Free Advice to Our Beloved Syrian Christians

By Joseph Sliwa | President of the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union and former Member of Parliament in Iraq

First and foremost, peace to the souls of those who perished in the bombing of Mar Ellias Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Church in Damascus, and heartfelt wishes for a full recovery to the wounded. 

I offer this humble piece of advice, purely out of humanitarian concern, and it comes in two parts: 

Part One: 

It is imperative that you find a way—by any means necessary—to put an end to the influence of those Christian religious figures who exploit faith for personal or political gain. If peaceful efforts fail to remove these religious opportunists from politics, you must confront them before they sacrifice your future for their own benefit. In Iraq, they sold out their communities, striking deals that left Christians caught between hostile authorities in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.  

And now, as then, they preach resignation: “Pray to the Lord,” they say, “and He will save you”—the same dangerous mindset that once fueled the abuses by the Church during the Inquisition, when priests collected money from the sick and discouraged medical care, promising divine healing in exchange for payment. 

Part Two: 

Do not be seduced by sweet words, empty promises, or hollow slogans of nationalism touted by ruling authorities. These are nothing but temporary painkillers. History—1,400 years of it—teaches us that the moment power is within their grasp, they will betray even the last Christian remaining in Syria. 

Remember the story of Najashi and the betrayal that followed submission. Your only path to survival and dignity lies in unity around a clear political demand: self-reliance, self-protection, and legislation that safeguards your identity, heritage, and future—through the establishment of a region within a federal state. 

You must depend on yourselves militarily and in matters of security. Trust no outside force, no matter how friendly it may appear. Learn from the model of self-administration in Northeast Syria—improve upon it, expand it, and adapt it—until you achieve a unified framework that can protect all Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians across Syria.

Neither prayers, nor mourning, nor protests, nor financial aid alone will save you. Only the establishment of a political entity, backed by international support—political, military, and financial—can preserve what remains. 

And if you fail to seize this moment, if you ignore the hard lessons of your past, then forgive me for saying this: you will have no one to blame but yourselves. You will deserve whatever fate follows—and you will fall prey, yet again, to a thousand deceits.

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.