Syrian Christians Attend Christmas Eve Services for First Time Since Assad’s Overthrow
Damascus, Syria – Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services on Tuesday for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in early December. The service was held at the Lady of Damascus Church in the capital, amid tight security due to concerns of violence against Christian sites.
The pews of the church were filled with a mixed congregation of young and old, holding candles as hymns filled the air and echoed through the church. Hours before the service, 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.
The protesters, carrying wooden crosses, chanted “We are your soldiers, Jesus”, “With blood and soul, we sacrifice for Jesus,” and “The Syrian people are one.” One protester, Laila Farkouh, said: “We are protesting to demand our rights and denounce… The burning of the Christmas tree, and attacks on churches.. We do not accept this.”
De facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Sunni Muslim Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has told Christians and other groups that they will be safe in a Syria run by his HTS. However, many Christians have yet to be convinced.
The Christmas tree burning was one of several incidents targeting Christians since the fall of the regime. On December 18, unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in the city of Hama, entering the compound and attempting to destroy a cross, and smashing headstones in a cemetery.
In a separate incident, Reuters reporters saw several SUVs driving through Bab Touma, a predominantly Christian neighborhood of Damascus, blasting out jihadist songs from their speakers.
