Syria: Army commander promises to protect beleaguered Christian community

Commander Al-Sawadi visits Syriac Orthodox Church in Ras Al-Ein.

Source: CSW

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that the commander of Brigade 20 of the Syrian National Army visited the local Christian community in Ras Al-Ein in northern Syria on 22 June and promised to support and protect the few remaining Christians in the town.

Ras Al-Ein is close to the Syrian border with Turkey and is currently under the control of a coalition of Islamist militias. Abdulaziz Al-Sawadi, who is also known as Abou Barzan, controls an area 25 miles west of the town.

Commander Al-Sawadi visited St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church and the church's library. He expressed his commitment to strengthening the positive relationship and channels of communication with local communities and to developing an effective mechanism to deal with and resolve complaints and feuds, especially those related to land and property.

A local resident told CSW: "We were delighted to welcome Abou Barzan and his staff to our town and church. Our relationship with them goes back to 2019 and we have always appreciated his understanding of, and respect for, the religious and ethnic diversity of our town, and his commitment to fostering a friendly relationship with the different communities, a relationship built on trust, cooperation and respect for civilians' rights."

The same source confirmed to CSW that there are no issues related to land and property rights in the area under Commander Al-Sawadi's authority, and that landowners enjoy full control over their farms and crops, unlike in other areas, such as those controlled by militias like the Al-Moutasem and Suliman Shah Brigades, where farmlands are confiscated and landowners are forced to pay unlawful taxes and bribes.

The same source continued: "We have reached out to [the brigades] several times but they have constantly ignored our complaints and treated us disrespectfully and threatened us. They should learn from Abou Barzan, who seeks to support and empower civilians and civil society in the area."

A senior tribal chief told CSW: "As Sunni Arab tribes, we denounce the behaviours of militia groups such as Al-Moutasem and Suliman Shah. They don't represent us; they only represent themselves and their backers. They are worse than Assad's officials, who were corrupt but didn't interfere with personal and religious freedoms. They are warlords who betrayed the aspirations of the 2011 uprising."

CSW's Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: "We commend this gesture by Commander Al-Sawadi. We encourage him to continue to demonstrate commitment and respect to human rights and the protection of civil society, and call on other armed groups to follow this example. We also call on the UK and US governments, the EU and UN to press the Syrian opposition and the Turkish government to restrain the armed groups loyal to them from committing violations, and to raise the issue of human rights, especially freedom of religion or belief and women's rights, in all bilateral talks. The Syrian opposition and the Turkish government should act immediately to end all forms of human rights abuses, some of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the areas under their control."