Syria’s Christians mark Christmas amid political change and uncertainty

Special Syria’s Christians mark Christmas amid political change and uncertainty
Syrian churches continue to freely conduct Christmas Mass, celebrating the festive season under the transitional government after Assad’s downfall. (AFP)
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Updated 25 December 2024
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Syria’s Christians mark Christmas amid political change and uncertainty

Syria’s Christians mark Christmas amid political change and uncertainty
  • Religious minorities in Syria are wary of their new rulers and their rights under a post-Assad constitution
  • Christmas celebrations remain subdued amid economic hardship, fuel shortages and power outages

DUBAI: For Father Iyad Ghanem, a Catholic priest at the Syriac Archdiocese of Homs and Hama, two of Syria’s four largest cities, this Christmas represents both new beginnings and the end of a dark chapter in Syria’s history.

In the wake of the dramatic developments that led to the ousting of Syria’s long-time President Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, Christians in the country are celebrating Christmas under the transitional government of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) for the first time.

HTS, a rebel group led by Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, has sought to reassure minority communities, including Kurds, Alawites and Shiites, as it distances itself from its hardline Islamist roots. For many Christians, the end of the Assad era has come as a veritable Christmas gift.

“Our churches are at peace, and we, as clergymen, are free to conduct our masses. Yet, it is too early for the parish to pass judgment on HTS. The atmosphere remains uncertain, and much is left to unfold,” Father Iyad told Arab News.

“Our country and community have endured so much over the past 13 years. With this new era upon us, we must free ourselves from fear, find the voices that were silenced for so long, and eliminate radicalism in all its forms. This is all unfamiliar territory, and we are still adjusting.”




Worshippers attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition, known also as the Olive Church, in Syria's capital Damascus on December 15, 2024. (AFP)

Syria is part of a region often referred to as the “cradle of Christianity,” making it one of the earliest places in the world to host a Christian community. In the town of Maaloula, a handful of villages still speak Aramaic, the ancient dialect of Christ, to this day.

Once numbering over a million, Syria’s Christian population has dwindled to just 3 percent owing to the prolonged war that began in 2011 and the rise of Daesh in 2014. The violence and persecution left them vulnerable, forcing a large-scale exodus to Western countries.

Rassem Sairafi, a Christian from Homs, said he is optimistic about Syria’s future and hopes for a democratic and free nation.

“Many educated Syrians are returning from abroad. If they are included in the new government, I believe we will be in safe hands,” he told Arab News.

“Historically, Syria’s Sunni majority has been moderate. It was only during the war that began in 2011 that sectarianism took root. Hopefully, we can leave that behind and ensure we do not replace one dictatorship with another.”

The Assad regime left Syria in ruins. Its legacy is starkly evident in decimated infrastructure, a deeply entrenched corrupt political system, and a bankrupt economy that has pushed 90 percent of the population below the poverty line.

In a report for the US public broadcaster PBS on Dec. 12, correspondent Simona Foltyn said: “Streets are getting busier by the day and shops and government institutions are slowly returning to work.

“The opposition has taken over government institutions in the capital, Damascus, and has begun the task of governing the country, using its experience in Idlib as a blueprint. But administrating a whole country, as opposed to a province, is quite a different matter, and it remains to be seen how easily it can be scaled.”

She added: “Apart from the joy and relief, the mundane but vital work of making a country function is job number one for many.”




A woman walks along a street near the Greek Catholic Church of St George in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)

With Assad’s fall, Christians face additional uncertainty as a religious minority about their fate under the country’s new rulers. They feel that their future hangs in the delicate balance of a new era and constitution.

The Christian community, like all Syrians, endured severe hardships under Assad’s regime and so regards the new government with a mix of caution and optimism.

“We are nervous because we are unsure. We do not know what the future holds,” said Rawaa, a Christian from Damascus. “But we are aware of HTS’s history. While their recent legislative decisions are comforting, we remain eager to see if they will uphold these commitments over time.”

Despite being hailed as Syria’s “liberators” and Al-Sharaa’s recent efforts to rebrand himself — shedding his military persona as Abu Mohamad Al-Jolani to adopt the image of a statesman — the country’s stability and economic recovery remain precarious.

HTS is still designated as a terrorist group by the UN, US, EU, and UK, among many others, as it started as a splinter group of Al-Qaeda, which it broke away from in 2016.




A rebel fighter stands next to a giant Christmas advertisement in central Damascus on December 9, 2024. (AFP)

Once confined to the overcrowded and impoverished northwestern region of Idlib but now acting as the self-imposed caretaker government in Damascus, HTS faces the daunting challenge of rebuilding a nation devastated by years of corruption and mismanagement under Assad.

In an effort to stave off chaos, Al-Sharaa has taken steps to restore basic services in some areas, called for the preservation of state institutions, and promoted the vision of an inclusive society and a peaceful transition to new governance.

Senior leaders of the transitional government continue to meet with representatives of various religious communities, emphasizing their commitment to protecting minority rights as part of broader efforts to reassure both Syrians and the international community.

Both Father Iyad and Rawaa voiced their aversion to the use of the term “minority” when describing their community, insisting they are an integral part of Syria’s fabric and one of the essential components that define the country.

This year, across various parts of the country, only churches have adorned their doors and squares with Christmas decorations — a gesture that Rawaa interprets as a sign of hope for the future. However, celebrations remain subdued. Many, including Rawaa’s family and friends, are opting for private gatherings.




Christian worshippers attend mass at the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (also known as the Latin Cathedral) in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)

“My neighborhood hasn’t put up Christmas decorations since the war began 13 years ago, and this year is no different,” Rawaa told Arab News.

“But it’s not out of fear of HTS. It’s because of the shortages we face and the hardships we endure. We lack electricity, fuel, and financial resources. The population is struggling, and the festive spirit is hard to find in such conditions.”

“Our celebrations will be within our homes, with close family and friends,” Rawaa said. “This is a new experience for us. While there has been no persecution from HTS, we are proceeding cautiously. The transitional government has promised to launch awareness campaigns to combat radicalism if necessary. Time will tell if they fulfill that promise.”

Mary Bitar, a Christian from Damascus, saw reason for optimism amid the adversities in the lead-up to Christmas.

“People are out and about. No one is being harassed. We may lack Christmas lights because of the electricity shortages, but our hearts are full, and we remain hopeful,” she said.




A Syrian Christian decorates a Christmas tree at the Marist Brothers charitable association quarters in Aleppo on December 12, 2024. (AFP)

In his comments, Father Iyad emphasized that isolated acts of terrorism must be addressed before they escalate, citing a recent incident in Hama where armed men desecrated a Christian graveyard and set crosses in town squares ablaze.

“Small factions that align themselves with HTS must be controlled,” he told Arab News. “Those seeking to sow chaos must be stopped. We will not tolerate any radicalized behavior.”

Despite these challenges, Father Iyad remains steadfast in his message of hope. “My wish is for unity — a just legislation that provides equal rights to all Syrians. A peaceful, beautiful Syria for everyone.”


Palestinian hospital director says Israeli strike kills 5 staff in Gaza

Palestinian hospital director says Israeli strike kills 5 staff in Gaza
Updated 45 sec ago
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Palestinian hospital director says Israeli strike kills 5 staff in Gaza

Palestinian hospital director says Israeli strike kills 5 staff in Gaza
GAZA STRIP: Five staff at one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals were killed by an Israeli strike on Thursday, the facility’s director said, more than two months into an Israeli operation in the area.
Hossam Abu Safiya, head of the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia, said “an Israeli strike resulted in five martyrs among the hospital staff.” The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel has been pressing a major offensive in northern Gaza since October 6, saying it aims to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping.
At the other end of the Palestinian territory, the chief paediatric doctor at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis said three babies had died from a “severe temperature drop” this week as winter cold sets in.
Doctor Ahmed Al-Farra said the most recent case was a three-week-old girl who was “brought to the emergency room with a severe temperature drop, which led to her death.”
A three-day-old baby and another “less than a month old” died on Tuesday, he said.
Meanwhile, in central Gaza, a Palestinian TV channel affiliated with a militant group said five of its journalists were killed on Thursday in an Israeli strike on their vehicle in Gaza, with Israel’s military saying it had targeted a “terrorist cell.”
Witnesses said a missile struck the van while it was parked outside Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat.
The three-week-old girl, Sila Al-Faseeh, was living in a tent in Al-Mawasi, an area designated a humanitarian safe zone by the Israeli military that is home to huge numbers of displaced Palestinians.
“The tents do not protect from the cold, and it gets very cold at night, with no way to keep warm,” said Farra.
He said many mothers were suffering from malnutrition which affected the quality of their breast milk and compounded the risks to newborns.
Sila’s father Mahmoud Al-Faseeh said it was “extremely cold, and the tent is not suitable for living. The children are always sick.”
The United Nations and other organizations have repeatedly decried the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, particularly in the north, since Israel began its latest military offensive in early October.
The World Health Organization has described conditions at Kamal Adwan hospital as “appalling” and said it was operating at a “minimum” level.
Earlier on Thursday, Gaza’s civil defense agency said that five other people had been killed by Israeli strikes during the day in the north of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said a 35-year-old soldier was killed in the central Gaza Strip. It brings to 390 the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of ground operations in the Palestinian territory.


The journalists’ employer Al-Quds Today said in a statement that a missile hit their broadcast van while it was parked in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
The channel is affiliated with Islamic Jihad, whose militants have fought alongside Hamas in the Gaza Strip and took part in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war.
The station identified the five staffers as Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Ayman Al-Jadi, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Khalil, Fadi Hassouna and Mohammed Al-Ladaa.
They were killed “while performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty,” the statement said.
The Israeli military said it had conducted a “precise strike” and that those killed “were Islamic Jihad operatives posing as journalists.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ Middle East arm said in a statement it was “devastated by the reports.”
“Journalists are civilians and must always be protected,” it added.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said last week that more than 190 journalists had been killed and at least 400 injured since the start of the war in Gaza.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led October 7 attack last year, which resulted in 1,208 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 45,399 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu’s wife harassed opponents

Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu, from left, his wife Sara Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog.
Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu, from left, his wife Sara Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog.
Updated 17 min 55 sec ago
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Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu’s wife harassed opponents

Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu, from left, his wife Sara Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog.
  • Program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organize protests against political opponents

JERUSALEM: Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial.
The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu.
The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial.
The announcement did not mention Mrs. Netanyahu by name, and the Justice Ministry declined further comment.
But in a video released earlier Thursday, Netanyahu listed what he said were the many kind and charitable acts by his wife and blasted the Uvda report as “lies.”
It was the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus — highlighted by the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial.
Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. Netanyahu denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.


Regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 bln of Suez Canal revenues in 2024, El-Sisi says

Houthi attacks have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to longer routes around Africa, disrupting trade
Houthi attacks have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to longer routes around Africa, disrupting trade
Updated 24 min 1 sec ago
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Regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 bln of Suez Canal revenues in 2024, El-Sisi says

Houthi attacks have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to longer routes around Africa, disrupting trade
  • Egypt lost more than 60 percent of the canal’s revenues in 2024 compared with 2023, El-Sisi said

CAIRO: Events in the Red Sea and regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 billion in revenues from the Suez Canal in 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Thursday.
Egypt lost more than 60 percent of the canal’s revenues in 2024 compared with 2023, El-Sisi added in his statement, without going into details on the events.
Houthi fighters in Yemen have carried out nearly 100 attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s more than year-old war in Gaza.
The attacks have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to longer routes around Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.


Israeli incursion into Wadi Al-Hujeir raises fears of revived Israeli buffer zone

Israeli incursion into Wadi Al-Hujeir raises fears of revived Israeli buffer zone
Updated 53 min 37 sec ago
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Israeli incursion into Wadi Al-Hujeir raises fears of revived Israeli buffer zone

Israeli incursion into Wadi Al-Hujeir raises fears of revived Israeli buffer zone
  • UNIFIL says actions that threaten ceasefire must stop

BEIRUT: On Thursday, Israeli forces advanced into the Lebanese border area through Al-Qantara and Aadchit Al-Qusayr, heading toward Wadi Al-Hujeir. The incursion lasted several hours.

Israeli tanks were seen heading into Wadi Al-Hujeir. The incursion, carried out in broad daylight, prompted warnings from the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

The Lebanese army said: “The Israeli enemy continues its violations of the ceasefire agreement, attacking Lebanon’s sovereignty, its citizens, and destroying southern villages and towns.” UNIFIL, meanwhile, said that “any actions threatening the fragile cessation of hostilities must stop.”

The Israeli incursion into Wadi Al-Hujeir is the first of its kind since Oct. 1, the start of Israel’s ground war in Lebanon, and since the ceasefire came into effect on Nov. 27.

Wadi Al-Hujeir is a rugged valley in Jabal Amel, adjacent to the Israeli border. It lies between the districts of Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, and Nabatieh. The valley extends from the Litani River in Qaaqaait Al-Jisr below the city of Nabatieh to the town of Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district. Several towns surround it, including Al-Qantara, Aalman, Al-Ghandourieh, Majdal Selm, Qabrikha, Touline, and Taybeh.

A Lebanese security source expressed concern, stating: “This incursion into previously untouched areas, accompanied by extensive combing operations, (is) a significant expansion of the Israeli enemy’s occupation map and recalls the border zone Israel established in the 1970s through firepower and occupation, which it withdrew from entirely in 2000.”

The incursion forced families in Al-Qantara to flee to Al-Ghandourieh, at the western edge of the valley.

The Israeli army also erected earthen berms between Wadi Al-Hujeir and Wadi Saluki to block the valley road.

In response, the Lebanese army closed the road leading to Wadi Al-Hujeir at the Froun intersection in the Qaaqaait Al-Jisr area to ensure the safety of civilians. The municipalities of Majdal Selm, Qabrikha, and Touline advised residents to avoid using the valley road.

During the incursion, Israeli forces shot Lebanese citizen Hussam Fawaz from Tebnine while he was on his way to work at the Indonesian battalion’s headquarters, part of UNIFIL, in Aadchit Al-Qusayr. He was hit in the head while driving his car, abducted by the Israeli forces, and later handed over, wounded, to UNIFIL and the Lebanese Red Cross.

The Lebanese army command stated: “Israeli forces advanced into several points in the areas of Al-Qantara, Aadchit Al-Qusayr, and Wadi Al-Hujeir. The army reinforced its presence in these areas and the army command continues to monitor the situation in coordination with UNIFIL and the quintet committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.”

UNIFIL underlined its role in supporting both countries to ensure the area south of the Litani River is free of any armed personnel, assets or weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL, as well as respect for the Blue Line.

UNIFIL said: “There is concern at continuing destruction by the IDF (Israeli forces) in residential areas, agricultural land, and road networks in south Lebanon. This is in violation of resolution 1701.”

In the afternoon, it was reported that the Israeli forces that infiltrated into Lebanese territory, withdrew toward Wadi Saluki.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued using machine guns to strafe the border towns it had infiltrated, especially from Maroun Al-Ras toward Bint Jbeil. It also targeted the Aita Al-Shaab town with artillery shelling.

According to security reports, “the Israeli army was surprised by the scale of tunnels built by Hezbollah in the border area and the number that has been discovered. It is racing against time to uncover the remaining ones, destroy them and bulldoze Hezbollah’s facilities before the end of the 60-day period, half of which has already passed, for a complete withdrawal under the ceasefire agreement.”

The security source stated: “The Israeli army seems to lack confidence in the Lebanese army’s ability to destroy these Hezbollah facilities when it is deployed in the border area. It is determined to carry out this mission before its withdrawal.”

On Thursday, Israeli media reported that the “Israeli army is preparing for the possibility of remaining in southern Lebanon beyond the 60 days outlined in the ceasefire agreement.”

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported that the army “has begun establishing infrastructure for military posts along the northern border, with some of them located on the Lebanese side of the border.” It added: “During 30 days, the Israeli army killed 44 Hezbollah members who violated the ceasefire agreement — according to the army — carried out 25 attacks on Lebanese sites and recorded 120 violations of the agreement by the Lebanese side.”

On the Lebanese front, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “The Israeli incursion toward Wadi al-Hujair is a highly dangerous development and a serious threat to the implementation of Resolution 1701.”

He called on the Lebanese state, “the government, army and concerned parties, to review the current performance, which has shown a complete failure to curb Israel’s continued hostilities.”

MP Kassem Hashem, from the Amal Movement bloc, described Israel’s incursion as “an occupation of additional areas of Lebanese territory and an attack on Lebanese sovereignty in light of the ceasefire agreement supervised by international entities with presence and influence.”

He said that “if such violations continue at this level, it is considered an occupation, and Lebanon has the right to defend its sovereignty and national dignity.”


Syria authorities arrest official behind Saydnaya death penalties

Saydnaya complex, the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, epitomised the Assad atrocities.
Saydnaya complex, the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, epitomised the Assad atrocities.
Updated 26 December 2024
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Syria authorities arrest official behind Saydnaya death penalties

Saydnaya complex, the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, epitomised the Assad atrocities.
  • Confirmation by monitor of his detention came a day after deadly clashes erupted in province of Tartus, an Assad stronghold, when gunmen sought to protect him

DAMASCUS: Syria’s new authorities have arrested a military justice official who under ousted president Bashar Assad issued death sentences for detainees in the notorious Saydnaya prison, a war monitor said Thursday.
The confirmation by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights of his detention came a day after deadly clashes erupted in the coastal province of Tartus, an Assad stronghold, when gunmen sought to protect him.
Mohammed Kanjo Hassan is the highest-ranking officer whose arrest has been announced since Assad’s ousting on December 8.
Assad fled for Russia after a militant offensive wrested from his control city after city until Damascus fell, ending his clan’s five-decade rule and sparking celebrations in Syria and beyond.
The offensive caught Assad and his inner circle by surprise and while fleeing the country he took with him only a handful of confidants.
Many others were left behind, including his brother Maher Assad, who according to a Syrian military source fled to Iraq before heading to Russia.
Other collaborators were believed to have taken refuge in their hometowns in Alawite regions that were once a stronghold of the Assad clan.
According to the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison, Kanjo Hassan headed Syria’s military field court from 2011 to 2014, the first three years of the war that began with Assad’s crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired democracy protests.
He was later promoted to chief of military justice nationwide, the group’s co-founder Diab Serriya said, adding that he sentenced “thousands of people” to death.
The Saydnaya complex, the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, epitomised the atrocities committed against Assad’s opponents.
The fate of tens of thousands of prisoners and missing people remains one of the most harrowing legacies of his rule.
After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s new leaders from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) face the monumental task of safeguarding the multi-confessional, multi-ethnic country from further collapse.
With its roots in Syria’s branch of Al-Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim extremist group, HTS has moderated its rhetoric and vowed to ensure protection for minorities, including the Alawite community from which Assad hails.
With 500,000 killed in the war and more than 100,000 still missing, the new authorities have also pledged justice for the victims of abuses under the deposed ruler.
They also face the substantial task of restoring security to a country ravaged by war and where arms have become ubiquitous.
During the offensive that precipitated Assad’s ousting, militants flung open the doors of prisons and detention centers around the country, letting out thousands of people.
In central Damascus, relatives of some of the missing have hung up posters of their loved ones in the hope that with Assad gone, they may one day learn what happened to them.
World powers and international organizations have called for the urgent establishment of mechanisms for accountability.
With the judiciary not yet reorganized since Assad’s toppling, it is unclear how detainees suspected of crimes linked to the former authorities will be tried.
Some members of the Alawite community fear that with Assad gone, they will be at risk of attacks from groups hungry for revenge or driven by sectarian hate.
On Wednesday, angry protests erupted in several areas around Syria, including Assad’s hometown of Qardaha, over a video showing an attack on an Alawite shrine that circulated online.
The Observatory said that one demonstrator was killed and five others wounded “after security forces... opened fire to disperse” a crowd in the central city of Homs.
The transitional authorities appointed by HTS said in a statement that the shrine attack took place early this month, with the interior ministry saying it was carried out by “unknown groups” and that republishing the video served to “stir up strife.”
On Thursday, the information ministry introduced a ban on publishing or distributing “any content or information with a sectarian nature aimed at spreading division and discrimination.”
In one of Wednesday’s protests over the video, large crowds chanted slogans including “Alawite, Sunni, we want peace.”
Assad long presented himself as a protector of minority groups in Sunni-majority Syria, though critics said he played on sectarian divisions to stay in power.
In Homs, where the authorities imposed a nighttime curfew, 42-year-old resident Hadi reported “a vast deployment of HTS men in areas where there were protests.”
“There is a lot of fear,” he said.
In coastal Latakia, protester Ghidak Mayya, 30, said that for now, Alawites were “listening to calls for calm,” but putting too much pressure on the community “risks an explosion.”
Noting the anxieties, Sam Heller of the Century Foundation think tank told AFP that Syria’s new rulers had to balance dealing with sectarian tensions while promising that those responsible for abuses under Assad would be held accountable.
“But they’re obviously also contending with what seems like a real desire on the part of some of their constituents for what they would say is accountability, maybe also revenge, it depends on how you want to characterise it,” he said.