Source: www.csw.org/uk
Date: October 3, 2026
Today we pray for peace and understanding between communities in the city of Al-Qusayr, Syria, where sectarian tensions flared this week.
Members of the Muslim community roamed the streets of Al-Qusayr on 28 September, intimidating Christians and forcing shop owners to shut their shops and stay at home.
Members of the mob were arrested and released later that day. Yet the situation remains tense, despite efforts by the local authorities to diffuse it.
The incident came after the arrest of a Muslim man. Our sources report that a local Christian had accused him of encouraging members of the Muslim community to attack him and boycott his business.
We are concerned by this latest outbreak of sectarian tension, particularly as it follows several months of hostility towards the local Christian population.
A source told us:
‘The Christian community [in Al-Qusayr] is shrinking rapidly and very few will remain if things don’t improve. Extremists in the town have been trying to spread an atmosphere of fear and collective punishment in the Christian community for months.’
As we pray for peace in the city today, we also remember others across Syria who continue to face injustice because of their religion, belief or ethnicity.
Together we pray:
- For all who are at risk because of their religion, belief or ethnicity. Pray specifically for the safety of Alawite and Christian communities, especially those who converted from Islam.
- For practical measures to prevent violence and build peace between communities. Pray that leaders of every faith community would unite against sectarianism.
- For those who have lost loved ones to sectarian violence. Ask God to comfort and heal all those who are mourning and living with trauma.
- For the local authorities. May they be effective at de-escalating situations, cracking down on extremism, and holding those responsible for sectarian incitement to account.
- For Syria’s transitional government. Ask God for the vision and determination to combat hate speech, extremism and terrorism, and ensure that the rights of all communities are protected.