Masked militants burned a Christmas tree in Al-Suqaylabiyah, one of Syria’s largest Christian communities, according to Arab media.
The EU-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that gunmen set fire to a Christmas tree erected a few days earlier in the city’s main square. The move triggered protests over religious freedom concerns under the country’s new administration.
Residents of the Hama Governorate city organised demonstrations against what they described as growing security chaos and religious restrictions. Young people also staged a sit-in outside the regional command headquarters.
The incident poses a challenge to the Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. In recent press interviews, he attempted to appease Syria’s religious minorities, stating that “these sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them.”
The burning of the Christmas tree occurred despite the new Syrian leader’s public efforts to present a more moderate image of statehood.
People who fear Islamic rule either saw an incorrect application of it or do not understand it correctly.
