Protests Erupt in Damascus After Christmas Display Set on Fire by Islamist Group

Protests Erupt in Damascus After Christmas Display Set on Fire by Islamist Group

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the Christian areas of Damascus, Syria, amid reports that a public Christmas display had been burned near Hama in central Syria.

Earlier today, armed extremists set fire to a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah in Hama, Syria. Local channels say they were Uzbek militants. HTS apologized for the incident and promised to deal with any future threats, but many Christians do not believe this will happen.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the hooded and armed men who lit the tree on fire were foreigners from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid.

“We demand the rights of Christians,” protesters chanted as they marched through the Syrian capital towards the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi neighborhood.

Why did AFP, Reuters, and other news agencies refuse to cover the Christian protests last night in Damascus against the new Islamist regime? This regime burned Christmas trees and banned many from celebrating. When news outlets ignore Christians on Christmas Eve and instead prioritize the views of former al-Qaeda affiliates, we face a serious crisis of morals and values. Something is deeply wrong.

Despite assurances by HTS that the rights of minorities will be respected, such incidents have already occurred. Last week, 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, the church said in a statement. A photo has circulated on social media showing an armored vehicle moving through a Christian quarter with a message written on the front window: “Your day is coming, Oh worshippers of the cross.

Christianity in Syria is among the oldest Christian communities on Earth, dating back to the first century, and has been described as a “cradle of Christianity.” Christians in Syria made up about 10% of the pre-war Syrian population but now make up less than 2%, falling from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2022 due to widespread persecution by Islamic terrorists and the impact of the Syrian Civil War.