Orthodox Faithful Face Dual Realities: Persecution in Syria Amid Signs of Renewal in the West
By Mor Abdiel Theophorus Tikhon February 17, 2026 In the ancient See of Antioch, the cradle of Christianity where believers were first called “Christians,” the Cross weighs heavily once more. According to the newly released Open Doors World Watch List 2026 (January 14), Syria has surged to No. 6 among the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution a dramatic leap from No. 18 the previous year and the most significant single-year shift in recent history. This escalation is due to the collapse of the Assad administration in December 2024 and the instability that followed, which was caused by influence from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Due mostly to the sharp rise in violence, Syria currently has a near-maximum persecution score of 90, according to data reported by Open Doors. There are more than 388 million Christians worldwide that currently are subjected to high or extreme levels of persecution and discrimination, with Syria's rise attributed to all the veri...