Damascus: In an early test of the new Islamist rulers' promises to uphold the rights of the nation's religious minority, Syrian Christians attended christmas Eve services on tuesday for the first time since President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in early December.
A number of pickup trucks from the now-dominant Islamist organisation Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were stationed surrounding the church, and the ceremony was conducted under strict security because of worries of violence targeting Christian sites.
A mixed throng of young and elderly crowded the pews of the Lady of Damascus Church in the capital of syria, carrying candles while hymns reverberated throughout the building.
Hundreds of demonstrators had assembled in Damascus hours before the ceremony to condemn the burning of a christmas tree in the northern countryside of the Hama governorate in western-central Syria.
They chanted "We are your soldiers, Jesus," "With blood and soul, we sacrifice for Jesus," and "The Syrian people are one" while holding wooden crosses.
Laila Farkouh, a protester, stated: "We are protesting to demand our rights and denounce... the burning of the christmas tree, and attacks on churches." Erdogan claims that turkey is in close communication with Syria's de facto authority. This is unacceptable to us.
In a syria governed by his HTS, a former al qaeda branch, de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has assured Christians and other groups that they will be secure.Even though Sharaa was once the head of the Sunni Muslim Islamist organisation, which views Christians as unbelievers, he has since abandoned his jihadist garb and begun wearing business suits.
HTS will neither retaliate against the former Assad administration, whose top leaders were primarily Alawite Muslims, or oppress any other religious minority, he has assured visiting Western diplomats.
However, a large number of Christians remain unconvinced.
Following the regime's overthrow, Christians have been the focus of numerous incidents, including the burning of the christmas tree.
According to a statement from the church, unidentified gunmen entered the premises of a Greek Orthodox church in the city of Hama on december 18 and began shooting, breaking headstones in a cemetery and attempted to destroy a cross.
In a different occasion, Reuters reporters observed multiple SUVs blasting jihadist music from their speakers as they drove through Bab Touma, a suburb in Damascus that is primarily Christian.
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