Demonstrations continued in Syria following the burning of a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town near Hama, by members of the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Christians marched through Damascus, chanting demands for their rights and religious freedoms. The protesters, carrying crosses, walked to the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi neighborhood, calling attention to the targeted acts of violence against their community.
Syria: Christians and other minorities in Sahnaya, near Damascus, are protesting against the presence of foreign fighters in Christian and minority villages.
They seek to have the foreign fighters removed from all such towns, including in Wadi al-Nasara, the Valley of the… pic.twitter.com/SbtHn468ty
— Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) December 23, 2024
A demonstrator who gave his name as Georges told Agence France-Presse: “If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore.”
The protests followed the circulation of a video showing hooded fighters setting fire to a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified the perpetrators as foreign fighters from Ansar al-Tawhid, an Islamist group allied with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
A Group of 8 Foreign Nationals have been arrested by Security Forces in the Northwestern Syrian City of Hama, for lighting a Christmas Tree in the City on Fire. Father Maher, the Priest of Hama Parish, states that the Tree will be restored and relit by Christmas. pic.twitter.com/xcdhjTQEQ3
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 23, 2024
HTS, a coalition of Islamist factions, has claimed control in many parts of Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government. An HTS religious leader earlier condemned the act and said that the perpetrators were not Syrian.
HTS rebels sitting down to have a Christmas dinner together pic.twitter.com/wbDlXCcHfl
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 24, 2024
In the southern region of Sweida, the predominantly Druze population has stood in solidarity with Syrian Christians. Sweida remains one of the safest areas for religious minorities, with its majority-Druze population rejecting the sectarian violence seen elsewhere in the country.
This is beautiful!
In Sweida, southern Syria, Druze are standing together in solidarity with Syrian Christians, who are being targeted by Islamists in the rest of the country.
The region of Sweida is over 90% Druze, and is by far the safest place for Christians in Syria.
This… pic.twitter.com/UaeDStdOOS
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) December 24, 2024
This solidarity has reignited discussions about the establishment of an independent Druze state in southern Syria. Advocates argue such a state could serve as a safe haven for Christians and other minorities while also aligning geopolitically with the U.S. and Israel.
