Syria: Christians fear kidnappings in retaliation for Houla massacre

May 31, 2012

Syrian Christians from the Homs area, fearful of being targeted in the wake of the Houla massacre, are fleeing for Lebanon, according to the Fides news agency.

Even if they have not chosen sides in Syria’s civil war, Christians are perceived as loyal to the Assad regime and thus become targets of kidnappings and revenge killings in retaliation for actions taken by the regime.

Over 50,000 Syrians have fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey, while others remaining in Syria have found refuge at a Jesuit refugee center in Aleppo.

 

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Further information:

• Christians kidnapped: after Houla, they are possible target for revenge (Fides)
• Syrian refugees welcomed by the Jesuits in the convent of St. Vartan (Fides)
• The Jesuit Fr. Paolo Dall'Oglio in prayer in Qusayr to stop the sectarian conflict (Fides)
• Syria: priest devotes himself to prayer, fasting where ‘hell is unleashing’ (CWN, 5/30)