In Strasbourg, during a plenary session of the European Parliament as part of debates on violations of human rights, democratic principles, and the rule of law, a discussion took place on the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group were PiS MEPs Małgorzata Gosiewska and Joachim Brudziński.
Małgorzata Gosiewska said that recent months in Syria have seen a new wave of violence against religious minorities, especially Christians. She noted that kidnappings, murders, and the destruction of cemeteries are commonplace, and that on June 22 in Damascus, a terrorist attack took place during a liturgy at the Mar Elias Orthodox Church, killing 25 innocent people and injuring more than 60. “This was an attack not only on life, but on identity, on the presence of Christians in the Middle East,” said the MEP.
The Polish politician quoted Father Waldemar Cisło, a professor working in the Middle East: “The attack in Damascus is a tragic reflection of the situation of Christian minorities in Syria following the change in government. The deaths of innocent Christians expose a real threat to which the authorities should respond immediately, but they are not. Ahmed al-Shara’s government promised equality, religious neutrality, and security. Meanwhile, elements of Sharia law are being introduced in schools, and the Islamization of public life is advancing.”
Gosiewska called on the European Parliament to condemn this attack and to exert pressure on Syria’s new authorities so that religious minorities can live without fear. She also demanded international protection for places of worship. “Let’s make EU aid conditional on respect for religious freedom. Let’s show that Europe does not forget its brothers and sisters in faith, even if they are thousands of kilometers away,” she appealed.
Joachim Brudziński noted that Syria is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, dating back to the first century CE, and is referred to as the cradle of Christianity. He noted that before the civil war began in 2011, Christians made up about 10 percent of the population. “For centuries, they served as a bridge in the Middle East between warring Muslims and Shiite and Sunni factions,” added the PiS politician, pointing out that they now make up less than 2 percent of the population, having fallen from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2020—mainly due to the war, ongoing persecution, displacement, and emigration.
The MEP stated that it is scandalous that the debate “on yet another manifestation of Islamic terrorism” and the attack during a service at an Orthodox church attended by 350 Christians is taking place in the European Parliament late at night. He recalled that the same was true of the discussion on persecuted Christians in Nigeria. “It’s as if we were ashamed to speak up for our Christian brothers and sisters in this place. If the issue concerned imaginary persecution of the LGBT community, it would be a priority debate at 9:00 a.m.,” Brudziński said.
