Syrian Christians in the capital Damascus attended Christmas Eve mass on Tuesday evening (December 24) amid high security measures in the first major Christian event following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reports.
Members of church scouts, civil defence personnel and fighters of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) surrounded the Lady of Damascus church in the Syrian capital.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of Christians gathered in eastern Damascus to protest Monday's (December 23) burning of a Christmas tree in the al-Suqaylabiyah district in Hama's northern countryside.
The protest comes amid rising concerns over attacks on Christian sites. On Dec. 18, 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.
Syrian church leaders are advising Christians to scale back Christmas celebrations this year, despite assurances from the Islamists who have just taken power that they are free to practice their religion.
The self-imposed constraints highlight one of the main challenges for Syria's new Islamist rulers: establishing mutual trust among a myriad of minorities, all scarred by decades of brutal dictatorship and 13 years of pitiless civil war.
De facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has told Christians and other groups that they will be safe in a Syria run by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate. But many Christians have yet to be convinced.
