On the Urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria, following the recent terrorist attack on the Mar Elias church in Damascus

B100347/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the Urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria, following the recent terrorist attack on the Mar Elias church in Damascus

(2025/2798(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria;

– having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 22 June 2025, a suicide bomber attacked the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Dweil’a neighborhood of Damascus;

B. whereas the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 25 people and left 63 others injured;

C. whereas this atrocity has heightened fears among Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities amid rising threats from extremist groups;

D. whereas the protection of the ethnic and religious diversity of Syrian society is a perquisite for a successful political transition;

E. whereas Syrian authorities attributed the attack to the Islamic State (Daesh), later identifying those responsible, including alleged sleeper cells linked to the al-Hol refugee camp; whereas the extremist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah subsequently claimed responsibility;

F. whereas the European Union and the United States have recently lifted economic sanctions to support Syria’s reconstruction and reentry into global markets,

1. Strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack against the Mar Elias Church in Dweilaa, near Damascus,

2. Expresses deep concern that the attack risks undermining the ongoing political transition in Syria, particularly by spreading fear across the country and threatening Syria’s social fabric,

3. Urges the Syrian transitional government to take immediate action to end targeted violence and protect religious communities and all parts of Syrian society; calls for the protection of all communities, including Alawites, in response to reported cases of women’s abductions, sexual violence, killings, and disappearances;

4. Calls for stronger legal and security protection of worship sites, accountability for sectarian violence and hate speech, and support for interfaith dialogue and reconciliation programs;

5. Reiterates its call for an inclusive transition process that represents all of Syria’s communities, including Arabs, Kurds, Christians, Sunni, Shia, Druze, Alawites, Armenians, Turkmens and Circassians; expect this vision to be fully respected while drafting a modern democratic framework guaranteeing human rights, rule of law, security, and citizenship irrespective of faith or ethnicity;

6. Calls on Syrian authorities and international community to continue focusing on the fight against Daesh to prevent extremist resurgences;

7. Reiterates that the EU must take an active role in Syria’s democratic transition, using all tools to support the Syrian transitional government in upholding democracy and human rights, protecting all of Syria’s communities, promoting gender equality, respecting neighbouring countries and international law;

8. Supports the decision by the Foreign Affairs Council to suspend sanctions on Syria while simultaneously adopting sanctions against individuals associated to Assad’s regime and against armed entities in response to the wave of crimes against Alawite communities; advocates rigorous respect for fundamental rights, rule of law, minorities, gender equality, fight against terrorism, international law and sovereign rights of all states as preconditions for EU’s financial and political support; Expresses its strongest support for the conference with civil society scheduled for next autumn in Syria;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to Council, Commission, HRVP, transitional government of Syria and parliaments of the Member States.