Thousands attended the October 25, 2026, funerals for the nine people killed in the terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox church in Karak just two days earlier. Crown Prince Hussein and Prime Minister Jafar Hassan represented King Abdullah II, to convey the leadership’s solidarity.
The authorities arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law. On October 26, the Jordanian air force struck targets in southern Syria, officially linking the attackers to terrorist cells across the border.
Greece, the United States, Israel, Cyprus, Arab governments, the European Union, the United Nations, and church leaders condemned the crime.
Syria, too, has faced Islamic extremist attacks on churches. An attack on July 24, 2022, during the consecration of Hagia Sophia Church in Syria’s Suqaylabiyah, left two dead. On June 22, 2025, a terrorist carried out a suicide attack at the Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus, killing 25 people. In March 2026, the Patriarchate of Antioch condemned attacks on Christian property and a shrine to the Virgin Mary in Suqaylabiyah.
Political violence researcher Murad Batal al-Shishani explains that such attacks spread fear and undermine confidence in public security. Amer Sabaileh warns that the official image of moderation may conceal deeper radicalization.
Greece, the United States, Israel, Cyprus, Arab governments, the European Union, the United Nations, and church leaders condemned the crime. Athens, however, should have given greater weight to its expression of solidarity. Strategic analyst and former officer of Greece’s National Intelligence Service Savvas Kalenteridis poses the question: “Shouldn’t a Greek minister have attended the funeral?” He points out that statements from the U.S. and Israeli embassies refer to a massacre of Greek Orthodox Christians, and criticizes the apparent limited concern in Greece and the scant television coverage.
Greece has historical, ecclesiastical, and diplomatic ties with these communities. It must maintain a permanent channel of communication with their representatives, document threats, and demand specific commitments from governments before families seek safety as refugees.
Nikolas Farantouris, a member of the European Parliament..., has repeatedly called on Kaja Kallas to protect threatened Christian communities in the Middle East and Africa.
Amman identified the Islamic State as responsible for the attack, cited intelligence about imminent attacks, and carried out a preemptive strike through Operation “Jordanian Deterrence-Hamoud,” without coordination with Damascus.
Kalenteridis believes that phone records revealed direction from Syria. He also sees a broader message. “Jordan did not simply strike Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, but Turkey’s ally,” he said, linking the warning to not only Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but also President Donald Trump and his envoy Tom Barrack.
Europe also has tools of pressure at its disposal. Nikolas Farantouris, a member of the European Parliament and its Committee on Foreign Affairs, has repeatedly called on Kaja Kallas to protect threatened Christian communities in the Middle East and Africa.
“Throughout the Middle East and Africa, wherever I have visited as a member of the European Parliament, I see massacres, persecution, and threats against Christian and other communities,” he said. He calls for “economic sanctions, an embargo on arms and equipment, and the suspension of all development assistance to countries that fail to take adequate measures to protect Christian communities.”
Brussels has earmarked €620 million [$690 million] for Syria for 2026–2027. Within this package, €280 million covers stabilization, institutions, and recovery, while €210 million funds humanitarian assistance for 2026. Financial leverage therefore offers a substantial means of securing Syria’s compliance.
The European Union must set deadlines for investigations and prosecutions, as well as the protection of churches. It should demand equal protection for all Christians in their home nations, not only in law but also in reality. It must should impose targeted sanctions for officials who turn a blind eye, and suspend development and institution-building assistance when authorities fall short. At the same time, it must maintain independent humanitarian assistance. Greece can lead this initiative through its relationships with the Patriarchates and Jordan.
Al-Sharaa’s jihadist past and his ties to the Erdoğan regime demand scrutiny of his actions. Europe must insist on free elections, pluralism, and guarantees of rights.
A European early-warning mechanism can collect reports of abuses, fund secure infrastructure, and publish compliance assessments. European Union delegations must visit threatened parishes and verify on the ground whether governments fulfill their promises, with clear timetables and public progress updates.
Al-Sharaa’s jihadist past and his ties to the Erdoğan regime demand scrutiny of his actions. Europe must insist on free elections, pluralism, and guarantees of rights. The legitimacy of power in Syria also concerns the security of its neighbors.
The families of Karak, and all Christians in the Middle East, need security to remain in their homeland. “Christian Lives Matter” should become a global rallying cry. The international community must confront its selective compassion. It cannot shed crocodile tears over Gaza while ignoring the fate of Christians and other communities under threat in the region, including Kurds, Druze, and Alawis. Athens and Brussels must make equal protection a condition of their funding and diplomatic partnerships—and impose a real cost on those who persecute these communities.
