Syrian patriarchs condemn massacres as sectarian violence escalates on Syria’s coast

Members of security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government hold up their firearms as they stand by the Mediterranean sea coast in Syria’s western city of Latakia on March 9, 2025. Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, called for national unity and peace on March 9 amid growing international backlash following the killing of civilians along the country’s coast in the worst violence since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in the heartland of the Alawite minority, to which the latter belongs. / Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

ACI MENA, Mar 11, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

The Syrian coast in the western part of the country has become a theater for unprecedented unrest since the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011. This past weekend, at least 745 Alawite civilians lost their lives in what the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights described as ethnic cleansing. The clashes have reportedly killed at least 1,000 people.

The incidents unfolded as armed Alawites, opposing the new authorities in the country, killed members of the general security forces. Subsequently, government authorities sent reinforcements to the region and clashes erupted between the two groups. The violence escalated to include looting, random acts of vandalism, and targeting civilians based on sectarian grounds.

Christians, while not targeted specifically for their religious affiliations, were not spared. Some lost their lives simply for living in the region — among them Jihad Bechara, the father of a priest in the coastal city of Banias.

The Latin bishop of Aleppo, Hanna Jallouf, issued a statement on March 7 “supporting the Syrian state” against those who seek to destabilize the country and do her ill, a reference to the Assad loyalists, according to the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner.

In a joint statement issued the next day on March 8, the patriarchs of Syria condemned acts that threaten civil peace and denounced the “massacres targeting innocent civilians,” emphasizing the “urgent need to put an end to these horrific actions that contradict human and moral values.”

The patriarchs’ statement underscored the importance of Syrian territorial unity and firmly rejected any attempts at division. It also called for “swift measures to create favorable conditions for achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people and fostering an environment that enables a transition to a state that respects all its citizens, builds a society founded on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, and moves away from notions of revenge and exclusion.”

In his sermon at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X (Yazigi) expressed support for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to hold accountable those responsible for civilian bloodshed and public security violations. 

His call was echoed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in its own statement, strongly condemned “the atrocities committed against civilians on sectarian grounds.”

Addressing President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Yazigi remarked: “The sanctity and dignity of individuals have been violated. The chants and slogans being used fuel division, foster sectarianism, and undermine civil peace. Numerous towns and villages have had their homes burned and their possessions looted. The targeted areas are predominantly inhabited by Alawites and Christians, many of whom have fallen victim to these tragic killings.”

He added: “Mr. President, the icon of the Virgin Mary — honored by Muslims and Christians alike — has been desecrated and destroyed. This is not the Syria you envision in the aftermath of the revolution. We call upon you to exercise your wisdom and efforts to immediately stop these massacres and restore security and stability for all Syrians, regardless of their backgrounds.”

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.