Christians in Ras al-Ain are between the hammer of displacement, and the anvil of false promises to protect them by Syrian Coalition and factions

Over the years, the change of military forces controlling the city of Ras al-Ain (Sere Kaniye), located on the Syrian-Turkish border in al-Hasakeh countryside, has had a major impact on the Christians in the city. There were more than 210 Christian families living in the city before 2012, and after the Al-Nusra Front and factions took control of the city in 2013, most Christian families fled the city, while some of them returned after the SDF took control of the city.

The number of Christian families in Ras al-Ain during the SDF control of the city was about 40. However, the attack of Turkish forces with their proxy factions on the city as part of the military operation “Peace Spring” in October 2019, forced the families to flee again.

After the Turkish control of the city, only 14 Christians remained in the city to protect their holy places and properties, while the rest of the Christian families from Ras Al Ain are now in various places such as al-Qamishli, al-Hasakeh, Tal Tamer, while a large part of them migrated to America, Canada, Sweden and other European countries.

After the tour of the head of the Syrian Opposition Coalition Nasr al-Hariri in Afrin and then in the Region of Iraqi Kurdistan to exploit the Kurdish issue, claiming that the Coalition is protecting the Kurds and their properties and giving unreal guarantees.

A few days ago, Nasr al-Hariri met with some Christian figures from the region in the St. Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church in Ras al-Ain, in a new attempt to show the West that the Coalition and its armed factions are taking care of Christian civilians. Apparently Dr. Nasr al-Hariri forgot the theft of the church by these factions in November 2020. SOHR sources reported at the time that Turkish-backed factions stole the belongings of the “Mar Touma” Orthodox Church in the Churches neighborhood. The stolen items included metal and copper equipment and electrical devices, according to local sources. While members of Turkish-backed factions accused local thieves of stealing church belongings.