Protests erupted in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus on Tuesday following the burning of a Christmas tree near Hama, central Syria. The incident, reported by AFP, has triggered widespread anger and unease among the Christian community.
“We demand the rights of Christians,” chanted demonstrators as they marched through the streets of the Syrian capital, heading toward the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Bab Sharki district. Protesters spontaneously gathered across various districts to voice their grievances, expressing concern over escalating sectarian tensions.
This unrest comes just weeks after a coalition of armed groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, who had long positioned himself as a protector of minorities in the predominantly Sunni country. “We are here because there is increasing sectarianism and injustice against Christians, dismissed as ‘isolated incidents,’” Georges, a protester, told AFP. “If we can no longer freely practice our Christian faith, then we no longer have a place here,” he added.
Demonstrators carried wooden crosses and waved the Syrian flag of independence, a symbol adopted by the new authorities. The protests were sparked by a widely circulated video showing masked militants setting fire to a Christmas tree in Al-Suqaylabiyah, a predominantly Orthodox Christian community near Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights attributed the act to members of the jihadist group Ansar al-Tawhid, believed to be foreign fighters.
In response, a representative of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant power in the area and a former al-Qaeda affiliate, addressed the community, condemning the incident. He asserted that the perpetrators “are not Syrians” and promised they would face punishment. “The tree will be replaced, and its lights will shine by tomorrow morning,” he added, flanked by Christian clergy and cheered by local residents.
Rebuilding unity in Syria, a country fractured by nearly 15 years of devastating war, poses a significant challenge for the HTS. While the group claims to have renounced its jihadist roots and adopted a more moderate stance, concerns persist about its treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians, Kurds, and Alawites.
For many Christians, the burning of the Christmas tree symbolizes deeper fears about their place in a country grappling with new power dynamics and long-standing sectarian divides. Whether the new leadership can address these concerns and foster genuine inclusivity remains to be seen.
Source: ANA-MPA / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
This never happens in Assad’s Syria but it does now. pic.twitter.com/JcgUYnhkJR
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) December 23, 2024
Protests against anti-Christian attacks in Suqaylabiyah and across Syria have now spread to Jaramana, a large Christian-Druze city close to Damascus, Syria pic.twitter.com/LKuIXSdupz
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) December 24, 2024
