Issued by SEEN for Gender and Sexual Equity

SEEN for Gender and Sexual Equity extends its deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs who lost their lives as a result of the criminal bombing that targeted the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the city of Homs. We wish a speedy recovery to all those injured. This attack constitutes a fully-fledged crime against innocent civilians and a clear assault on the sanctity of places of worship, as well as on the foundations of peaceful coexistence and civil peace in Syria.

SEEN expresses its full solidarity with the families of the victims and with Syria’s Alawite community, and affirms that targeting any Syrian group is part of a dangerous trajectory aimed at fragmenting Syrian society through sectarian violence and hate speech—a path that is ethically, politically, and humanly unacceptable.

The organization also reiterates its categorical rejection of all ongoing practices and violations that target religious and sectarian communities in Syria, including the violence, threats, incitement, and discrimination faced by Christians, Alawites, Druze, and others—whether through direct acts or through hate-driven rhetoric that legitimizes exclusion and fuels violence while providing cover for perpetrators.

SEEN holds the Syrian transitional government fully politically, legally, and morally responsible for the continuation of this climate, due to its failure to address sectarian incitement seriously and responsibly, and its inability to take clear and transparent measures to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable. Under vague justifications such as “this will be investigated,” responsibility is effectively deferred—often until after the crime has already been committed.

Any transitional phase that fails to protect lives, safeguard human dignity, ensure equal citizenship, and hold perpetrators accountable—without exception—is not a transition toward peace, but rather a phase that reproduces violence instead of ending it, and deepens fear instead of building trust. Our belief is clear: any transitional authority that does not break fundamentally with this logic is nothing more than a reproduction of authoritarianism. We will continue to name this reality and hold those in power fully accountable until people achieve their right to life, dignity, and democracy.

SEEN renews its solidarity with the families of the martyrs and with all targeted Syrian communities, and affirms that justice and accountability—not revenge—and equal citizenship—not sectarianism—are the only path toward a safe, united, and democratic Syria for all its people.

SEEN for Gender and Sexual Equity

December 26, 2025