Nearly 100 of the most prominent faith leaders in the United States urged President Donald Trump in a Friday letter to pressure Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to prevent the further killing of Christians and Druze in southern Syria.
The letter came ahead of Trump’s meeting with al-Sharaa — a former al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighter — at the White House on Monday.
In the correspondence, Dede Laugesen — president and CEO of the group Save the Persecuted Christians — wrote, “With the visit of Syria’s new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, scheduled for November 10, 2025, we urge you to address directly the massacre of Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites in Syria, notably in the greater Suwayda area. These religious minorities face ongoing violence, death, displacement, starvation, and water and medical deprivation, all while innocent women and children are held hostage by ISIS terrorists.”
“We are grateful for your Administration’s recent announcement that you are urgently rushing humanitarian aid to southern Syria, and — as winter approaches — more needs to be done to prevent the impending catastrophe. Mr. President, we respectfully request that you secure President al-Sharaa’s commitment to opening a secure humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suwayda in southern Syria,” the letter continued.
Israel is currently repelling Jihadists from mass-slaughtering the Druze and Christian minorities in Syria.
If it weren’t for Israel, tens of thousands of Christians and Druze would be murdered. You won’t see a single media outlet report this. pic.twitter.com/7VYjdJ0rjY
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 30, 2025
In March, the European Parliament condemned the massacre of Christians and the Alawite Islamic minority in Syria that left 1,300 dead.
Can you recall any president in your lifetime who has stood up for Christians the way Trump has?
Israel launched air strikes in July in Syria to protect the Druze, an offshoot of Islam, who make up a significant minority in the Golan Heights region of the Jewish state, CNN reported.
Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government forces continue in the Sweida area, the IDF says, releasing footage.
The IDF says strikes in the past few hours hit armored vehicles and pickup trucks with mounted machine guns, that were heading to the Druze majority city of Sweida where… pic.twitter.com/uNZgcvjadQ
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 16, 2025
Laugesen’s letter noted that the faith leaders who had signed on to it together represented “tens of millions of American Christians.”
Some of them included former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, former Kansas senator and former ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference president Samuel Rodriguez, Faith and Freedom Coalition president Ralph Reed, Trinity Broadcasting Network president Matt Crouch, Prestonwood Baptist Church senior pastor Jack Graham, Dr. Alveda King, Eric Metaxas, Priests for Life director Frank Pavone, actor and film director Kevin Sorbo, and Godspeak Calvary Chapel of Thousand Oaks pastor Rob McCoy.
Patrick Brown, CEO of The Western Journal, was a signatory to the letter, as well.
President Trump’s meeting today with Ahmad al-Sharaa, terrorist turned Syrian President, should be guided by the words Paul spoke to a leader who at one time governed parts of Syria – “Do the works of repentance.”
Right now, Christians, Druze, and other minorities are dying at… pic.twitter.com/38ccQ6tdHE
— Tony Perkins (@tperkins) November 10, 2025
The leaders also commended Trump for his “recent leadership in combating Christian persecution in Nigeria. Your designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act is a decisive measure that upholds global religious liberty.”
The letter concluded, “We stand ready to support your efforts and pray for fruitful discussions. As Ambassador Mike Huckabee once wrote to you, ‘You
were ordained for such a time as this.’”
During Trump’s trip to the Middle East in the spring, the president sat down with al-Sharaa and said at the time that he was willing to give the Syrian leader a chance to show he had turned over a new leaf.
The administration lifted sanctions on Syria, effective on July 1.
ABC News reported the U.S. also lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa, individually, and Syria’s interior minister, Anas Khattab, ahead of Monday’s visit.
“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime,” State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a Friday statement.
Trump has done more than any president in recent memory to protect persecuted Christians, and these faith leaders are right to urge him to hold al-Sharaa to account if he expects to have normalized relations with the United States.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
