Conference at European Parliament discusses Christians’ situations in Syria

The conference, held at the European Parliament building in Brussels, discussed the situation of Christians in Syria and the challenges facing their presence, with the participation of Syrian political parties, figures and forces, as well as religious leaders, Members of the European Parliament, representatives of European institutions, and members of the Syriac-Assyrian community.

The conference was organized by a number of European organizations, including the European Syriac Union (ESU). Participants addressed the security, political, economic and living conditions in Syria and their impact on the Christian presence in the country.

During the conference, several religious leaders and political figures stressed the need to protect the Christian presence and ensure its fair participation in state institutions, as well as enshrining its religious and national rights in Syria’s future constitution.

Sanharib Barsoum, co-chair of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) in Syria, participated in the conference. In his speech, he addressed the situation of Christians in Syria and what he described as the marginalization they face, in addition to the security, economic and living challenges confronting them.

Barsoum stressed the need for clear constitutional and legal guarantees to protect the rights of the Syriac-Assyrian people, recognize their national, cultural and linguistic rights, and enshrine them in Syria’s future constitution.

He also put forward a number of proposals to strengthen the participation of members of the Syriac-Assyrian people in state institutions and ensure their fair representation, calling for the recognition of Syriac as an official language in Syria. According to his proposal, this would contribute to protecting the identity, heritage and cultural distinctiveness of the Syriac people.

Participants noted that guaranteeing the constitutional, national and religious rights of Christians would help strengthen their attachment to their homeland and reduce migration and displacement, contributing to preserving the Christian and Syriac presence in Syria.

A-H

ANHA