By Joseph DeCaro, BosNewsLife International Correspondent
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)– A group supporting persecuted Christians said Thursday, October 13, that Syria’s Christian minority is suffering more ever after reports that at least 2,700 people have been killed and thousands more arrested in efforts to overthrow the country’s long-time President Bashar al-Assad.
Open Doors USA said it had urged supporters to pray for the country’s Christian minority as they are facing food shortages and fear a strict version of Sharia, or Islamic law, may soon be introduced.
“More so perhaps than the regular population there’s a great need for goods (and) for food … we need to uplift the Christian community there, which numbers about ten percent of the country…1.9 million people,” said Open Doors USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra.
The situation has been worsened because of job losses and increased food prices, according to Christian activists. Additionally, Dykstra said, there is concern that after al-Assad is eventually overthrown, “Sharia law may be implemented, which will further threaten Syrian Christians.”
LAW “THREATENS CHRISTIANS”
“Many Iraqi Christians have fled into Syria — maybe 100,000 Christians there in the last few months,” added Dykstra, “and they’re fearful what happened in Iraq will also happen in Syria.”
After Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was removed from office, imprisoned, convicted and executed, Iraqi Christians complained of increased persecution and many fled into Syria and other nations.
