The situation of Syrian minorities after 2011: Christians. (English)

After the revolution of 2011, the issue of Syrian minorities has attracted more attention both locally and internationally. The various dominant groups in Syria – with their different backgrounds – have made the situation of minority communities more complicated. In this research, we investigate the case of Syrian Christians post-2011. To this end, we followed a qualitative research approach and conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with both Christian and non-Christian Syrians living inside and outside Syria. To answer the research questions, we used the thematic analysis method. We grouped the findings under five main topics: Christians’ relationships with the Assad regime, Christians’ relationships with the Syrian opposition, Christians’ situation in the areas controlled by radical groups, Christians’ situation in the areas controlled by Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), and Christians’ role in the Syrian conflict. The research findings give a deeper understanding of Syrian Christians’ attitude towards the ongoing fight in Syria. They also show how the Assad regime has exploited the leaders of the Christian community to get them to its side to gain some international support and increase the fears of the potential regime substitutes. Moreover, the research considers Christians’ future in Syria after all the complexities of the country’s current situation.

Keywords: Syrian Christians, Syrian minorities, the Syrian conflict