Washington, D.C., June 13, 2026 — As diplomatic shifts generate headlines regarding Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington and his reported meeting with President Donald Trump, the Western Syria Development Organization (WSDO) is raising an urgent alarm regarding the most critical and enduring issue in the Syrian conflict: the survival and protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
In response to these developments, WSDO has submitted a formal, urgent appeal to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, specifically addressing Chairman Christopher H. Smith and Ranking Member James P. McGovern.
Guided by our mission to protect and document abuses against Syria’s most vulnerable communities—including Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds—our message to American policymakers and the public is clear: Any diplomatic normalization or economic engagement with Syria’s new leadership must be strictly conditioned on verifiable, on-the-ground protections for Syria’s historic pluralism.
The Dangerous Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality
Despite repeated assurances from President al-Sharaa’s government regarding inclusivity and minority rights, field reports and human rights documentation reveal a widening gap between official rhetoric and a brutal reality. Since early 2025, minority communities have faced a rapidly deteriorating security environment characterized by sectarian violence, arbitrary detentions, and forced displacement under a cloud of widespread impunity.
This disturbing trend is marked by several documented catastrophes:
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The Coastal Region: In March 2025, government-aligned forces and affiliated militias carried out horrific mass killings along Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Independent international investigations have now confirmed that over 1,400 Alawite civilians were massacred solely because of their communal identity. Compounding this tragedy are systematic reports of Alawite women and girls being subjected to abductions, forced disappearances, and sexual violence.
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Southern Syria (Suwayda): In July 2025, intense clashes and military operations in the Druze-majority region of Suwayda resulted in more than 1,700 civilian fatalities. This violence has deeply shattered trust, exposing the central government’s inability or unwillingness to protect minority populations.
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The Northeast: Syria’s Kurdish population faces severe military pressure. Major joint military operations launched by Turkish and Syrian government forces in January 2026 have led to mass civilian displacement and renewed instability, threatening an area that served as a critical frontline partner for the United States in the global fight against ISIS.
Syria’s Christians Facing a Swift Existential Exit
WSDO draws particular attention to the catastrophic collapse of Syria’s historic Christian community. A population that constituted 10% of the country in 2011 has shrunken to a mere 3% today. This is no longer a matter of political marginalization; it is an existential crisis threatening the complete erasure of Christianity from its ancient cradle.
Recent atrocities underscore this immediate threat:
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June 2025: A brutal Islamist assault on St. Elias Church in Damascus left 25 worshippers dead.
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March 2026: State security forces stood idly by during an Islamist raid on the historic Christian city of Sqaylabiyah, terrorizing the population and forcing the cancellation of Easter celebrations.
The Cost of Prematurely Lifting Sanctions
The repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act sanctions in December 2025—embedded within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) following prior executive suspensions—was intended to facilitate economic recovery and reconstruction.
However, WSDO notes that removing these critical constraints without securing human rights guarantees has effectively stripped the United States and the international community of vital leverage. This leverage is desperately needed to demand meaningful protections for minority communities and to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable.
A Call to Action for American Leadership
In its formal petition to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, WSDO urged the U.S. Congress to take immediate action by:
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Holding public congressional hearings to scrutinize the conditions of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities under the current government;
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Gathering direct testimony from victims, religious leaders, humanitarian organizations, and human rights monitors;
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Mandating regular reporting from the Administration regarding human rights conditions affecting Syria’s minorities;
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Demanding that the State Department condition any further diplomatic normalization or financial assistance on measurable improvements in minority protection and accountability.
The United States has long stood as a global champion of religious freedom and human rights. At this critical juncture, engagement with Damascus must not come at the expense of the very communities most vulnerable to persecution. Lasting stability in Syria will not be achieved through diplomatic normalization alone; it requires genuine accountability, equal citizenship, and meaningful protections for all Syrians, regardless of faith or ethnicity.
The Western Syria Development Organization remains fully committed to working with U.S. policymakers and international bodies, providing the documentation and frontline testimonies necessary to ensure the voices of the vulnerable are never silenced.