Dozens of Christians in Syria protested in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, demanding more protection for their religious group after the burning of a Christmas tree in the city of Hama the previous day.
Most of the rebels who now rule Syria are jihadists, although Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has renounced long-standing ties to al-Qaeda and spent years portraying himself as the group's champion. quantity and tolerance.
It is still unclear who burned the Christmas tree on Monday, an action criticized by a HTS representative who visited the city and spoke to the public.
“This act was committed by non-Syrians, and they will be punished more than you expected,” the representative said in a video widely circulated on social media.
“The Christmas tree will be fully restored tonight.”
Christians marched through the streets of Damascus on Tuesday to protest the burning of a Christmas tree in the city of Hama, Syria. This sentence comes after an increase in attacks on Christian places in the country.
On Tuesday, protesters marched through the streets of Bab Touma, a suburb of Damascus, shouting slogans against foreign fighters and carrying large wooden crosses.
“We want Syria to belong to all Syrians. We want a voice for the future of our country,” said Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syrian Orthodox Church when he spoke to the crowd in the churchyard, assuring them of the rights of Christians in Syria. .
Since HTS led a swift offensive that toppled former president Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, Syria's minority communities have been on edge, unsure of how they will fare under a rebel-led government.
“We are here to demand a democratic and free government of one people and one nation,” said another protester. “We stand united – Muslims and Christians. No to sects.”
Source link
