A peacemaker amid Syria’s sectarian massacres 

By Ghinwa Akiki and Hunter Williamson

April 17, 2025

In a small village in northwest Syria, tensions were still high as roughly 100 women from different religious backgrounds gathered for Mother’s Day events hosted by a Thimar-supported church in late March.  

Just a few weeks earlier, more than a thousand people had been killed in sectarian-based violence in nearby areas. The killings had prompted tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Some fled to the neighboring country of Lebanon; others went to nearby villages, including the one where the church is based. 

“Because of the situation, we did not expect to see this many women attending the event,” said Ramia, a church member who helped organize the gathering. 

As surprising as it was, it seemed to be the fruit of all the church had done. Amid the fear, uncertainty, and distrust gripping Syria’s northwest coastal areas, the church had made itself a space where people felt loved, safe, and accepted, regardless of whether they were Christian or from a different religious background. 

The church, which is supported by Thimar’s relief and development ministry MERATH, has been actively helping people since Syria’s civil war began in 2011. But what made the fact that women from various religious backgrounds gathered together so remarkable were the circumstances in which the Mother’s Day event took place.  

In December, armed opposition forces ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. The fall of Assad largely brought an end to Syria’s 14-year-long brutal civil war, but it also sparked fears of sectarian based violence. Syrian society is comprised of various sectarian groups, the largest of which is Sunni Muslims. Members of the Alawite community, an offshoot of Shia Islam, were particularly concerned. The Assad family was Alawite and was despised by many Syrians for its brutality, particularly during the country’s civil war. 

In the initial days after the fall of Assad, many people remained in their homes. “We spent a few days without any movement,” said Ramia. “No one was working, no one was going about their daily life, and that’s when we immediately opened the doors of the church.” 

Fearing sectarian based revenge killings from the new Sunni-Muslim rulers, Alawites began to flee their homes. Some went to neighboring Lebanon, while others went to villages that they thought would be safer, including the one where Thimar’s partner church is based. Around 170 families turned to the church for help after it posted on social media inviting anyone in need to come and receive support. 

“Many people started coming to the village after the fall of the (Assad) regime,” said Bassem*, the senior pastor. “We’ve been welcoming people for 13 years, but what’s different now is their religious background and the regions they’re coming from.” 

Amid the sectarian tensions, the church sought to embrace people from all backgrounds. In such a sensitive and divided context, church leaders needed wisdom in how to welcome individuals from opposing sects often marked by deep-rooted mistrust and hostility. “The message of our church was to show the love of Christ and that everyone is welcome and in need of him,” said Ramia.   

Elsewhere in Syria, sectarian tensions continued to grow as Alawite militias loyal to Assad attacked security forces linked to the new Syrian government. In early March, the situation drastically escalated when Alawite militias killed 16 security force members in Syria’s coastal Latakia province. The attacks quickly escalated into sectarian violence as forces linked to the new Syrian government retaliated and swept through coastal regions with large Alawite populations, as well as neighboring provinces such as Hama and Homs, killing hundreds of civilians, including entire families.

Luckily for the church, the violence did not reach its village, but it did impact neighboring areas. The massacres and killings prompted a new, larger wave of displacement, with tens of thousands of people fleeing their villages. 

The church continued its response on three levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual, offering support with no conditions attached. 

“We didn’t tell them that if you come, we will help you,” Bassem said. “We didn’t put any conditions on them.” 

The church’s Mercy Ministry prepared food and health packages and organized home deliveries. Church members of all ages, from elementary children to young adults, joined in helping. By involving the youth in the church, its leaders hoped not only to instill Christ-like values in its young people; they also sought to draw a comparison between the love of the church and the violence ensuing around them. 

“We aimed to create inner peace and build a culture of peace among the youth and the new generation,” said Pastor Bassem. “We recognized that is the best way to respond to violence.” 

As the community saw the church welcoming everyone with open arms and treating them without differentiation, families who had fled to the village began sending their children to the church’s Bible classes, where they heard Biblical stories, took part in fun activities, and built friendships.   

“As the children began attending the Christian teaching ministry, a genuine change happened in their lives,” Bassem said. “They returned home excited, sharing what they had learned, how happy they were, and how much their leaders loved and cared for them.”  

The church leaders even visited the children at their homes, which brought a sense of peace and reassurance both to them and their parents, helping them overcome fear and change the negative perceptions of others.  

This initiative led six families to start attending church gatherings. 

“We recognize that people’s true need is to be embraced, to feel that they are cared for,” said Bassem. “Everyone is looking for a family. Everyone is looking for a teaching that calls for reconciliation. This allowed us to gain their love and trust.” 

Through such efforts and care, the church created an environment where people from all backgrounds could gather. Such an environment made it possible for Ramia and other Church leaders to organize the Mother’s Day gathering last month. 

“We saw the impact of this service on the mothers and the children,” Ramia said. “There was a person who asked us, ‘How are you gathering people? I don’t see anyone who can gather people from two different sectarian backgrounds, Alawite and Christians.’ Thank God that he gave us wisdom to be able to gather people together and give them a time of rest.” 

More than a month since the massacres took place, fear and tensions remain high in the village and other parts of Syria, with many worried that further sectarian violence could occur. Amid such concerns, people continue to come to the church, which continues to provide aid to those in need. 

“This is our faith, and this is the message of God, that he embraced all people,” Ramia said.