Safeguarding Syria’s Faith Communities

President Donald Trump prepares to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, Syrian religious communities are watching closely. Charmaine Hedding, President of Shai Fund, joined Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to urge the Administration to center human rights and the protection of vulnerable communities in its engagement with the new Syrian government. 

Why This Moment Matters 

Since the Assad regime’s collapse in December 2024, the promised shift toward inclusive governance has not materialized. Instead, violence against religious communities has surged, including the coastal massacres of Alawites in March, the church bombing in Damascus in June, and the mass atrocities against Druze in Suweyda in July. These attacks have raised fears of a gradual but irreversible erasure of Syria’s religious diversity. 

Charmaine called on the U.S. government to insist on a secure humanitarian corridor into Suweyda, maintain sanctions until there is verifiable progress on civilian protection, and support decentralization that gives local communities control over their own security and services. She stressed that the United States should condition cooperation on measurable benchmarks, not promises. 

Four Priorities for Syria’s Future 

Shai Fund has consistently advocated for four essential pillars that should guide U.S. policy and international engagement: 

• Safety - Civilians need protection from militias, extremist factions, and predatory security forces.
• Equal Citizenship - Every Syrian must have the same rights in law and practice, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender.
• Decentralization - Local communities should have real authority to govern and protect themselves rather than relying on imposed, outside control.
• Reconciliation - Justice, documentation of abuses, restitution, and the return of displaced families are needed to rebuild trust and prevent renewed cycles of violence. 

Shai Fund, along with more than 100 Christian organizations, has signed a letter urging the White House to secure a humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suweyda, where Druze and Christian families have suffered widespread violence and displacement this year. 

Our Commitment 

As political negotiations unfold, Shai Fund continues supporting religious communities across Syria who are working to rebuild amid instability. With principled leadership and sustained international pressure, Syria can move toward a future where all of its diverse communities live in safety, dignity, and equal belonging.