Christians of Syria’s Suwayda demand action following church bombing
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – Christians of Suwayda city, southern Syria, called on Monday for tangible measures to curb hate speech and sectarian incitement following church attack in Damascus.
Following a prayer service in mourning for the victims of the Mar Elias Church bombing, Maisaa al-Abdullah, a member of the General Secretariat of the Suwayda General Conference, told North Press, that Syrians continue to bear the brunt of incitement and sectarian tension in the absence of any real accountability for those responsible.
On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, killing 25 people and injuring 63, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health.
She added that participation in the prayer service was meant to show solidarity with the victims and to reject ongoing bloodshed in Syria.
Fadi al-Farnan, a resident of Suwayda, told North Press, “We strongly condemn this terrorist act that targeted Mar Elias Church in al-Dweilaa. As Syrians, we are accustomed to coexistence. Killing and violence are not part of the Syrian people’s values, across all sects.”
“This attack poses a serious threat to our civil peace and national unity,” he added.