A number of Christians in Syria are deciding to stay behind and heed what they say is God’s call to reach out to their Muslim neighbors despite the violent attacks against them, persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA has shared.
“There are some Christians who are fleeing because they have no other choice, but there are many Christians who have really felt God’s call to stay in town, even though they have been attacked and targeted because of their faith. They realize that God’s using them, and (are reaching) out to their Muslim neighbors,” Emily Fuentes, PR and Communications Coordinator at Open Doors USA, shared with The Christian Post in a phone interview on Friday.
Several reports have noted that the two-and-a-half-year civil war in Syria, which has caused over 100,000 deaths and forced over 2 million people to flee the country, is also bringing increased persecution for Christians as the Islamic extremists gain influence.
“The Christian community in Syria is stuck between two fires,” said Nadim Nassar, a Syrian from Latakia who is director of the Awareness Foundation, a U.K.-based interfaith charity, according to The Washington Post. “One fire is a corrupt regime, and everybody agrees there needs to be a change. And on the other hand, there’s a fragmented and diverse opposition on the ground who can’t control jihadist forces coming from outside the country.”