They were killed after masked gunmen, affiliated with the de-facto authority, opened fire on them from a motorcycle in the town.

The funeral procession for the two martyrs was held at 4:00 p.m. (Syria time) on Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Church of Our Lady in ‘Anaz.

Mercy and eternal rest be upon the martyrs, patience and consolation to their families and loved ones, and a speedy recovery to the wounded brother Pierre Harikas. 💔🙏

Bishop Basilios Mansour, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Akkar and its dependencies, delivered a moving address during the funeral of the two martyrs, Wisam and Shafiq Mansour, in the village of ‘Anaz. In his remarks, he conveyed the anger and grief of the community, calling for justice and public accountability of the perpetrators, while affirming the symbolic significance of the valley and the dignity of its people.

He described the incident as a historic crime and rejected the name “Valley of the Christians” being reduced to “Valley of the Nazarenes,” urging instead the use of “Valley of the Christians” as the true name reflecting their belonging to Jesus Christ. He expressed gratitude for the solidarity statement from Qal‘at al-Hosn, but stressed that superficial reconciliations are not sufficient.

The bishop demanded a public trial for the perpetrators, affirming that the martyrs will not rest until justice is visibly served. He rejected the vilification of the valley’s residents, insisting that they did not initiate aggression, and called upon the state to reveal the truth and ensure justice rooted in peace rather than revenge. He underlined the Christian community’s commitment to the state, the rule of law, and coexistence.

He concluded by urging the state to treat the valley’s residents as genuine citizens and not to burden them beyond what they can bear, affirming the valley’s historical role as a symbol of peace, and praying for the repose of the righteous martyrs.

Not long ago, this valley was classified by the United Nations as the safest place on earth. Yet— and I say this with profound pain— it has been transformed into a waterfall of blood. Hardly a week passes without a candle being extinguished or a flower withering in the prime of its youth. Yesterday, the treacherous bullets of masked gunmen claimed the lives of two young sons of this valley in the village of ‘Anaz. Our anger knows no limits, and our grief is too heavy for our bodies to contain. Mercy upon those young martyrs, and peace and safety for our valley and every inch of Syria…

#Valley_of_the_Christians is a Syrian region encompassing predominantly Christian villages and towns across the districts of Hawash and Nasra in western rural Homs. The valley, historically referred to as Wadi al-Naddara, is of profound religious and touristic importance, home to ancient churches and monasteries such as the Monastery of Saint George and the Church of al-Shahhara. Perhaps its most iconic feature is the towering statue of the Virgin Mary that rises above Mount al-Sayeh.

♦️ لن نسمي الوادي بعد اليوم وادي النصارى بل وادي المسيحيين لأننا نحن على اسم يسوعنا الذي وطئ الموت بالموت ولن نرضى إلا أن نكون على اسمه وليس على اسم مكان من الأمكنة.

♦️ أبناء الوادي لا يمكن أن يأتوا بنقيصة تجاه شخص غريب.

♦️ نشكر أهل قلعة الحصن البارحة على إصدارهم ذلك البيان الأخوي والعائلي الجامع مع أهل الوادي عن المحبة التي تربط القلعة بالوادي، وهذا ما نعرفه عن العلاقات التاريخية عن الوادي والقلعة، ولكن تلك البيانات لا تكفي أبداً و مصالحات الخيم لا تكفي.

♦️ يجب أن ينال الجاني عقابه وسريعاً ولن نسمع أبدا للكلام، ولن نرضى إلا بما تراه أعيننا وأن تكون المحاكمة أمام أعيننا، وإذا رأينا ذلك فعندها يرتاح أمواتنا في قبورهم مع مسيحهم الذي علمهم السلم والسلام.

♦️ وإن كان أبناء الوادي انتفضوا في يوم من الايام فإنهم انتفضوا لكرامتهم ولن نسمح بتخوينهم لأنهم انتفضوا لحماية الناس الذين انضموا إلى الوادي.

♦️ حمل أبنائنا السلاح لأنهم كانوا يُصطادون كالعصافير على مفارق الطرقات من قبل الغرباء الذين التجأوا إلى القلعة، وليسوا من أبناء القلعة ونحن نؤمن أن الوادي والقلعة جيران يحبون السلام، ولكن جاء الغريب إليهم ليزرع الحقد ويقتل هذا وذاك.

♦️الوادي كله كرامة ولا يرضى بذلك، لذلك انتفضت الكرامة في صدور أبنائنا وقالوا لهون وبس.

♦️ أولاد الوادي لم يعتدوا أبداً… كفى تخوين لهم حتى يأتي شخص يقول ويتهمنا بأننا اعتدينا وقتلنا.

♦️ نحن نريد من الدولة التي أعطتنا في يوم من الأيام أمل أن العدالة سوف تعم وأنها دولة المواطنة والمواطنين، نريد منهم أن يُظهروا الحقيقة لكي تعم عدالة السلام وليس عدالة الانتقام.

♦️ نحن المسيحين نحب الدولة والقانون والعيش المشترك ولا نتمنى من الدولة أن تخيب أملنا ونظرتنا بهذا الامر.

♦️ نحن نريد سلم أهلي جماهيري لا سلم الخيم.

♦️ خيم المصالحة و صلح الخيم يزيد الظالم ظلماً ويزيد المظلوم عدم المطالبة بحقه.

♦️ يجب على الدولة أن تتعامل مع أبناء الوادي اللذين أروها كيف تكون المواطنة والمواطن السوري الحقيقي.

♦️ نتيجة ما يحملوننا إياه سوف يجعل مننا أشخاص لا نحتمل، لأننا نحتمل ذلك إذا كان الجهاد على الجبهات ضد العدو أو ضد الفساد، ولكن لا نحتمل أن يكون من الذين لهم ولنا بيت واحد وعائلة واحدة وأخوّة واحدة.

♦️ الوادي غالي على قلوبنا وقلوب أجدادنا وآبائهم، وقد مر على الوادي الكثير من المعتدين والقوات الغاشمة، وبالصبر والإيمان صار الوادي رمزاً للسلام والسلم والحضارة في التاريخ.

♦️ عيب على من يريد أن يسيئ لمن كانوا حماية لأهلهم في وقت ضيقهم… لمن كانوا حماية لكل من التجأ إلى الوادي… ولم نفرق يوماً بين مسلم ومسيحي.

رحم الله شهدائنا الأبرار.

♦️ From this day forth, we shall no longer call the valley “Wadi al-Nasara,” but rather “Valley of the Christians,” for we bear the name of our Lord Jesus—He who trampled down death by death. We will accept nothing less than to live and to die under His holy name, not under the name of any place on this earth.

♦️ The children of this valley cannot bring shame upon a stranger or act with dishonor toward others.

♦️ We thank the people of Qal‘at al-Hosn for their fraternal and heartfelt statement of solidarity yesterday, affirming the bonds of love that unite the castle and the valley throughout history. Yet let us be clear: such statements are not enough, nor are tent-reconciliations sufficient to heal wounds.

♦️ The perpetrator must face swift justice. We will not be satisfied with empty words, but only with what our own eyes behold. The trial must take place before us, in the open. Only then will our departed rest in their graves with Christ, who taught them peace and reconciliation.

♦️ If the sons of the valley have risen up, they did so for their dignity. We will not allow them to be accused of treason, for they rose in defense of the people who sought refuge among them.

♦️ Our children took up arms only because they were hunted like birds on the roads by strangers who had taken shelter in the castle. These aggressors were not of the castle itself. We believe the valley and the castle are neighbors who love peace, but malice was sown among them by outsiders who came to kill and destroy.

♦️ The valley is built on honor. When that honor was threatened, our sons rose up and declared: enough is enough.

♦️ The children of this valley have never been aggressors. Stop accusing them falsely of killing or attacking.

♦️ We appeal to the State, which once gave us hope that justice and true citizenship would prevail: reveal the truth so that the justice of peace may be established, not the justice of revenge.

♦️ We, as Christians, love the State, the law, and coexistence. We ask the State not to betray our hope or disappoint our trust.

♦️ What we seek is a genuine civil peace, not a peace staged beneath tents. For such tent-reconciliations only increase the oppressor’s arrogance and silence the oppressed from claiming their rights.

♦️ The State must treat the people of this valley as true citizens, who have shown the very meaning of loyalty and what it means to be a genuine Syrian citizen.

♦️ If burdens continue to be unjustly placed upon us, we shall become a people who can no longer endure. We can endure hardship when it is for the sake of defending our nation against an enemy or against corruption—but not when the injustice comes from those who share our home, our family, and our brotherhood.

♦️ This valley is precious to our hearts, and to the hearts of our fathers and forefathers. It has withstood countless invaders and tyrannical forces, and through patience and faith it has become a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and civilization throughout history.

♦️ Shame upon those who seek to dishonor the very ones who protected their people in their time of distress, who opened their arms to all who sought refuge in this valley—without ever distinguishing between Muslim and Christian.

May God have mercy on our righteous martyrs.

• On the morning of September 29, Jihadist members of the“General Security” abducted Engineer Majd from in front of the Damascus Directorate of Land Transport, where he was an official employee, after summoning him to work and denying him leave.
• Two days later, his body was found at Al-Sanamayn Hospital in Daraa, bearing severe torture marks and evidence of systematic abuse before being executed by gunfire.
• Last month, Engineer Majd and his family had been forcibly expelled from their home in the Al-Sumeria neighborhood of Damascus, as part of a campaign of systematic displacement. His only “fault” was being Alawite. During that period, he was publicly assaulted by members of the Ministry of Defense faction led by “Abu Hudhayfa,” where he was beaten, humiliated, and stripped in front of residents. The raid also included arbitrary arrests, sectarian insults, and acts of degradation.

👉 The Director of Transport, Sheikh Abu Hassan, with his approval and coordination, facilitated this crime.