Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen
Israeli media: Echoes of several explosions heard in central occupied territories
United States: A federal judge temporarily blocks President Donald Trump from deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland
Syria: Local sources for Al-Mayadeen: An IOF patrol consisting of 4 vehicles entered the village of Suissa in the southern countryside of Quneitra
Trump on Truth Social: When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective
Trump on Truth Social: After negotiations, 'Israel' has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: We tell the enemy soldiers that we are not far from you, and you will see our faces whenever we decide to, because we are waging a harsh and complex battle of attrition
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing toward the heart of Gaza City under the watchful eyes of our Resistance fighters with their tactics focused on valuable targets
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing slowly and using unmanned vehicles to uncover and target combat nodes, which we are aware of

Syria's spiritual leaders call for halt of bloodshed amid massacres

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Al Mayadeen + Agencies
  • 8 Mar 2025 21:05
  • 1 Shares
5 Min Read

Spiritual leaders in Syria reject the systematic killings and call for dialogue among the country's people.

Listen
  • x
  • Patriarchs
    Reinforcement Syrian security forces deploy in the outskirts of Latakia, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)

The Christian churches, while strongly condemning any act that undermines civil peace, also denounce and reject the massacres targeting innocent citizens, the patriarchs of Syria said in a joint statement, as a war monitor said more than 500 people from the country's minority Alawite community have been killed in recent days.

The patriarchs said that in recent days, Syria has witnessed "a dangerous escalation in violence, abuse, and killings," resulting in harm to innocent civilian citizens, including women and children.

They noted that these acts also involved the violation of homes and their sanctity, as well as the theft of property.

The statement emphasized the urgent need "to put an end to these horrific acts that contradict all human and ethical values."

The churches also called for an expedited effort to create the conditions necessary for national reconciliation among the Syrian people and to establish an environment that facilitates the transition to a state that respects all its citizens and fosters a society based on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, "free from the logic of revenge and exclusion."

At the same time, they reaffirmed Syria's territorial integrity and rejected any attempt to partition the country.

The patriarchs urged all relevant parties within Syria to bear their responsibilities in halting "the cycle of violence" and to work toward peaceful solutions that preserve human dignity and safeguard national unity.

"We pray that God preserves Syria and its people, and that peace prevails across its land," the statement concluded.

'Fires ignited under sectarian banners will burn all of Syria'

On his part, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Syria, called for an immediate cessation of military operations along the Syrian coast, expressing his rejection of "systematic killings".

"We appeal to all parties to adhere to the law, international principles, and conventions that prohibit the killing of innocent civilians," Sheikh al-Hajri stressed in a statement.

The Druze leader underscored that offenders must be held accountable under the rule of law, justice, and fair trial, "away from the language of violence and revenge."

Related News

Sweida living conditions worsen as bakeries close down amid shortages

IOF raid Daraa village, arrest four young Syrians

"We place the responsibility on the guarantor countries for all parties to take immediate and effective action to end this tragedy without delay," he asserted.

Sheikh al-Hajri warned that "the fires ignited under sectarian banners will burn all of Syria and its people," urging "the rational voices from all sides to intervene immediately to halt the bloodshed and prevent the country from descending into an irreparable abyss."

"Let the disputes be settled at the negotiating table, not in the battlefield with the killing of innocents," he indicated.

'Cycle of violence will bring no good to anyone'

Similarly, Sayyed Abdullah Nizam, the President of the Islamic Scholarly Assembly for the Followers of Ahl al-Bayt in Syria, asserted that "the cycle of violence sweeping through the country and the sectarian rhetoric will bring no good to anyone."

"Blood does not stop blood, and violence does not end violence," he said, underscoring that "it is imperative for everyone to halt the violence and engage in genuine, serious dialogue that defines the social and political face of Syria, one that is accepted by the majority of its citizens and that takes into consideration the diversity of all its segments."

Sayyed Nizam stressed that Syria belongs to all its citizens and that every Syrian has the right to live on its land in peace, security, dignity, and honor.

"Our people must not fall for calls to engage in armed conflict or to attack the state," he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday reported that 532 Alawite civilians "were killed in the coastal regions of Syria and the Latakia mountains by security forces and allied groups."

The Alawites are a religious minority to which the toppled president Bashar al-Assad happens to belong.

The Britain-based Observatory said they were killed in "executions" carried out by security personnel or pro-government fighters" and accompanied by "looting of homes and properties".

The civilian deaths brought the overall toll since Thursday to 745, after clashes killed 93 members of the new government's security forces and 120 militants reportedly affiliated with the former regime, according to the Observatory's figures.

The Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that toppled al-Assad in December, has vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, has reported multiple massacres in recent days, with women and children among the killed.

"The vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated to the ministry of defence and the interior," the monitor pointed out on Friday.

Read more: Thousands of Syrians flee to Lebanon as coastal clashes intensify

  • Syria
  • Alawite
  • Alawite community

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Trump’s 21-point Gaza plan vs Netanyahu’s demand for Hamas defeat

Trump vows 'something special' in ME; Israeli delegation in chaos

  • US & Canada
  • 28 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Activists deported to Turkey after 'Israel' hijacks Sumud Flotilla
West Asia

137 activists arrive in Turkey after 'Israel' hijacked Sumud Flotilla

Law enforcement hold back protesters near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Black Hawks and break-ins: Chicago immigration crackdown intensifies

WP: American Jews increasingly critical of 'Israel' over Gaza War
US & Canada

Majority of American Jews say 'Israel' committed war crimes in Gaza

David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, at the “Rebels With a Cause” gala in Hollywood, in 2014 (AP)
Politics

The Ellisons take US media power structure by storm, reshape industry

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS