Syrian Christians took to the streets of Old Damascus on Christmas Eve (Tuesday) to protest the burning of a Christmas tree in the Christian-majority city of Al-Suqaylabiyah by foreign Islamist fighters, according to local media.
The Christmas tree was set alight on Monday by masked gunmen, who were identified as foreign due to speaking Quranic Arabic instead of the local dialect.
This comes after repeated promises of protection of Syria's national minorities by the leadership of Hay'at Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), in particular their chief commander Ahmad al-Sharaa, known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, who has stressed the new government's commitment to pluralistic governance.
Following the arson, Demonstrators took to the streets demanding their rights and marching to the office of the Greek Patriarchate in Damascus.
Protestors held crosses and the new national flag of Syria as they called for an end to "injustice and sectarianism against Christians."
"Either we live in a country that respects our Christianity as we did before or open the door for us so that we can leave abroad," one protestor told local media.
Swift action against the arsonists
Officials from the military administration, as well as Islamic clerics, met with Al-Suqaylabiyah parish priest Father Maher Haddad and vowed to punish the perpetrators of the arson as well as fully restore the tree by Christmas Eve.
Syrian media quoted Father Haddad as saying that eight foreigners set fire to the Christmas tree two days after it was lit.
He also confirmed that the security services had arrested those involved in the arson.
Members of the new administration met with residents and Christian figures in the city, apologizing and promising to protect and provide a new tree. They blamed the situation entirely on the individual actions of foreign fighters.
The Syrian interim government ordered extra security forces to be deployed to the major Christian neighborhoods in Damascus to protect them during Christmas, US-government-backed Al-Hurra reported.