Nihad Hassan, leader of a Kurdish-speaking congregation in Beirut, Lebanon, has been released from custody after being detained for two weeks.
The Kurdish Baptist pastor from a Muslim background was arrested and detained without charges from July 20 to Aug. 3 while visiting family in Afrin, Syria.
Potential reasons for the arrest are said to be from Facebook posts considered offensive to Islam and the prophet of Islam.
Hassan expressed concerns over Syria’s Kurdish population, specifically for converts from Islam.
Hassan was taken to Afrin prison after the arrest, where he was held until Aug. 3. He was later released in Lebanon.
Mervyn Thomas, founder of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said he is concerned about the use of arrests and detaining to go after people of faith.
“While news that Pastor Hassan has been released and reunited with his family is welcome, we are concerned that he was detained for two weeks without charge and call on the transitional government of Syria to work towards ending the use of arbitrary arrest and detention in areas under its control,” Thomas said.
“We encourage the leaders of every faith community to unite against sectarianism, and to counter it through the proactive promotion of peace, justice, and reconciliation. We also call on the Syrian government to address issues related to intercommunity relationships with full transparency and in accordance with law.”
On Aug. 4, in a separate development, Catholic and Orthodox church leaders cancelled religious celebrations in the Christian town of Saydnaya near Damascus, and restricted worship to churches indoors.
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Christian men have been targeted by Syrian national security at checkpoints, holding them for hours.
CSW spoke to a Muslim local authority official and a Christian civil society activist from the town, both of whom denied any deliberate targeting of the Christian community in Saydnaya.
Sources in the area claim the police are searching for dozens of Christian men accused of being a part of atrocities under the Assad regime. Fewer than five have been arrested.
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