Chaos broke out across Syria after a Christmas tree was set on fire in
Al-Suqaylabiyah (17,300 inhabitants), a Greek Orthodox Christian town
near Hama, Western Syria, on December 23.
Thousands of
demonstrators, clutching crosses, bibles and Syrian flags, poured into
the streets, demanding that the new jihadist rulers stop turning a blind
eye to threats against religious minorities.
The ruling group,
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda offshoot, quickly claimed that the
culprits were "foreign fighters" who had been captured, promised the
protesters that the tree would soon be restored - and declared Christmas
a public holiday.
Following the attack, hundreds of Christians
gathered in the streets of Damascus, particularly in the Bab Tuma
district, to protest and call for protection.
Syrian church leaders are advising Christians to scale back Christmas celebrations this year due to security concerns.
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