New massacre, old problem: How Syria can protect its religious minorities



As Syria’s Christian community mourns its dead, we are compelled to confront the barbaric act committed against the Orthodox Christian community and the persistent dangers facing other minorities in the region. To understand this tragedy and chart a path forward, we must first revisit the turbulent history of Syria and the Levant.

In the early 20th century, Syria stood at the crossroads of empire and identity. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I gave way to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which carved up the Levant into spheres of European influence.

In Syria, federalism could succeed if implemented with fairness, robust minority protections, and international support to prevent external meddling.

Syria fell under French mandate in 1920, a betrayal of promises for an independent Arab kingdom. Instead, it became a colonial outpost shaped by European interests rather than the aspirations of its diverse peoples: Sunnis, Alawites, Christians, Kurds, Druze, and others. The French exploited sectarian divisions to maintain control, sowing seeds of mistrust that would linger for generations.

When Syria gained independence in 1946, it inherited a fragmented society with no clear framework for governing its complex population. The decades that followed were marked by coups, political instability, and the rise of the Ba’ath Party, which promised secular socialism but delivered authoritarianism instead.

Hafez al-Assad’s ascent in 1970 cemented a dynastic rule that concentrated power in a narrow, Alawite-dominated elite. While the regime claimed to protect minorities, it often sidelined or suppressed other ethnic and religious groups, fostering resentment beneath a veneer of secular nationalism.

A brutal turning point

The Arab Spring of 2011 shattered this fragile order. Peaceful protests against authoritarianism were met with brutal repression, igniting a civil war that drew in foreign powers and fractured the nation.

Amid the chaos, extremist factions like ISIS emerged, targeting religious minorities as enemies of their radical vision. Christians, whose presence in Syria dates back two millennia, faced systematic persecution, with historic churches destroyed and communities displaced.

This past year, the trauma deepened. Last month, a suicide bomber opened fire during Sunday mass in a small church in western Syria, killing 22 worshippers and wounding 63 in an attack reminiscent of ISIS’ atrocities in Qaraqosh and Maaloula.

The Druze minority in the south faced similar threats from Islamic groups within the coalition that ousted the Assad regime. To their credit, the Druze, with support from Israel, armed and defended their communities. The Alawite minority endured revenge killings in the wake of regime change, while the Kurds, battle-hardened but geopolitically isolated, remain vulnerable due to Turkey’s hostility.

These incidents underscore a grim reality: Syria’s minorities are pawns in a larger geopolitical game, their survival perpetually at risk.

A new solution: Federalism

This is not a moment for empty platitudes. Syria needs to confront a painful truth: A unitary, centrally governed state has repeatedly failed to protect its people, especially its minorities. The alternative, however, is federalism.

A federal Syria would not mean partition but rather an organized decentralization of power. Regions could govern themselves according to their cultural, ethnic, or religious identities, while national unity would be preserved for issues like foreign policy and defense. Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds could administer their affairs, ensure their security, preserve their heritage, and rebuild trust in governance.

Such a system would empower local communities to protect Christian populations, preventing the decimation of ancient communities as seen in Iraq after 2003. A federal structure would foster resilience against external threats, allowing minorities to safeguard their futures.

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  Wildpixel via iStock/Getty Images

Federalism, though imperfect, has stabilized other post-conflict, multiethnic societies. Iraq’s Kurdish region, despite challenges, enjoys significant autonomy. Bosnia’s power-sharing model, while complex, has maintained peace. Even Switzerland’s federal system, rooted in linguistic and cultural diversity, provides a blueprint for striking a balance between local autonomy and national cohesion.

In Syria, federalism could succeed if implemented with fairness, robust minority protections, and international support to prevent external meddling.

A break from the past

Pan-Arab nationalism and centralized rule, imposed after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, failed to deliver either stability or pluralism. Syria’s latest church attack adds to a long history of betrayals against its minority populations.

To survive as more than a failed state, Syria must adopt a structure that protects the vulnerable and manages its divisions, not one that tries to crush them. Federalism won’t solve everything, and many will resist it. But Syria has already tested the alternative — consolidated power, endless violence — and that path led to ruin.

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JD Vance reveals how the White House will uproot religious persecution: 'It ends with this administration'



Religious persecution came to a head under former President Joe Biden's administration, weaponizing the government to imprison pro-life protesters and censoring Americans for holding views they deemed unorthodox.

But under President Donald Trump's new administration, Vice President JD Vance outlined all the efforts that have already been made to eliminate the religious persecution pushed by predecessors.

'How did America get to the point where we're sending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe?'

"We are only in the third week of his second term, but I think it's safe to say we've accomplished maybe more in the last two weeks than a lot of administrations have in a few years," Vance said during his remarks at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Wednesday. "But this administration is intent on not just restoring but on expanding the achievements of the first four years and certainly of the last two weeks."

"In this short period, the president has issued orders to end the weaponization of the federal government against religious Americans, pardon pro-life protesters who were unjustly imprisoned under the last administration, and importantly, stop the federal censorship used to prevent Americans from speaking their conscience and speaking their mind, whether it's in their communities or online," Vance added.

Vance reiterated the administration's dedication to religious liberty, referring to recent scandals that revealed egregious instances of government overreach and misuse of taxpayer dollars to push anti-American agendas across the globe.

"Now, our administration believes we must stand for religious freedom, not just as a legal principle as important as that is, but as a lived reality, both within our own borders and especially outside of it," Vance said. "In recent years, too often has our nation's international engagement on religious liberty issues been corrupted and distorted to the point of absurdity. Think about this: How did America get to the point where we're sending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe?"

"That is not what leadership on protecting the rights of the faithful looks like, and it ends with this administration," Vance added.

Vance pointed to key players in the administration who will work to bolster religious freedom, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Vance noted that Rubio, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, holds a "dedication of religious liberty" that "flows from his faith," calling him one of the "great living champions of religious freedom across the globe."

Notably, Rubio has taken over as acting director of USAID, which previously dedicated tens of millions of dollars of funding to anti-American programs and anti-Christian NGOs around the world.

"Both at home and abroad, we have much more to do to more fully secure religious liberty for all people of faith," Vance said. "I am grateful for the painstaking work that everyone in this room has poured into that effort, and I pray that together, we will be able to better protect the dignity of all peoples, as well as the rights of all believers to practice their faith according to the dictates of their conscience."

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Veteran teacher suspended, faces firing for having cross by desk; law firm says school district violating free speech rights



A public school teacher in Connecticut was suspended and threatened with termination after refusing to remove a small crucifix near her desk, according to a religious liberty law firm representing her.

Marisol Arroyo-Castro — a veteran teacher of more than 30 years who is a devout Catholic — has reportedly been a victim of religious discrimination.

'The Supreme Court has made it clear that the days of intimidating teachers from even the most benign expressions of faith are over.'

The teacher's job evaluation from June 2024 touted Castro as a "proficient" instructor who "holds [her class] to high expectations," plus her students "showed growth."

According to the First Liberty Institute, Castro regularly received "proficient' or "exemplary" evaluations as a teacher at the DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School in New Britain, Connecticut.

Castro has reportedly displayed a small crucifix beside her desk for about the last 10 years. The grandmother of five allegedly received the crucifix from the family of a deceased friend as a memento.

Castro treasures the crucifix and considers it a part of her personal and religious identity. She said having the crucifix in view near her desk brought her daily calm, peace, and strength — especially on challenging teaching days.

This school year, Castro hung the crucifix at the bottom of a whiteboard near her desk. Above the cross is artwork by students and a sign that reads: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

  First Liberty Institute

On Dec. 3, 2024, DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School Assistant Principal Andrew Mazzei allegedly emailed Castro regarding the crucifix hanging in her classroom. Mazzei reportedly requested a meeting over "concern" over the small cross.

Three days after the email was sent, Castro met with Mazzei and Jennifer Pagan, a representative of her local union. Castro was ordered to take down the crucifix, according to the First Liberty Institute, a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation "dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans."

The assistant principal went to Castro's classroom two days later and noticed that the crucifix was still displayed.

A day later, Castro purportedly met with Mazzei, DiLoreto Principal Dario Soto, Consolidated School District of New Britain chief of staff Maryellen Manning, and American Federation of Teachers field operative Ed Leavy.

The administrators allegedly advised Castro to keep the crucifix in her desk drawer, and only take the cross out when she needed to “ground herself.”

By the end of the meeting, the administrators decided that a compromise would be for Castro to hang the cross underneath her desk near her feet. Despite being "shocked," Castro complied.

The First Liberty Institute noted that another teacher at the school featured a coffee mug with a citation to the biblical book of Proverbs 3 on their desk, and another teacher's personal bulletin space spotlights a small photograph of a statue of the Virgin Mary.

  First Liberty Institute

However, Castro "immediately felt sick and grew distraught" to the point that others reportedly noticed her sobbing just minutes before a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Defending her religious faith, Castro returned the crucifix to its place on the wall on Dec. 11, 2024.

"She did so, out of personal conscience, because hiding the crucifix under her desk would 'hide her light under a bushel,'" the First Liberty Institute stated in a letter sent to the board of directors for the Consolidated School District of New Britain.

The school district reportedly retaliated on the same day by issuing a Letter of Reprimand to Castro, accusing her that her actions were “insubordinate.” The letter allegedly declared that Soto would come to her classroom to "assist [Ms. Castro] with removing the cross from [her] classroom" by the end of the school day.

Castro allegedly informed Soto that she would not remove the cross.

However, Soto reportedly told her that she must remove the cross to properly “live out [her] faith” and called on her to “give Caesar what is Caesar’s.”

Soto allegedly threatened Castro with a suspension and possible termination for insubordination if she did not take down the small cross by the next morning.

Castro purportedly left the cross on the wall, and the next morning, she noticed that the crucifix had been removed from the wall.

Castro was summoned to another meeting with administrators, and Manning reportedly told the dedicated teacher that a few days without pay would help her better “reflect” on whether it was in her “best interest” to keep hanging the crucifix on the wall.

According to the First Liberty Institute, Castro's union representative said on Dec. 13 that she would face an additional five-day suspension for insubordination if she did not comply with the school district's demands.

On Dec. 16, Castro emailed the Consolidated School District of New Britain to express that she could not in good conscience return to school under the school’s condition that her cross be placed under the desk.

"We are aware, however, that Ms. Castro has been pressured to resign or retire early and sign an agreement not to sue the district," the First Liberty Institute stated. "We are additionally aware that the district has threatened to terminate Ms. Castro unless she agrees to conceal the crucifix underneath her desk or in a similarly hidden place."

The First Liberty Institute declared, "The Establishment Clause does not enable the district to violate Ms. Castro’s right to freely exercise her religion Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and under the Connecticut Constitution, the district may not abridge its employees’ free speech rights, nor their rights to freely exercise their religion."

The Consolidated School District of New Britain told Fox News, "That the symbol posted was on the classroom's front wall is important. It was part of the classroom environment for all students to see, infringing on the religious freedom of our students."

"We will not allow any teacher to use their position of authority to impose their personal religious beliefs or infringe on the civil rights of students," stated Dr. Tony Gasper, superintendent of schools. "Our commitment is to ensure a learning environment where all students feel respected."

The school district said Castro has been placed on paid leave while administrators attempt to resolve the issue in a "cooperative and collaborative fashion."

Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, proclaimed, “Requiring a teacher to purge their workspace of anything religious is blatant discrimination that violates the First Amendment.”

"The Supreme Court has made it clear that the days of intimidating teachers from even the most benign expressions of faith are over," Russell continued. "Asking a teacher to purge their workspace of anything religious is an affront to the First Amendment and violates both state and federal law. The school district needs to back down now."

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