Hundreds of Christians marched through the streets of Damascus on Tuesday to protest the burning of Christmas trees in a village in central Syria.
Christians are highly skeptical of promises by the Islamic rebel leaders who overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad to protect all religious minorities.
The protests were sparked by a video on social media showing hooded men setting a Christmas tree on fire in the Christian town of Skyrabiya, near Hama in central Syria.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that led the movement to overthrow dictator Bashar al-Assad earlier this month; said Skairabiya residents say the fighters who burned Christmas trees are 'not Syrians'.
HTS representatives said the vandals would be caught and punished and the Christmas tree would be restored. BBC quoted HTS emissaries reported holding up crosses to show respect for the Christian town's residents.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the vandals were indeed foreigners and members of a small Islamic rebel group called Ansar al-Tawhid. That group is formed In 2018, an attack was carried out by the remnants of an ISIS-aligned group called Jund al-Aqsa, which fought against HTS. HTS itself is a rebrand of the Syrian franchise of the Islamic State's rival organization in al-Qaeda.
HTS eventually defeated Ansar al-Tawhid and was absorbed into its forces. During its short years as an independent organization, Ansar al-Tawhid's ideology tilted toward al-Qaeda, and the group was often accused of being an agent of al-Qaeda.
Syrian local media claimed The hooded men who lit the Christmas tree were Uzbek militants recruited into the ranks of Ansar al-Tawhid.
Syrian Christians did not trust the reassurances from HTS; marched They held a rally in Damascus early Tuesday to demand protection and equal rights from the new government.
“If we are not allowed to live our Christian faith in this country like we used to, then we no longer belong here,” one demonstrator said. said Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A group of demonstrators marching through Damascus's Qassa district called on HTS to expel all foreign fighters from Syria. “Syria is free! Non-Syrians must leave!” they chanted.
“We sacrifice our souls for the Cross,” chanted another group walking through the Bab Touma neighborhood.
Christmas tree burning sparks anxiety in Syria's Christian community; much smaller During the long civil war, ISIS and other Islamist groups killed Christians and forced them from their homes. The whole village was planned wiped out By groups affiliated with both Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
many christians feared The victorious jihadist rebels would turn against them because they were seen as supporters of the Assad regime. President Assad was known to offer some protection to Christians in exchange for political support.
A week before the Christmas tree was set on fire, an unknown armed group shot A Greek Orthodox church in Hama vandalized headstones in a cemetery and attempted to steal crosses. A Syrian Islamist group drove through Christian areas of Damascus, broadcasting jihadi propaganda from loudspeakers and posted threats on social media to end Syria's Christian community.
Young Christian men stage a sit-in inside the Mariamite Church in Damascus in the early morning hours of December 24, 2024. In the early morning hours of December 24, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Christian areas of Damascus to protest the burning of Christmas trees near Hama in central Syria. This was witnessed by AFP reporters. (ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)
protesters too claimed In Christian towns and areas such as Hama and Damascus, Christian property has been stolen or destroyed.
Bishop Andrew Barhi of St. George's Syriac Orthodox Church said: “Communities need to pay attention to whether the organizations currently in power are serious about establishing a civil society that provides equal opportunities for all. I'm doing it,” he said. said Reuters on Monday.
Bahi praised HTS for acting quickly to stop an unidentified group driving an armored car with threatening messages written on its windshield in the Christian area of Bab Touma, Damascus. Christians said they remained nervous after seeing heavily armed groups. Islamists walking on the streets. Many of these fighters are likely loyal to jihadi groups that committed atrocities against Christians during the civil war.
“Ideology doesn't change in an hour,” a Syrian Christian woman told Reuters.
According to Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Skyrabiya's Christmas tree was restored and relit in a grand ceremony on Tuesday night.
CNN reported On Tuesday, the HTS-led government declared Wednesday and Thursday as public holidays and had not imposed any official restrictions on Christmas celebrations.
“Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has not announced anything about the cancellation of our celebrations… However, some Christians do not want to go out to celebrate for fear of being attacked by armed thugs.” George, who lives in Damascus, told CNN. .
“An announcement about increased security in the run-up to Christmas would make a big difference. So far we don't have 100% organized and adequate security,” George added.
A common fear expressed by Syrian Christians is that the HTS and its leaders former al-Qaeda boss Ahmed al-Shallah is only saying the right things about religious freedom to impress the international community in the early days of the takeover. As soon as the world's attention shifts, the Islamist groups currently in control of Syria could return to suppressing and purging Christians.
