Al Monitor has a nice piece up shining light on the uncommon picture of Christians taking up arms in the Middle East, which is happening now in Syria. The author, Jihad El-Zein, has some interesting points:

One of the ironies in this recent Syrian phenomenon is that the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), the party that has traditionally been hostile to the Lebanese Kataeb Party, finds itself in the same position as the Kataeb. The Kataeb previously played the key role in the “fighting Christians” phenomenon in Lebanon from 1958 to 1990. And today, the SSNP is appearing as the “fighting Christians” party on the side of the Syrian regime.

Of course, this phenomenon didn’t come from a vacuum. The SSNP in Syria has members of all sects, including some Sunnis. But traditionally, the party has spread among the Christian, Alawite and Druze elites (as have the Communist and Baath parties).

The growing importance of the SSNP as a militia is definitely significant (and has to be a future subject on this Blog). Apart from that, the author sums up various other aspects concerning the current dilemma of Middle Eastern Christians - worth reading.

"Christians taking up fight in Syria" by Jihad El-Zein