Faith groups in Syria suffer from a regime which claims it is secular, but which in reality manipulates religion for its own ends. The Minister of Religious Endowments, a government appointee, controls every mosque in Syria. He has the ability to appoint imams, sack imams and cut funding to certain mosques. This has influenced the way imams preach and conduct themselves. We believe this is an unacceptable state of affairs.

Religion should be free of the state and religious groups should be able to organize themselves through their own independent and democratic organizations. It is not the job of the state to tell people how they should or should not worship!

Freedom of religious expression is a right enshrined in the Constitution. In reality, laws and regulations in government organizations fly in the face of freedom of religious expression. All Syrians, Christian or Muslim, must feel that they can practice their religion and the state should protect that right at all times.

There must be equality between all religious groups in Syria. No groups should feel that it is oppressed or underrepresented, or that its concerns are not being heard. In a free and democratic state, all groups should have the right to participate in public life without any discrimination.