Despite public domestic Christian support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, some members of minority Christian groups argue he manipulates and threatens them.

Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Christians have been divided over whether Assad is their surest bet for security, as many fear that they would be vulnerable to a fragile government or jihadists without him. But a report released earlier this month by the Syrian Network for Human Rights suggests Assad’s forces have endangered Christian places of worship more than other actors in the nearly decade-long conflict, a finding that undercuts some of the opposition to U.S. policy directed toward Assad’s removal.