Christian Leaders Urge Trump to Address Religious Persecution in Historic Syria Meeting

Key Facts

Published: November 10, 2025 Location: Washington D.C. Source: Worthy News Original Reporting, Save the Persecuted Christians, Washington Times

• Over 50 Christian leaders have urged President Trump to address persecution of religious minorities during his historic meeting with Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa.
• The appeal, led by Save the Persecuted Christians, calls for a secure humanitarian corridor in southern Syria to aid vulnerable communities.
• Syria’s Christian population, among the world’s oldest, continues to face persecution and displacement even after ISIS’s fall.
• The White House meeting marks a major diplomatic shift, with the U.S. lifting sanctions on al-Sharaa despite his ties to extremist groups.

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – More than 50 prominent Christian leaders are calling on President Trump to directly confront Syria’s new president about the ongoing persecution of religious minorities when the two leaders meet Monday at the White House, marking a historic first for U.S.-Syria relations.

The letter, spearheaded by Dede Laugesen of Save the Persecuted Christians, will be delivered to President Trump before his afternoon meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The appeal comes as Syria’s Christian population faces what advocates describe as an existential crisis following decades of violence and upheaval.

A Legacy of Persecution

Syria’s Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has endured waves of persecution throughout the nation’s turbulent modern history. Christians constituted roughly 10% of Syria’s pre-war population, but that number has plummeted dramatically since 2011 as civil war and the rise of extremist groups devastated minority communities.

The ascent of ISIS in 2014 brought particular horror to Christian regions, with mass executions, kidnappings, forced conversions, and the destruction of churches and ancient Christian sites. Even after ISIS’s territorial defeat, Christians have continued to face discrimination, violence, and pressure to flee.

The December fall of the Assad family dynasty—which had ruled Syria for over five decades—initially raised hopes for a new beginning. However, recent months have seen hundreds killed in targeted violence against minorities, including Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Kurds, sending shockwaves throughout the country and raising questions about the new government’s commitment to pluralism.

Urgent Appeal for Action

In their letter, the Christian leaders thank President Trump for his “recent leadership in combating Christian persecution in Nigeria,” calling him “the only major world leader fighting for religious freedom.” They argue that Syria represents another critical case where “we need you once again to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

The signatories—including former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, former Senator Sam Brownback, Tony Perkins, Eric Metaxas, Alveda King, Ralph Reed, and Kevin Sorbo—paint a grim picture of current conditions. Religious minorities in Syria, they note, “face ongoing violence, death, displacement, starvation, and water and medical deprivation, all while innocent women and children are held hostage by ISIS terrorists.”

While expressing gratitude for the administration’s recent humanitarian aid announcement, the leaders emphasize that winter’s approach demands more urgent action.

“Mr. President, we respectfully request that you secure President al-Sharaa’s commitment to opening a secure humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suwayda in southern Syria,” the letter states. “This corridor will enable safe and secure aid delivery and civilian evacuation, signaling the new government’s commitment to minority rights and stability.”

Controversial Diplomatic Shift

Monday’s meeting represents a dramatic diplomatic pivot. President al-Sharaa, a former leader of al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, will become the first Syrian president ever to visit the White House. The Trump administration has undertaken several controversial steps to facilitate the meeting, including lifting sanctions on al-Sharaa last week.

“I moved to lift sanctions to give them a fighting shot, and I think [al-Sharaa’s] doing a very good job so far,” President Trump said. “It’s a tough neighborhood and he’s a tough guy, but I got along with him very well, and a lot of progress has been made with Syria.”

In July, the State Department revoked a $10 million bounty on al-Sharaa and removed the terrorist designation from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the organization he formerly led. On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council voted 14-0, with China abstaining, to remove al-Sharaa from a terrorism sanctions list, following a U.S.-drafted resolution.

Al-Sharaa is expected to join a coalition to combat the Islamic State during his Washington visit.

Unfulfilled Promises

The diplomatic outreach comes despite al-Sharaa’s unfulfilled commitments to protect minorities. Upon taking power, he promised that all Syrians would be treated equally regardless of religion or ethnicity. However, violence against minorities has persisted and even intensified in some regions.

Last August, hundreds of representatives from Syria’s various ethnic and religious groups gathered to call for a decentralized state and a new constitution guaranteeing religious, cultural, and ethnic pluralism. Their statements condemned recent acts of violence by pro-government gunmen against minorities—primarily Alawites, Druze, and Christians—characterizing them as crimes against humanity.

As President Trump prepares to meet with Syria’s controversial new leader, Christian advocates hope the historic encounter will translate into tangible protections for communities that have endured years of persecution. Whether al-Sharaa’s government will honor commitments to pluralism and minority rights remains an open question—one that could determine the survival of Syria’s ancient Christian presence.

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