Syria: 1. Government treatment of the Armenian community
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SYR2861 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Syria: 1. Government treatment of the Armenian community, 1 November 1989, SYR2861, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad1644.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Of all ethnic minorities, Armenians reportedly form "the largest unassimilated group in Syria." [ Collelo, Thomas, ed., Syria: A Country Study, 3rd Edition, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988), p. 68; also in the attachments.] The reported size of the Armenian community in the country ranges from 150 000 to 250 000. [ George Kurian, ed., Encyclopedia of the Third World, (New York: Facts on File Inc., 1987), p. 1881; Collelo, p. 68.] One study states that, "As Arab nationalism and socialism have become more important in Syrian political life, the Armenians have found themselves under some pressure and have felt increasingly alienated." [ Collelo, p. 68. ]
The 1973 Constitution states that the President of Syria must be a Muslim. [ Amnesty International, Amnesty International Briefing: Syria, (London: Amnesty International Publications, 1979), p. 3.] There is no official state religion, and most non-Alawi and non-Sunni groups have the freedom to practice their religion, though proselytizing by foreign missionaries is forbidden, and the government controls religious training, fund raising, construction and meetings. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1987, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1988), p. 1318.] Christians form the largest non-Muslim minority religious group in Syria. With the exception of Armenians and Assyrians, most Christians are Arab. The largest Christian denomination is the Greek Orthodox Church followed by the Armenian Orthodox Church. [ Collelo, p. 99-100.] Jews and other small minorities are reportedly excluded from holding senior positions in the Ba'ath party. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), p. 1515.] It is not known whether Armenians are among those excluded.
Armenians in Syria are mostly located in Damascus and Aleppo, and are apparently employed in the services industry and medical practice. [ Minority Rights Group, The Armenians, (London, Report No. 32, 1981), p. 19.] Information regarding the treatment of Armenians by Syrian authorities is not available to the IRBDC at this time. The following attachments are somewhat dated, but contain almost the identical information to that reproduced in Kurian (1987 edition), and Collelo (1988 edition).
Attachment
- Nyrop, Richard, ed. Syria: A Country Study. Washington: The American University, 1979.
- Nyrop, Richard, et al., Area Handbook for Syria, 1971.
