Outrageous Christmas act sparks global fury

An act of arson against a Christmas tree in the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah has ignited protests across Syria and fuelled anxieties about the future of religious minorities under the new Islamist leadership.Just days before Christmas Eve, a video surfaced on social media showing masked men setting fire to the tree in the town’s main square, sparking outrage and fear among Christians.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group which toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, blamed foreign fighters for the incident and said they had been detained.However, the incident has exposed underlying religious tensions and anxieties that have simmered since the recent change in power, with many fearing that the hard-line Islamist ideology of the new leadership could threaten Syria’s religious pluralism.Protests erupted in Christian enclaves across the country, including the Kassa and Bab Touma neighborhoods of Damascus, with demonstrators demanding the protection of their rights and expressing anxieties about their future.“Syria is free, non-Syrians should leave,” chanted some, highlighting concerns about the influence of foreign fighters.Others carried crosses and Syrian flags, chanting “We will sacrifice our souls for our cross,”“If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore,” declared one demonstrator named Georges.In response to the growing unrest, HTS representatives swiftly condemned the burning of the Christmas tree and vowed to safeguard the rights of all religious minorities, promising to repair the damaged tree.A video circulated showing a religious figure from HTS assuring the crowd in Suqaylabiyah that the tree would be restored, even holding up a cross in a display of solidarity.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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