The Syrian crisis is now two-and-a-half years old. and the damage of the conflict seems only to be worsening. Fueled by an increasing stream of jihadists with a stated goal of establishing an Islamic state, these groups have increasingly targeted the Christian community, forcing them to convert, flee, or be killed. The impact of extremist ideology is tearing apart the richly diverse social fabric of Syria, impacting all Syrians, but particularly targeting the Christians.
Though the uprising in Syria began primarily to end the brutal authoritarian reign of President Bashar al-Assad, for many in the opposition movement the aim has become the creation of an Islamic state, governed by a harsh interpretation of Islamic law and free of any Christian presence.
"For the terrorist people [foreign Jihadist fighters], the first step in their aim is to kill the Christian, or let them leave the country, or...