In Syria, jihadists beheaded statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary

The brutal persecution of the Christian population in Syria continues, culminating in the recent desecration of an Orthodox shrine, the “Cave of the Virgin Mary” in the village of Al-Basiya near the coastal town of Baniyas. Militants allegedly affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) beheaded statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary placed above the entrance to the cave.

According to Greek portal Vima Orthodoxias, the incident in al-Basiya represents another episode in a series of anti-Christian manifestations by jihadists of the al-Sharaa (al-Golani) regime. “The Cave of the Virgin Mary is an important place of worship for local Orthodox Christians. The beheading of the statues is seen as a demonstrative act of desecration aimed at intimidating believers and suppressing their religious freedoms. The source indicates that fanatical militants of the Syrian government (HTS) in collaboration with other Islamofascist cells operating in the region are behind the act.

The city of Baniyas has been subjected to violent jihadist attacks for years, resulting in a state of constant fear among minorities, including Alawites and Orthodox Christians. Although al-Sharaa’s interim government has ostensibly guaranteed the protection of religious minorities in order to ease criticism from Western countries supporting the regime, in practice the persecution continues “silently” and minorities are constantly giving SOS signals about the Islamists’ arbitrary rule.

Recall that on June 22, 2025, during the Sunday service in the church in honor of the Holy Prophet of God Elijah in Damascus (Syria), a member of the radical Islamist organization “Islamic State” committed a bloody terrorist attack that killed 22 people. The terrorist stormed into the temple, opened fire on people, and after shooting blew himself up with an explosive device attached to his body.