A Fragile Christmas: Syrian Christians Approach a Crossroads of Hope and Fear

The church bells still ring in Syria’s ancient Christian enclaves, but their sound carries a bittersweet resonance. Two weeks after the surprise fall of the regime of the Syrian tyrant, Bashar Al-Assad — toppled by an offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — Syrian Christians stand at a crossroads of hope and dread.Promises of equality and protection from the new authorities have been met with cautious optimism. Yet fears of persecution and the erasure of a millennia-old Christian presence linger. For a community that has weathered centuries of upheaval, this moment feels as fragile as the cracked stone of their oldest churches, a nation reborn, but under whose terms?“We are happy that the previous regime fell, but we have many matters in our minds about our future,” Bishop at the Patriarchate of Antioch in the northwestern Syrian city of Safita, Demetrios Charbak, tells The New York Sun via phone. “We don’t have concrete answers, only promises. We cannot build a future on promises.” An Endangered CommunityThe stakes are dire for Syria’s Christian community, which has dwindled to less than 2 percent today from 10 percent of the population in pre-war 2011, falling to below 300,000. Syria, like its neighbor Iraq, is considered the cradle of civilization and the birthplace of Christianity 2,000 years ago. On the road to Damascus, the Apostle Paul underwent his conversion, and Syria remains one of the rare places where Aramaic — the language of Jesus — is still spoken.Since the onset of the civil war, many in Syria’s Christian community aligned with the Assad government, as the president — an Alawite and member of a minority sect — has portrayed himself as a defender of minority groups.“Everything was fine there, but what happened there now is unbelievable,” one Syrian Christian, who shuttled between Damascus and Los Angeles, tells the Sun. “What I hear every day from friends in Syria is that they don’t look good; they don’t feel safe.”Other Christians stress, however, that the brutal war waged by Assad’s regime is why so many — an estimated 85 percent — were forced to leave their ancestral homeland and suffered intently as a result of the incessant bombing campaign and authoritarian rule.“Throughout Assad’s rule, Syria’s constitution has been unique in the Middle East for not declaring Islam as the state religion, reflecting a certain level of tolerance. However, Christians still faced significant repression and restrictions,” a Syrian Christian from Aleppo tells the Sun. He explains that the Christian community was denied the right to education in our native languages, like Syriac. “Churches were under constant surveillance, and religious discourse, including sermons, was tightly controlled,” he continues. “While some might see this as limited religious freedom under the circumstances, it came at a significant cost to our rights and identity.” Distrust of Islamic RuleOnce home to diverse Catholic and Orthodox communities, Syria has seen countless churches and monasteries — some dating back to early Christianity — destroyed by jihadists in waves of attacks over the years, most notably by operatives of the Islamic State. Now at the helm in Damascus, Washington-designated foreign terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, have publicly pledged to make sure this does not happen and to uphold religious freedom and foster an inclusive, safe environment for all Syrians. “Christians have been guaranteed safety and the right to practice their faith, including Sunday services and festivals like Christmas. Large Christmas trees have been displayed in many cities,” Syrian regime defector and co-founder of the United States-based Syrian Christians for Peace, Ayman Abdel Nour, tells the Sun. “Additionally, there are promises to return ownership of schools previously confiscated by the regime back to the churches, which is a significant step.”The Assad regime systematically seized properties across Syria, including schools operated by churches, to suppress religious freedoms and consolidate control. Despite the latest assurances from the new government, signs of disorder persist, with reports of infighting among rebel factions and concerns over the group’s ability to maintain stability and protect vulnerable populations in the long term.“If a civilian-led group replaced Assad’s government, there likely wouldn’t be significant issues. But due to the troubled history associated with certain extremist groups, there is considerable worry and uncertainty about the future,” Mr. Nour explains. “There have been isolated incidents of robbery, looting, and shootings targeting churches and cemeteries, but these were individual acts, and the police apprehended the perpetrators. As of now, there hasn’t been any major, systematic, or intentional violence against Christians orchestrated by high leadership.”Mr. Charbak tells the Sun that Mr. Jolani’s team has sent him a number of messages and has come to visit his clergy, although that is not enough to assuage the unease. “Their words are very nice; they were very polite. But we need to see action on the ground,” he emphasizes. “We are doing our Christmas services; we have our tree, but we don’t yet have relief in our minds.”A spokesman for Open Doors, a global organization supporting persecuted Christians, also tells the Sun that while there have been no significant changes in the safety or livelihood of Christians in Syria since Assad’s fall, the community refuses to cower in fear. “Christians remain uncertain about the future but are preparing for Christmas as usual. Churches are holding services, and Christmas trees and decorations are visible,” the representative continues. A Fragile FutureThere is, however, little clarity over what will happen after the Christmas lights fade into darkness and Syria transitions into a new year and governance. The interim Golani-led government, ruling until March, has offered little insight. “We need to have many representatives from Christians in government and parliament. We need them to hear our voices,” Mr. Charbak says. “We need Syria to be a country for all people. We fought for years for our freedom. We don’t want to replace one dictator with another.”Other Syria observers are confident that Christianity, which had its share of both Assad supporters and opponents, is poised to play a role in Syria’s next chapter — the nature of that role is yet to be determined. “Christians often fought alongside the Assad regime against the Sunni dominated rebels who captured Damascus,” a Senior Fellow of Arab Politics at the Washington Institute tells the Sun. “But plenty of other Christians supported the revolution as well, meaning Christians are likely to find a place in the new Syria.”

A Fragile Christmas: Syrian Christians Approach a Crossroads of Hope and Fear

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