Sittings · Document
On the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria, following the recent terrorist attack on Mar Elias church in Damascus
on behalf of the PPE Group · Rapporteur: Sebastião Bugalho, Ingeborg Ter Laak, David McAllister, François-Xavier Bellamy, Andrzej Halicki, Wouter Beke, Željana Zovko, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Andrey Kovatchev, Tomas Tobé, Tomáš Zdechovský, Davor Ivo Stier, Sander Smit, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Eleonora Meleti, Vangelis Meimarakis, Georgios Aftias, Dimitris Tsiodras, Emmanouil Kefalogiannis, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Matej Tonin, Massimiliano Salini, Łukasz Kohut, Loránt Vincze, Seán Kelly, Mirosława Nykiel, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Inese Vaidere, Michalis Hadjipantela, Miriam Lexmann
This resolution condemns the terrorist attack on Mar Elias church in Damascus and calls on Syrian authorities to protect religious minorities, uphold freedom of religion, combat terrorism, and ensure inclusive governance.¶¶¶
Key points
- Strongly condemns the suicide attack on Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church and calls on Syrian authorities to bring perpetrators to justice.¶
- Calls on Syrian authorities to uphold freedom of religion and protect all communities, including Christians, Shia, Ismailis, Alawites, Yezidis, Kurds and Druze, from persecution.¶
- Recalls violence against Alawites in March and attacks on Druze neighbourhoods in Damascus.¶
- Draws attention to vulnerability of Christian communities and condemns threats against worshippers and religious sites, whose protection shall be guaranteed by authorities.¶
- Urges Syrian authorities to acknowledge suffering inflicted on Christians by systematic violence and the recent attack.¶
- Calls on Syrian transitional government to safeguard minority rights, promote inter-confessional dialogue, and ensure a People’s Assembly reflective of religious diversity.¶
- Urges Syrian authorities to intensify efforts against Islamic terrorism, notably Daesh, and calls on neighbours to support counterterrorism operations.¶
- Emphasizes that terrorist groups undermine efforts to establish a new inclusive political, economic and societal architecture in Syria.¶
- Underlines importance of tackling radicalization in Al-Hol and Roj camps and restoring government control over large areas to stabilize Syria.¶
- Welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s call not to turn gaze away from Syria.¶
Who is affected
- Syrian authorities and transitional government: must protect minorities, combat terrorism, and ensure inclusive governance.¶¶¶
- Religious and ethnic minorities in Syria, including Christians, Shia, Ismailis, Alawites, Yezidis, Kurds and Druze: targeted for protection.¶
- Syria’s neighbours: called to support counterterrorism operations.¶
Figures and deadlines
- Attack on 22 June killed twenty-five people and injured over sixty.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.