Faith leaders demand Trump pressure Syria to stop blocking humanitarian aid to Christians – Washington Examiner

Nearly 100 faith leaders are demanding that President Donald Trump pressure Syria to stop blocking humanitarian aid to Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the region.
The release of the letter coincides with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa’s visit to the White House on Monday. The signatories are asking Trump to bring up the topic during his meeting with Sharaa, a former al Qaeda terrorist.
The request comes after Trump designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” due to its violations of religious freedom, particularly concerning Christians, and threatened to deploy the military to the West African nation.
The faith leaders hailed Trump’s actions on Nigeria and hope he can do something similar with Syria.
“We, the undersigned faith leaders representing tens of millions of American Christians, extend our sincere gratitude for your recent leadership in combating Christian persecution in Nigeria,” the letter reads. “Your designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act is a decisive measure that upholds global religious liberty.”
“You are the only major world leader fighting for religious freedom, and we need you once again to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves,” the letter adds.
Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites are the groups facing dire conditions in southern Syria, where ISIS terrorists are believed to be embedded in the new Syrian army. The country is fragmented in its distribution of power following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last December.
Save the Persecuted Christians, the advocacy group that released the letter on Monday, is asking Trump to get Sharaa to commit to opening a secure corridor for humanitarian aid from Hader to Suwayda in southern Syria.
“This corridor will enable safe and secure aid delivery and civilian evacuation, signaling the new government’s commitment to minority rights and stability,” the faith leaders wrote.
Among the roughly 85 people who signed the letter are Dr. Ben Carson, vice chairman of the Trump-established Religious Liberty Commission; Kimberly Fletcher, founder and president of Moms for America; evangelical pastor Mark Driscoll; and former Rep. Bob McEwen (R-OH).
AHMED AL SHARAA TO MEET WITH TRUMP AS FIRST SYRIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE
“Your advocacy for the persecuted inspires us,” they wrote to Trump in the letter dated Friday. “We stand ready to support your efforts and pray for fruitful discussions. As Ambassador Mike Huckabee once wrote to you, ‘You were ordained for such a time as this.’”
The State Department advises Americans to refrain from traveling to Syria for any reason “due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage taking, and armed conflict,” according to its latest travel advisory issued July 23. The travel advisory in place for Syria is at its highest possible level.

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