Assad: Syrian Christians celebrate Christmas mass for first time in history
Syrian Christians celebrated Christmas Eve services on Tuesday for the first time since the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad. The ruling Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which emerged after Assad’s fall, had pledged to safeguard the rights of the country’s religious minorities.
The Christmas service took place under strict security measures due to concerns about potential violence against Christian sites. Reports indicate that the pews of the Lady of Damascus Church were filled with worshippers of all ages, holding candles as hymns resonated throughout the church.
Earlier that day, hundreds of protesters gathered in Damascus to express their outrage over an incident in which a Christmas tree was burned in Hama Province. Carrying wooden crosses, they chanted phrases like “We are your soldiers, Jesus” and “With blood and soul, we sacrifice for Jesus.” One protester, Laila Farkouh, stated, “We are protesting to demand our rights and denounce the burning of the Christmas tree and attacks on churches.
We do not accept this. “Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new leader of HTS, has assured Christians and other minority groups that they will be safe under his governance. Despite his past affiliation with a Sunni Islamist group that traditionally views Christians as infidels, he has recently adopted a more moderate public persona.
However, many Christians remain skeptical. The burning of the Christmas tree is one of several incidents targeting Christians since the regime’s fall, raising fears about their safety under HTS rule.
According to the report, the pews of Lady of Damascus Church in Syria’s capital was filled with a mixed congregation of young and old, holding candles as hymns filled the air and echoed through the church.
Hundreds of protesters in Damascus had gathered to denounce an incident in which a Christmas tree was burned in the northern countryside of Hama governorate in western-central Syria hours before the service.
Carrying wooden crosses, they chanted “We are your soldiers, Jesus”, “With blood and soul, we sacrifice for Jesus,” and “The Syrian people are one.”
Protester Laila Farkouh stated, “We are demonstrating to demand our rights and condemn the burning of the Christmas tree and the attacks on churches. We will not accept this. ”Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new leader in Syria, has assured Christians and other groups that they will be safe under the governance of his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has historical ties to al-Qaeda.
Despite his previous affiliation with a Sunni Islamist group that views Christians as infidels, Sharaa has recently adopted a more moderate appearance, opting for business suits in his public engagements.However, many Christians remain unconvinced. The burning of the Christmas tree is just one of several incidents targeting Christians since the regime’s collapse.
