In Syria, Christians protested against the actions of radical Islamists

Hundreds of Syrian Christians protested in Damascus against the actions of radical Islamists who have significantly increased pressure on the country’s Christian communities after the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The reason for the protests was the burning of a Christmas tree in the city of Suqailabiya. Christians demand equal treatment and compliance with the law. This was reported by the Voice of America.

“We demand equal rights for Christians. If we are not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country as before, then we no longer belong here,” — the protesters chanted.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the arsonists were foreigners from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid. In another video posted on social media, the religious leader of the victorious Syrian Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) addressed the residents, saying that those who set fire to the Christmas tree were “not Syrians” and promised that they would be punished.

As reported, on December 12, 2024, the Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Patriarch John X of Antioch, held a telephone conversation with the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos. The hierarchs discussed the situation in Syria and the safety of Orthodox Christians in the region. The Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church said in a telephone conversation that the clergy and faithful of the Antiochian Patriarchate are still safe.