21-year-old Christian Eliah Simon Tekla murdered by jihadist gunmen in Syria amid rising violence against minorities.
Newsroom (02/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) As Damascus reaches a fragile understanding with Kurdish militias to contain fighting in Syria’s northeast, violence against religious minorities continues to claim lives. The latest victim is 21-year-old Eliah Simon Tekla, a young Christian murdered by a jihadist commando outside his home in Muhradah, western Syria, on the afternoon of January 31.
A video circulated by activist networks and the NGO Assyro-Chaldéens, l’histoire continue shows Tekla’s car parked on the roadside. As he opens the door to step out, another vehicle pulls up. One assailant fires multiple rounds into the driver’s side, while another checks the rear seat before both flee, leaving Tekla fatally wounded. Witnesses say the attackers, believed to be linked to Islamic extremists, targeted the youth after noticing a rosary hanging in his car—a chilling sign of ongoing religious executions in Syria’s post-Assad era.
A Pattern of Faith-Based Killings
Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall and the rise of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s Christian community has faced relentless persecution. According to local sources, at least 71 Christians were killed last year alone, though rights monitors believe the true toll is significantly higher. Many of the attacks are attributed to factions within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that dominates large parts of the northwest.
In addition to killings, minority-owned shops and businesses have been attacked, churches vandalized, and community leaders kidnapped or threatened. Twenty-seven of the deaths were linked to a terrorist assault on the Church of Saint-Élie in Damascus, while 44 others were murdered in separate targeted incidents.
An Open Doors report recently ranked Syria sixth on its World Watch List 2025, marking a sharp increase in violence and hostility toward Christians. “Widespread instability has exposed minorities to lethal danger,” the report notes, adding that women face heightened risks of abduction and assault, while men’s livelihoods are crushed by discrimination and unemployment.
“A Level of Danger Not Seen Since ISIS”
The worsening conditions have drawn comparisons to the dark years of Islamic State (ISIS) occupation. Analysts warn that the collapse of central authority and the fragmentation of local security forces have created fertile ground for sectarian terror. “The country is experiencing the highest level of danger for Christians since ISIS controlled vast territories,” the report concludes.
Even in Aleppo, once Syria’s economic powerhouse, fear and fatigue now dominate daily life. “People are exhausted by war, trauma, and endless crises,” wrote Fr. Bahjat Karakach, parish priest of St. Francis Church. His words capture the psychological toll on communities still struggling to recover from over a decade of civil conflict.
Cultural Cleansing and Lost Heritage
Assyrian political analyst Namrood Shiba describes the crisis as one of cultural erasure. In a piece for Aina, he noted that Christian villages have been destroyed or seized, churches desecrated, and ancient heritage sites looted or demolished. “This is not only the persecution of a minority,” he warned, “but an assault on the region’s shared history—an act of cultural cleansing prohibited by international law.”
A Minister’s Burden Amid Sectarian Tensions
Within the new Damascus government, Hind Kabawat, its only female and Christian minister, faces scrutiny over her ability to protect vulnerable groups. In a recent BBC interview, she acknowledged the pain of those suffering around her: “I see people’s suffering, and I feel responsible for their pain.” Though often criticized for not doing enough, Kabawat insists her mission is national, not sectarian. “The moment I start feeling like a minority or a woman, I will lose my legitimacy,” she said.
Amid promises of reform and reconciliation, Kabawat’s words underscore the gap between Syria’s political rhetoric and its grim reality. For families like that of Eliah Simon Tekla, justice remains distant, and survival itself an act of faith.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Aisanews.it
Related Images:
