Syriac voice from Yerevan: Syriac presence secured through citizenship and rights, not protection alone

03/10/2026

YEREVAN — With the participation of parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, businesspeople, political experts, humanitarian actors, church representatives, religious leaders, academics and civil society figures from more than 40 countries around the world, the second edition of the “Prayer Breakfast in the Republic of Armenia” forum was held on 2 and 3 October 2026, following the success of last year’s inaugural edition. Representatives of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB), and its institutions also took part in the event.

The gathering seeks to strengthen Armenia’s role as a regional hub for ethical reflection, principled leadership and international cooperation. It also provides a space for dialogue on the intersection of faith, public life and regional stability.

The forum is considered a unique platform that enables political and spiritual leaders to engage in open dialogue, while allowing international and local actors to discuss regional developments and address complex societal issues from ethical and spiritual perspectives, as well as connect Armenia’s Christian heritage with contemporary global challenges.

Syriac Union Party Speech at the Forum

During the first day of the forum, Nadine Maenza, Co-Chair of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, moderated three discussion sessions under the theme “Lessons in Christian Resilience from the Near East.” Several participants delivered remarks on the need to strengthen religious freedom and protect minorities and their future in their homelands.

Among them was Nazira Goreya, the foreign relations official of the MUB, who delivered a speech on behalf of the the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) titled “Syriac Christians in Syria: From Protecting Their Presence to Partnership and Rights.”

In her speech, Goreya said “Today, I am speaking about the reality of Syriac Christians in Syria and about a question we believe is fundamental to the future of Christians in the region, how do we move from protecting their presence to ensuring its continuity and their active participation in building the future?”

She continued “The Syriacs are an integral part of the history of Syria and the region, with deep roots in this land. Their language, culture and heritage also form part of Syria’s historical and civilizational diversity. However, years of war have led to a significant decline in the Christian and Syriac presence as a result of violence, displacement and migration, alongside economic, social and political conditions. Therefore, the question for us is no longer simply, how do we protect Christians? It has become, how do we provide them with the conditions to remain and continue, and with a sense that they are full partners in their homeland?”

Goreya said that “the continuity of any community also requires equal citizenship, education, employment opportunities, property protection, preservation of language and culture, political participation, and a sense that state institutions represent it and protect its rights.”

Goreya also referred to the experience of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES), noting the participation of the Syriacs, alongside the region’s other communities, in political and social life and in the administration of the region on an equal footing.

“We do not present this experience as a complete model or a ready-made solution for Syria,” she added, “but it has shown that the participation of different communities in managing public affairs, while preserving their cultural and linguistic particularities, can be part of the discussion on Syria’s future.”

Goreya outlined six key principles, including:

1. Constitutional recognition of Syria’s diversity, and guarantees for the national, cultural, religious and linguistic rights of its communities, including Syriacs and Christians, to preserve their identity, heritage and institutions.
2. Equal citizenship and political rights, ensuring that all citizens can participate in public and political life without discrimination.
3. Protection of cultural, linguistic and educational rights, including the right of Syriacs to teach their language, preserve their culture and heritage, and develop their cultural and educational institutions.
4. Fair and effective political representation, through an electoral system and representation mechanisms that allow Syriacs and Christians to participate meaningfully in parliament, government and local administration, reflecting the actual diversity of Syrian society.
5. Participation in state institutions, including security and defense, on the basis of citizenship, competence and equal opportunity, so that Syriacs and Christians can be partners in shouldering national responsibility and protecting their communities within the framework of the state and the law.
6. Creating the conditions for communities to remain and continue, through security, property protection, development, education, employment opportunities, reconstruction, and support for safe, voluntary and dignified return, because preserving a community’s presence requires the foundations for a viable life and future.

Goreya concluded her speech by saying, “Our message is not one of division or isolation. We want a united and stable Syria, but a Syria that recognizes its diversity and respects all its communities. We do not want to leave Syria, we want to remain in it, preserve our language, culture and heritage, ensure that our children live in safety and dignity, and participate responsibly and effectively in building its future.

We are not asking merely for protection of our presence; we want to ensure the conditions for its continuity. We do not want merely a place in the Syria of the future, we want to be partners in building it. From protection to citizenship, from presence to participation, and from preserving the past to contributing to the building of the future.”

The pastor of the Protestant Church in Izmir, Turkey, and leader of the Salvation Churches Movement, Ihsan Ozbek, was invited to speak at the forum. He said that Christians in Turkey are few in number.

“The historic communities, Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Syriac, Chaldean and Catholic, have today been reduced to small communities, most of which live in Istanbul and Tur Abdin in the southeast of the country,” he said. “The Protestant community to which I belong is relatively new, and most of its members are Turkish citizens who embraced the Christian faith over the past several decades.”

Ozbek also outlined a number of challenges facing the Protestant community in Turkey. He said Protestant churches do not have legal personality as churches, but instead operate under the umbrella of associations or foundations.

He added that Christians in Turkey are unable to train their clergy within the country, while for years, foreign pastors and their families have received entry bans and been assigned security codes, without being accused of committing any crime. According to Ozbek, 46 foreign clergy members were forced to leave Turkey in 2025, more than twice the number recorded the previous year.

He further said that hate speech, social exclusion, difficulties in employment and economic conditions are prompting young families to look abroad.

“The question many of our young people ask is not,” “Is it dangerous to stay?” but, “Do I have a future here?” “What did we do? Our answer was to stay and to help others stay.”

Ozbek addressed a simple set of demands to the Turkish government, ensuring equal citizenship, protection from hate speech and hate crimes, legal recognition of churches as churches, guaranteeing the right to train priests and ministers within Turkey, ending entry bans imposed on peaceful clergy, and resolving without further delay long-pending cases before the Constitutional Court.

Ozbek also called on churches and partners abroad to continue providing attention and support and to strengthen local leadership. He urged the “sister churches of the East” to unite their efforts and stand together.

Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian

Next to take the stage was Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian, head of the Armenian Protestant community in Syria. He previously served as president of the Armenian Evangelical World Council (AEWC) and currently serves as a member of its board.

In his speech, Selimian said that “Christianity in Syria is ancient and deeply rooted in its land. Today, this living presence is facing severe pressures. Insecurity, economic hardship, displacement, weak institutions and continued emigration have deeply affected Christians and other communities across the country. Many young people find it difficult to envision a future for themselves in Syria. Extremist ideology also remains a threat, as painfully demonstrated by the attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus in June 2025.”

Selimian said the main challenges are demographic, institutional and spiritual.

“The future of Christians in Syria cannot be separated from the future of Syria itself. A sustainable Christian presence requires security, economic opportunities, functioning institutions, religious freedom and genuine participation in public life. Syria also needs a sustained path toward a fully civil constitutional system that guarantees equal rights and responsibilities to every citizen, regardless of religious, ethnic, tribal or sectarian affiliation. It also needs the rule of law, protection for individuals and places of worship, and accountability for violations that threaten human dignity and social peace.”

Selimian highlighted the genuine aspirations of Christians, saying they seek “full participation in rebuilding their country as equal citizens. Protection remains necessary wherever communities face danger, but equal citizenship provides a stronger and more lasting foundation. People stay where they can envision a future for themselves, raise their children with dignity and feel that their contributions are welcomed.”

The forum concluded with participants underscoring the importance of consolidating the values of religious freedom and equal citizenship, and strengthening the role of indigenous communities in shaping the future of their countries.

In this context, the Syriac vision stood out, emphasizing that the future of Christians in Syria depends not merely on protecting their presence, but on guaranteeing their constitutional, political and cultural rights and enabling them to participate actively in state and societal institutions.

The speeches and discussions also stressed that preserving the historical and civilizational diversity of the East requires providing all communities with the conditions for a dignified life, paving the way for a future Syria based on genuine partnership, justice and respect for pluralism, and enabling Syriacs and other communities to be partners in shaping the future rather than mere witnesses to it.