 2025 bombing that left 25 worshippers dead and more than 60 injured.

The other church targeted was the Church of Mar Cyril in the Al-Qassaa district, a predominantly Christian neighborhood in central Damascus.

“In a country already reeling from war and sectarian tensions, this graffiti signals not merely an act of intimidation but a deeper warning: that churches and minority communities could be the next target unless swift action is taken,” said a Barnabas Aid researcher.

The act provoked widespread anger among residents, who condemned it as a blatant violation of places of worship and a direct threat to civil peace.

A Barnabas Aid contact on the ground said, “Over the past few months, there has been chaos. We hope the situation will improve and that our lives will lead a steady and protected rhythm.”

Revenge Attacks and Violent Reprisals

Communities across western Syria are living in new fear following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, as revenge attacks and sectarian killings increase.

Although the former government’s collapse was welcomed by many, minority groups – including Christians, Alawites, and Druze – now face violent reprisals in areas which were once relatively stable.

On October 1, two Christian cousins, Wissam and Shafiq Mansour, both aged 39, were shot dead by a masked gunman on a motorbike while sitting outside in their home village of Anaz, in the Valley of the Christians (Wadi al-Nasara) in rural Homs.

Locals believe the killings were intentional and sectarian in nature.

At the funeral, family members expressed deep grief and frustration. Wissam’s father lamented that Christians had been disarmed while neighboring villages retained weapons. “Today it is Wissam,” he warned, “tomorrow it could be any of us.”

The sole survivor of the attack says he will now leave Syria, fearing that the promises of security after the revolution are not being realized. “We do not see the future we were told about,” he said. “There are many extremist groups. I don’t know where Syria is going.”

Read more: How Long, O Lord? Syria’s Endangered Christians Left in Mourning

Only a short distance away, in Homs city, Alawites – who make up roughly 10% of the population and were widely associated with the government of Assad, himself an Alawite – are experiencing a similar wave of attacks. Killings and kidnappings take place quietly, often unreported, and rarely investigated.

Syria’s transitional authorities have pledged to protect all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation. However, many Christians say these assurances feel hollow as extremist groups and local armed factions continue to operate with impunity.

A Barnabas Aid contact in Syria added, “There has been a deep spirit of vengeance; extremists seek to destroy, but the Church remains steady despite the challenges and is even growing.”

“The challenge is not only one of violence but also of erasure,” says our researcher. “Once-vibrant communities are being forced from their ancestral homelands – the very land where one of the most remarkable transformations in Christian history occurred, on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).”