Syrian Christians Celebrate Christmas Amid Tensions with New Islamist Leadership

For the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services in Damascus. The event served as a significant moment to test the new Islamist rulers' commitment to protecting religious minorities, with many concerns surrounding safety and the security of Christian sites.

The service at the Lady of Damascus Church was marked by tight security, as vehicles from the ruling Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were stationed around the church. Despite fears of violence, the pews were filled with a diverse congregation, singing hymns and holding candles in a show of defiance and faith.

Earlier that day, protests erupted in Damascus, condemning the burning of a Christmas tree in Al-Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority city in western Syria. The arson, attributed to foreign Islamist fighters, sparked outrage among the local Christian population, leading hundreds to march through the streets chanting, “We are your soldiers, Jesus,” and calling for an end to religious attacks.

This attack is not the first sign of tension under the new regime. On December 18, gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in Hama, damaging the church's cross and smashing gravestones in its cemetery. These incidents have caused many to question whether HTS, which was once affiliated with al-Qaeda and has a history of viewing Christians as infidels, can be trusted to protect religious minorities.

Abu Mohammed al-Julani, leader of HTS, has publicly pledged that Christians and other minority groups will be safe under their governance, stating that the group does not seek revenge against the former Assad regime. However, many Christians remain skeptical of these promises, given the recent attacks and the group's hardline Islamist past.

In response to the Christmas tree burning, Syrian officials acted quickly, vowing to punish the perpetrators and restore the tree in time for Christmas Eve. The local clergy met with HTS representatives who promised greater protection and apologized for the incident, placing the blame on foreign fighters rather than the broader regime. Additional security forces were deployed in major Christian neighborhoods of Damascus to prevent further violence.

Despite these reassurances, protesters, holding crosses and the new Syrian flag, demanded that Christians either be respected in their homeland or allowed to leave for safer countries. The continuing uncertainty and the risk of further attacks have left many in the Christian community fearful for their future.