Does this have anything to do with the fact that Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a long history as a jihadi? Will Trump, who has professed his tremendous admiration for al-Sharaa, pressure his friend to release Suleiman Khalil? Or might that harm the relationship between the U.S. and its Syrian jihadi proteges?
“Coalition Asks U.S. to Intervene in Case of Syrian Christian,” by Bella Agnello, International Christian Concern, July 2, 2026 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Advocacy groups recently wrote Thomas Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Envoy to Syria and Iraq, asking the U.S. to intervene in the detention of a Syrian Christian.
The letter, sent on June 25, was penned by In Defense of Christians (IDC) and co-signed by leaders from Christians Solidarity International (CSI); International Religious Freedom Summit (IRF); Institute for Global Engagement (IGE); Shai Fund; American Syriac Union (ASU); and Alawite Association of the United States (AAUS).
Suleiman Khalil is the former mayor of Sadad, one of the world’s oldest Christian towns. On Feb. 8, forces belonging to the Syrian Transitional Government arrested Khalil at his home and have held him without formal charges, a right to a lawyer, medical care, and access to biblical resources. His family has been left without communication as to the state of his health, leaving them to believe that he is being tortured….
During the Syrian Civil War in 2015, the Islamic State group (ISIS) attacked Sadad. Khalil organized strong defenses for his town and prevented the terrorist group from killing and kidnapping residents — as they did in al-Qaryatayn, a neighboring Christian town.
“Mr. Khalil’s actions in defending his town against ISIS should be celebrated by all Syrians, especially the new government, which has officially joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,” the letter said. “Instead, Syria’s government appears to be punishing him for it.”
Holding Khalil is not an individual issue — the coalition argued that the government is sending a message to other Christians in the country, saying, “You have no future here.”
IDC’s executive director, Richard Ghazal, spoke individually on the matter.
“The detention of Suleiman Khalil is not simply about an individual,” Ghazal said. “Mr. Khalil risked his life defending his community against ISIS. This moment stands as a test of whether Syria’s new government intends to protect those who defended their communities against the Islamist terror group, and whether Christians can have confidence in their future in Syria.”…
Beans🫘 says
Let’s see if the Pope mentions this man, instead of always groveling to Muslims.
POPE- There are also those who choose not to be a neighbor,” the pope commented, adding, “it is time to recognize and affirm that religious affiliation must never become a reason for discrimination, as if faith had boundaries rather than being a universal call to salvation.”
“There is no love of God without love of
neighbor, and there is no neighbor if I do not draw near. To pause, to be moved, to bend down, to weep before another’s pain — as Jesus did — means entering into the dynamic of love, the very movement in which God has revealed himself,” Pope Leo said.
Very slick talk to push for more Islamic migration. Doesn’t he know it’s 99 percent men coming? ??? How can it be so bad that the women and children stay behind?