Alawite Mother And Two Children Killed In Syria, Raising Fresh Fears For Christians and Other Minorities

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

DAMASCUS (Worthy News) – Christians have expressed fresh concern over the safety of Syria’s religious minorities after an Alawite mother and her two young children were reportedly shot dead in the central city of Homs in an attack that has raised fresh fears of sectarian violence.

Advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) told Worthy News that Amna Qaeer, 39, her daughter Lujayn Khansa, 14, and her son Issa Khansa, 9, were standing on the balcony of their family home in Homs’ Al-Sabeel neighborhood on July 18 when masked men on a motorbike opened fire before fleeing the scene.

“The police are still investigating the incident,” CSW said, adding that no suspects had been identified.

CSW also reported that another Alawite, Ibrahim Harmoush, was shot dead in his office in Homs on July 15, raising fears of a pattern of attacks targeting members of the minority community.

SECTARIAN ATTACK FEARS

The Alawites are a religious minority who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population. Their faith developed from Shia Islam but incorporates distinctive theological beliefs and traditions, making it separate from both mainstream Sunni and Shia Islam.

Most Alawites live in Syria’s coastal governorates of Latakia and Tartus, as well as parts of Hama and Homs.

Although many Alawites had no direct connection to former President Bashar al-Assad’s government, they have faced growing hostility since the rise to power of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist group that evolved from Syria’s former al-Qaida affiliate but says it has broken with that past. HTS led the offensive that toppled Assad on December 8, 2024, and now leads Syria’s transitional authorities.

CSW said many Alawites have been viewed with suspicion because the Assad family belonged to the Alawite community, even though many neither supported nor benefited from the former regime.

CHRISTIAN RELATIONS EXPLAINED

Christians and Alawites have historically maintained relatively peaceful relations in many parts of Syria. Both communities have generally favored a secular state that protects religious minorities and have often lived alongside one another in mixed neighborhoods, particularly in cities such as Homs and Latakia.

Church leaders and human rights advocates have warned that increasing sectarian violence threatens not only Alawites but also Christians and other minority communities already struggling after more than a decade of civil war.

CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas told Worthy News that his organization “extends deep condolences to the families, loved ones and community of the victims.”

He added: “Attacks of a sectarian nature are utterly unacceptable, and these latest incidents, which targeted a young family and a businessman simply on account of their ethnoreligious identity, are particularly concerning in a city known for its religious diversity.”

CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION

Thomas urged Syria’s authorities to “take concrete steps to diffuse tensions and protect all citizens” while increasing efforts “to combat sectarianism and hate speech” and making reconciliation a national priority.

The latest killings underscore fears that Syria’s fragile transition will remain vulnerable to sectarian violence unless authorities can guarantee equal protection for all communities—including Christians, Alawites, Druze and others—regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

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