Brussels, 23 June 2025
Member of the European Parliament and Co-Chair for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue, Željana Zovko, has issued a firm condemnation of the terrorist attack that took place on Sunday, 22 June, at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus.
As over 150 clergy and congregants gathered for worship, three armed assailants launched a coordinated assault. The attack left at least 22 innocent people dead, injured 63 others, and inflicted severe damage on the church’s interior – an act described as both a desecration of sacred space and a deliberate attempt to destabilize interreligious coexistence.
“This barbaric act of violence, targeting a community at prayer, is a direct affront to the values of peace, dignity, and mutual respect”, said Zovko. “Terrorism that strikes places of worship is not only a crime against individuals – it is an assault on the very essence of peaceful coexistence between cultures, religions, and peoples”.
Zovko called upon the interim Syrian government to apprehend the perpetrators who fled the scene and to bring them to justice without delay. She also urged the authorities to take concrete steps to protect the lives, rights, and religious freedoms of Christians and all other minority communities in Syria.
She extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, and offered prayers for the healing of the injured and traumatized. She expressed deep solidarity with His Beatitude Patriarch John X Yazigi and the faithful under his pastoral care: “We stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ, united in grief and in hope. Their pain is ours. Their resilience must be met with our unwavering support”.
The statement also recognized the broad expressions of sympathy and solidarity shared by religious and secular leaders across the globe in the wake of the tragedy. Zovko emphasized the importance of continued moral clarity and unity in the face of such acts of terror: “We are grateful for the strong voices that have spoken out. It is vital that leaders – religious and civic – continue to denounce all forms of sectarian hatred and violence, and champion the cause of justice, reconciliation, and peace”.
In closing, Zovko reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting the people of Syria and to advancing a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned process toward peace and inclusive governance. “The EU remains steadfast in its support for a future Syria built on national reconciliation, the rule of law, accountability, and the full protection of human rights and religious freedoms for all – without distinction. Syria’s diversity is its strength, and it must be preserved”, she said.