Footage of the burning of an artificial Christmas tree has sparked protests against discrimination of religious minorities in Damascus, Syria’s capital. They started on Tuesday, and though they have mostly been confined to Damascus, the protests have spread to multiple neighborhoods.
In the footage, masked men burned an artificial Christmas tree in Al-Suqaylabiyah, a mostly Christian town near Hama.
Syrian citizens have been worried about the treatment of minorities ever since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by several rebel groups, spearheaded by the Islamic terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), putting an end to the 13 year long civil war. Unfortunately, the end of the war may not necessarily bring peace to the citizens. Magnus Brunner, the European Union’s migration commissioner, believes “the situation is still volatile.”
The new government has assured citizens that they do not plan to discriminate against any minority groups. However, the validity of their claims is questionable, seeing as multiple attacks against religious minorities have happened recently.
Last Wednesday, there was a shooting in a Greek Orthodox Church in Hama. During the attack, the gunmen attempted to remove the cross in church. There have also been unconfirmed reports of another attack that targeted a nearby cemetery. Additionally, shrines belonging to the Alawite group have been attacked.
In the Christian village of Kafrbo, there are reports that an HTS member ordered a priest to remove the cross he was wearing. This contradicts the previous assurances from HTS officials that everyone would be protected and allowed to practice their faith freely.
These repeated cases have left Syrian minorities increasingly concerned about their future. They have demanded concrete action to preserve their safety and freedom in their homeland.
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