{"id":59685,"date":"2025-07-22T12:38:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T17:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=59685"},"modified":"2025-07-22T12:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T17:38:04","slug":"wcc-expresses-deep-sorrow-alarm-over-recent-eruption-of-violence-in-southern-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wcc-expresses-deep-sorrow-alarm-over-recent-eruption-of-violence-in-southern-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"WCC expresses deep sorrow, alarm over recent eruption of violence in southern Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep alarm and sorrow over the recent eruption of violence in the Suweida Governorate of southern Syria, which has led to the death of at least 940 people, widespread injuries, mass displacement, and serious violations of human dignity and international law.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWe join our voices with those of religious leaders, international actors, and Syrian civil society in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of all civilians, and accountability for atrocities committed,\u201d said Pillay.\u00a0\u201cWe are particularly grieved by credible reports of extrajudicial killings, sectarian incitement, mistreatment of detainees, and the desecration of sacred human remains \u2014 all of which further tear at the fragile social fabric of Syria and endanger the prospects of national reconciliation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pillay urged that these acts be condemned without hesitation and investigated transparently, with perpetrators held accountable in accordance with the principles of justice and dignity for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a fellowship of churches committed to justice, peace, and human rights, we lift up the voices of the people of Suweida who have courageously rejected sectarian violence and continue to call for a peaceful, just, and inclusive future for Syria,\u201d he said. \u201cWe echo the appeal of His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, for an end to the bloodshed and for renewed efforts at dialogue and mediation to safeguard the lives and dignity of all communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pillay also expressed deep concern that the recent events in Suweida \u2014 along with escalating violence in the coastal region, Jaramana, Sahnaya, and the devastating suicide attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus \u2014 point to growing fragility in Syria\u2019s transition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese tragedies reflect not only a deterioration in security but also deepening social wounds,\u201d he said. \u201cIn such a context, efforts toward national healing and stability must go hand-in-hand with inclusive participation, a credible process of reconciliation, and a renewed commitment to justice and accountability. Dialogue, too, remains essential \u2014 not as a symbolic gesture, but as a sincere space for restoring trust and shaping a future rooted in dignity for all Syrians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pillay reaffirmed the World Council of Churches\u2019 commitment to standing with the people of Syria in their pursuit of dignity, living together, and peace. \u201cThrough our ongoing engagement with our member churches and partners, we remain steadfast in supporting initiatives that promote healing, trust-building, and dialogue,\u201d he said. \u201cWe urge regional and international actors, to refrain from further escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, Pillay expressed grave concern over the Israeli military strikes, which have further fuelled the conflict and increased the suffering of civilians. “Such interventions only deepen the crisis and threaten to entrench divisions,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cThe protection of all Syrian citizens must come not through foreign military action, but through a genuine, inclusive national process rooted in the rule of law, accountability, and equal rights for all \u2014 regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to read the full statement by Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. 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