GENERAL /
Date Established: April 17, 1946
US Aid: Obligated funding: $101 million
Spent funding: $165 million
GOVERNMENT /
Chief of State: President Bashar al-Assad
Head of Government: Prime Minister Imad Muhammad Dib Khamis
Government Type: Presidential Republic
Capital: Damascus
Legislature: People’s Council of Syria
Judiciary: Mixed legal system with civil law in general and family courts have Sharia law for Muslims and Canon law for Christians
Ambassador to US: Syria withdrew Ambassador due to the Syrian war
US Ambassador: US withdrew Ambassador due to the Syrian war
PEOPLE & SOCIETY /
Population: 19.4 million
Language: Arabic (official), Aramaic, Armenian, Circassian, English, French, Kurdish
Ethnicity: Arab (90.3%), Other (Alawites, Kurds, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Arameans/Syriacs, Armenian, Turkmen, Ismaili, Druze, Greeks) (9.7%)
Religion: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) (60.5%), Shia (including Alawite, Isma’ili (13%), Druze (3%), Christian (10%), Jewish (a few in Aleppo and Damascus)
Christian Communities: Greek (Antiochian) Orthodox, Greek (Melkite) Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic, Assyrian Church of the East (Nestorian), Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Syriac Maronite, Chaldean Catholic, Roman Catholic, (Protestant)
Syria
Syria
BACKGROUND
Syria has a fascinating and complex history of intersecting peoples and civilizations. The modern state gained full independence in 1946. Syria has had a tumultuous history and, particularly within the last decade, has become known for civil war and the ensuing refugee crisis that has had global ramifications. The country, however, has a diverse ethnic and religious population; before the civil war, 10% of the Syrian population was Christian, but now, given the number of Christians who have fled, the proportion of Christians there is now considerably smaller.
LATEST NEWS
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Syria offers to help Lebanon after Beirut Port explosion: Syrian Foreign Minister expressed sympathy and solidarity with Lebanon after the explosions at the Port of Lebanon. It was indicated that Syria was willing to put “all capabilities to assist Lebanon” to overcome the consequences of the deadly explosion. - Al Masdar
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Israel Strikes Syrian Military Positions in Response to Attempted Border Attack: On Monday, it was confirmed that the IDF targeted southern Syria. - Haaretz
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Syria’s Al-Hol Camp Reports its 1st COVID-19 Cases: Today, tens of thousands including relatives of ISIS members call Al-Hol camp their home. And for a while, health workers and camp residents, have feared that the coronavirus was going to spread amongst them. On 6th August, three health workers found out to have been contracted with the virus and the UN reported that this is the first reported infection in the camp. - Asharq Al-Awsat
ARCHIVE
- On July 29, the US imposed sanctions on President Bashar Al Assad’s son, Hafez. The sanctions are a result of the Caesar Act, which targets anyone affiliated with President Assad.The National
- Together with Syrian and Russian businessmen, the Syrian regime plans to build a Greek Orthodox church that would serve as a miniature replica of the Hagia Sophia. The decision to build the replica came as a response to Erdogan’s move to convert the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul back into a mosque.Middle East Monitor
- Ministry of Endowments is Suspending Eid Al-Adha Prayers in Damascus and its Countryside: The Ministry of Endowments has decided to suspend the Eid al-Adha prayers due to worries about the spread of COVID-19 in Damascus and its countryside. The decision also included Friday prayers.SANA News
- UK Media Company Silencing Syrian Activists on Social Media: According to Middle East Eye, the UK media company, Yala Media Network, has been silencing Syrian activists on social media, specifically on Facebook. Journalists and protesters were told that the footage they uploaded from the anti-government protests in Sweida belonged to Yala Media Network and due to a claim of ‘copyright infringement’, the videos from the protests were taken down.Middle East Eye
- JCI (Junior Chamber International) is a global leadership organization that provides development opportunities to young leaders. The organization chose to honor Syrian George Marrash, as one of the its Outstanding Persons of the World in 2020 in the category of Contribution to Children, World Peace and/or Human Rights. Amongst many other things, Marrash has volunteered for the Movement of Youth Orthodox as an intern to educate children on social and religious values. He also volunteered with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, providing psychosocial first aid and basic necessities to internally displaced people in Syria.JCI
