Christians in Syria and Iraq have faced severe persecution in recent years, particularly from extremist groups like ISIS. In Syria, the ongoing civil war has left Christian communities vulnerable to violence, forced conversions, and displacement. The rise of ISIS in 2014 led to widespread destruction of Christian homes, churches, and entire neighborhoods. Many Christians were forced to flee, with entire communities displaced and religious sites destroyed. Today, in echoes of the genocide of the last century, Turkey continuously bombs Christian villages on the border between Turkey and Syria. This has forced thousands more local Christians to finally emigrate out of Syria, an existential threat to the continued presence of the Christians in the region in the future. Clandestine ISIS cells continue to threaten those who remain, making further emigration even more likely. The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) has shifted the tide for religious minorities in the country, and poses no such choice. It offers something that other governments in the Middle East have failed to: the right for residents to freely choose their faith or change their faith, with no conditions, and without any fear of persecution, or government interference.
This model offers a rare example of peaceful coexistence for religious minorities, and offers a chance at cultural prosperity for all groups. For the first time in Syria, Christian students are allowed to receive education in their own language, a dialect of the language spoken by Jesus. In recent years in DAANES, thousands have converted to Christianity in newly opened Evangelical congregations. The historical Syriac and Assyrian Christian churches formerly targeted by ISIS extremists are thriving again, without fear of persecution amongst their neighbors.
Under DAANES governance, Christians have been able to practice their faith freely, with churches and religious institutions protected from extremists. Local Christian militias, like the Syriac Military Council (MFS), and the Khabour Guard, defend their own communities and serve on the frontlines of the counter-ISIS efforts alongside the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The continuation of this partnership is crucial to the future survival of the Christian communities in the region, who face an existential threat from Turkish and extremist attacks in the region.
The DAANES’s commitment to pluralism and democracy has made it a rare safe haven in a region where Christians, Kurds, and other minorities have long faced genocidal threats. Despite, and perhaps because of, its status as a non-state actor, the DAANES has provided a model of how inclusive local governance can protect religious freedoms and foster peace in conflict-affected areas. For Christians in Syria, DAANES offers hope—a place where they can live in safety, rebuild their communities, and practice their faith without fear.. For Christians living across the region, including across the border in the Nineveh plains in Iraq, who are facing increased pressure and persecution, this model is a lifeline for their continued existence in their homeland.