A predominantly Christian village in Syria is calling for “security, justice, and accountability,” as one priest wrote on Facebook.  

Al-Suqaylabiyah has experienced its second attack in six months from its predominantly Muslim neighbor, Al-Qalaa (Qalaat al-Madiq). 

Young men from Al-Qalaa tried to intimidate a shop owner in the village, but other young men rushed to defend the owner and forced them to leave. Yet, on the night of Oct. 3, the aggressors returned armed and in greater numbers. 

They fired at houses and even shot at an Orthodox priest in his vehicle, who managed to escape unharmed. Police responded to the incident and arrested several attackers and two Christian men, the latter of whom were released two days later. No immediate reports of fatalities emerged. 

“No one has the right to enter your homes or threaten your safety and dignity,” Father Fadi Sankari, a Greek Orthodox priest in the village, said in a statement on Facebook. 

Father Sankari also charged Christians to stay strong as they recover from the traumatic experience: “The Lord is with us, and we will not leave each other.” 

The truth is, Al-Suqaylabiyah is still trying to recover from the last time a mob from Al-Qalaa attacked their community. Shortly before Easter, members of the community prevented a group of young men from further harassing a young woman in the village. Yet they returned as a mob carrying sticks and knives, and they attacked businesses and people. 

“When they attempted to break into my neighbor’s shop, he shouted that he was Sunni,” one eyewitness had said, so they left him alone and proceeded to vandalize the rest of the property.” 

Now the community is hoping for long-lasting justice and peace but is preparing itself for more violence.  

“We hope this time to be the last time, but reality shows that each attack is worse than the previous,” a resident said. 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide Founder President Mervyn Thomas said in a statement, “CSW condemns this latest outbreak of sectarian violence in Suqaylabiyah … We urge the authorities to prioritize the protection of vulnerable communities and reiterate our call for the international community to press the Syrian government to address extremism, hate speech, and sectarian incitement as a matter of urgency.” 

Story by Bella Agnello 

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