Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus on Christmas Eve, voicing their anger after a video surfaced showing masked fighters setting a Christmas tree ablaze in a Christian-majority town.
According to the Sky News report, demonstrators chanted “We demand the rights of Christians,” as they marched through the capital, expressing concerns about the safety and freedom of religious minorities in a post-Assad Syria. The overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by a coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group formerly aligned with Al Qaeda, has heightened fears among Christians and other minority groups.
The incident occurred in the town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama, and the video quickly went viral on social media. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the perpetrators were identified as foreign fighters from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid, which has ties to the rebel coalition.
Georges, one of the protesters in Damascus, told Sky News that he joined the rally to denounce “injustice against Christians.” “If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore,” he said.
In response, a religious leader from HTS condemned the act, claiming that the attackers were “not Syrian” and assuring that they would be held accountable.
“The tree will be restored and lit up by tomorrow morning,” he promised, seeking to calm the growing tensions.
The incident highlights the precarious position of Syria’s Christian community amid ongoing political and social upheaval. Once a thriving and integral part of Syrian society, many Christians now fear for their future under rebel rule, despite HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s assurances of religious tolerance.
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