Protests erupt in Syria after burning a Christmas tree
Protests broke out in Syria due to the burning of a Christmas tree near the city of Hama.
A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree on display in the main square of Suqaylabiyah, a predominantly Christian town in central Syria.
The main Islamist faction that led the uprising that ousted President Bashar al-Assad said the men responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been arrested.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country, calling on the new Islamist rulers to protect religious minorities.
Two masked fighters appeared in a video on social media setting a Christmas tree on fire the night before Christians in Syria prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve.
Video footage after the incident showed a religious figure from the ruling rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham assuring crowds gathered in Suqaylabiyah that the tree would be repaired before morning.
The man then raised a cross to show solidarity, something conservatives have not done.
More demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the deliberate attack.
Some in the Al-Kassa neighborhood in Damascus chanted against foreign fighters in Syria.
They said: “Syria is free, and non-Syrians must leave,” referring to the foreign fighters who Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham said were behind the attack.
In the Bab Touma neighborhood in Damascus, demonstrators carried a cross and Syrian flags, chanting, “Our souls are sacrificed for our cross.”
A protester named George told AFP: “If we are not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we are used to, then we will not belong here anymore.”
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shiites, and Sunni Arabs, who make up the majority of the Muslim population.
Just over two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell to rebel forces, ending more than 50 years of Assad family rule.
It remains to be seen how Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham will govern Syria.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham began as a jihadist group – embracing violence to achieve its goal of establishing a state governed by Islamic law – but in recent years it has adopted a more realistic and less militant approach.
As fighters marched into Damascus earlier this month, its leaders spoke of building a Syria for all Syrians.
The representatives also said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham remains classified as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, although there are signs that a diplomatic shift may be underway.
Friday, The US canceled a $10m (£7.9m) bounty. Headed by the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmed al-Shara, following meetings between senior diplomats and representatives of the group.
The United States continues its military presence in Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces said on Friday that they carried out an air strike in the northern city of Deir ez-Zor, killing two ISIS members.
The presence of foreign fighters, Islamic extremists, or even regime supporters who have an interest in destabilizing security and attacking minorities to destabilize the country constitutes the greatest challenge that the new Islamist leadership will face.
