Protests have begun in Syria over burning Christmas trees
Protests have started in Syria over burning Christmas trees near Hama city.
A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to a tree in the main square of the Christian-majority town of Suqaylbia in central Syria.
The main Islamist faction that led the uprising that ousted President Bashar al-Assad said those responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been detained and that the tree would be swiftly repaired.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the country demanding protection of religious minorities from the new Islamic rulers.
In the Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus, protesters carried a cross and Syrian flags and chanted, “We will sacrifice our souls for our crosses”.
“If we are not allowed to live with Christianity in our country like before, then we no longer belong here,” a protester named Georges told AFP news agency.
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shias, and Arab Sunnis, the last of whom constitute the majority of the Muslim population.
Just two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell into the hands of rebel forces, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
How the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group will rule Syria remains to be seen. The group has a jihadist past, from which it has distanced itself, and an Islamist present.
As fighters marched toward Damascus earlier this month, its leaders talked about creating a Syria for all Syrians.
Delegates also said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.
HTS has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the US, the EU and the UK, although there are signs that a diplomatic transition is underway.
on friday, US freezes $10m (£7.9m) reward Headed by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, following meetings between senior diplomats and representatives of the group.
The US is continuing its military presence in Syria – it said it carried out an airstrike in the northern city of Deir Ezzor that killed two ISIS militants.
The presence of foreign fighters, Islamic extremists like ISIS or even regime supporters, who are interested in attacking minorities to create insecurity and shake the stability of the country, is a major challenge facing the new Islamic leadership.
