As the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria mounts in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the regime of Basheer Assad, Pope Francis calls for prayer and fasting for peace. Pope Francis encouraged people to gather on Sept. 7 from 7 PM until midnight in St Peter’s Square, and also invited non-Catholics to participate in ways they feel are appropriate, according to Vatican Radio.
Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama laid out the case for limited military action against Syrian regime targets as a result of their alleged use of chemical weapons that killed over one thousand people – including hundreds of children. Syrian authorities deny their involvement and, in a BBC interview, said that any US military action against Syria would amount to “support for al-Qaeda and its affiliates.”
As the tensions continue to mount in the two-year civil war that began during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, here are three things to know about religion and religious freedom in Syria from recent Pew Research studies.