In Defense of Christians: US must press al-Sharaa to bring the perpetrators of the Mar Elias Church bombing to justice

WASHNGTON, D.C. — Christian advocacy group In Defense of Christians (IDC) has strongly condemned the suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Daramsuq (Damascus). IDC Director Richard Ghazal—himself a Syriac originally from Tur Abdin—expressed his outrage over the terrorist act and expressed full solidarity with the martyrs and injured.

Ghazal’s statement emphasizes the high number of Christian casualties and notes that this attack, the deadliest since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, has reignited fear among Syria’s remaining Christian population.

The IDC’s stance comes in support of Christians and other indigenous religious communities in the Middle East, particularly in Syria. While the Syrian government has condemned the bombing, Ghazal stresses that mere condemnation is insufficient, insisting that real and tangible steps need to be taken to hold accountable the perpetrators. Accountability is essential to prevent future atrocities.

 It calls on the U.S. government to “make clear to President al-Sharaa that any normalization of diplomatic relations with Syria depends entirely on the Syrian Transitional Government’s demonstrated ability and willingness to ensure the safety of all religious and ethnic communities, and to enforce strict accountability under the rule of law for terrorist violence against religious minorities.”