Christian community in Rish Ayno dwindles after years of conflict and Turkish occupation

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — Before conflict erupted across Syria in 2011, and reached the city of Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn) in 2012, approximately 230 Christian families resided there, practicing their faith in three churches located in the Church Quarter. Today, however, Rish Ayno remains virtually devoid of Christians.

Simon Gerges, a member of the Rish Ayno Displaced Persons Committee, spoke to North Press Agency about the drastic changes in the city. He explained that between 2012 and 2015, following attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) on the city and its surrounding countryside, most Christian residents were forced to flee. Only around 60 families returned to Rish Ayno and resumed their lives before the Turkish invasion in 2019.

Following the Turkish invasion and occupation in 2019, a mere six Christians remain in the city.

“In the past, the sounds of church bells constantly echoed throughout the city, signaling prayer times, Mass, and other religious ceremonies,” Gerges said. “But since the Turkish occupation forces and allied factions took over the city, religious rituals have ceased, and no church bell has rung.”

Muhyiddin Isso, Executive Director of the Association of Victims of Forced Displacement, added that Christians once made up 10% of Rish Ayno’s population, with entire neighborhoods inhabited by Christian families. After the Turkish invasion, however, the Christian population was completely displaced.

The once-thriving Christian community in Rish Ayno has now become a symbol of the broader displacement caused by years of war and occupation.