Christians have incredibly ancient roots in Syria.
From the years after the resurrection where even the apostle Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, to the turmoil of the Arab Spring in the past decade or two, there has been a Christian presence of some sort in that ancient nation.
Most of that history has nevertheless been plagued by Islam, which has systematically targeted Christian communities across the Middle East and the entire world.
The latest Islamic hostility toward Christianity in Syria occurred in the form of Sharia law becoming the standard for jurisprudence following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and his regime.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Sunni Islamist who spearheaded the overthrow of Assad, is currently leading the country through a five-year transition, Reuters reported.
The world learned on Thursday that Sharia law will be “the main source” of legislation.
That marks a change from the last constitution, in which Islamic jurisprudence was “a main source” of legislation.
“We have kept Islamic jurisprudence as the primary source of legislation among sources of legislation,” a member of the committee behind the new constitution said.
“This jurisprudence is a true treasure that should not be squandered.”
Are hard times ahead for Christians in Syria?
This development also comes amid reports that Syrian Christians have been targeted in clashes between the new Islamic government and loyalists to Assad.
Several hundred religious minorities, including Christians and Alawites, the minority Islamic sect to which Assad belongs, have been killed, according to Newsweek.
These reports, plus the latest revelations about the return of Sharia law, raise questions as to why the West was backing these Islamic rebels against Assad.
The former regime did not particularly like Christians, but because Assad belongs to a religious minority, they left Christians alone to a larger extent than the current leadership.
Meanwhile the United States poured resources into arming and training the Syrian rebels, apparently with minimal regard to the potential consequences for Christians in the country.
The almost immediate elevation of Islamic jurisprudence is also a reminder that Islam is not interested in coexistence.
The current crisis in Syria must serve as a reminder to pray for Syrian Christians.
The crisis must also remind us in the West to remember that although many Christians try to tolerate Islam, Islam will never tolerate Christians.
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