Idlib's Christians Between Safety and Oppression: Interview

Idlib’s Christian community has lived outside the control of Assad since their villages were liberated by local opposition factions in late 2012. Yet this freedom soon came with its own challenges: criminal gangs and abusive armed groups robbed and kidnapped Christians, while many Syrian and foreign fighters seized their homes and farmland. These villages then endured a brief period of ISIS rule followed by years of rule under a mix of armed factions including Jabhat al-Nusra. Finally, with the formation of the Syrian Salvation Government in 2018 and Nusra’s transformation into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Shara’a and his chief religious advisor Sheikh Abdul Rahman Atoun began engaging with the remaining Christian families in northwest Idlib.

These meetings focused on addressing the years of violations against the community - from Free Syrian Army groups, ISIS, and Nusra itself. Gradually, between 2019 and 2023 most of the stolen homes and farmland were returned to their owners or Christian caretakers, security improved, and some public religious rites were allowed again.

The fall of Assad and HTS’s takeover of the entire country has brought renewed focus on the status of Christians under the rule of what was once a hardcore Islamist insurgent group. However, the experiences of Christian communities across Syria are extremely varied, as are the community’s opinions on the new government.

St Joseph’s Church in Qunaya. Photo Credit Nick Waters

In July, I visited the three Christian villages north of Jisr Shoughur in Idlib’s countryside. I had previously visited these villages in 2022 when I met with the local priests and HTS officials to discuss their ongoing dialogues. The dialogues were led by Abu Hanna Jalouf, then the head priest for the area but who now serves as the Bishop of Aleppo. In this latest visit I met with an older local woman in the village of Jdayda. One of the most interesting parts of our discussion was the distinction she drew between feelings of security despite the cultural oppression imposed by their neighbors. Below is a edited transcript of our interview, discussing the unique conditions of Christians in this forgotten area.