As the holiday season approaches, Syria’s Christian community finds itself navigating a landscape of fear and uncertainty under the new rule of Islamist leaders. Church leaders have urged their congregations to scale back Christmas celebrations, despite reassurances from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group now in control, that religious minorities are free to practice their faith. These self-imposed constraints highlight a significant challenge for Syria’s new rulers: fostering trust among a mosaic of minorities deeply scarred by decades of dictatorship and a brutal civil war that has lasted over 13 years.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de facto ruler of HTS and a former leader of the Sunni Islamist group previously affiliated with al-Qaeda, has publicly promised safety for Syria’s Christian and other minority communities. In a bid to rebrand HTS as a governing force rather than a militant organization, Sharaa has traded his jihadist uniform for business suits. He has assured visiting Western officials that HTS will not seek revenge against the Alawite-dominated former regime of Bashar al-Assad or repress religious minorities.
However, these assurances have done little to ease the anxiety of many Christians. On December 18, gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in Hama, vandalizing a cemetery and attempting to destroy a cross, according to a statement from the church. The incident sent shockwaves through the Christian community, amplifying fears of hostility despite HTS’s swift response, which included arrests of the vandals.
In Damascus, the predominantly Christian neighborhood of Bab Touma has seen SUVs driving through its streets, blaring jihadist songs from loudspeakers, unnerving residents. A photo circulating on social media shows an armored vehicle in a Christian quarter bearing a chilling message: “Your day is coming, Oh worshippers of the cross.”
Christian leaders, like Bishop Andrew Bahhi of St. George’s Syriac Orthodox Church, describe these incidents as deeply troubling. While he acknowledges that HTS acted promptly by forcing the driver of the armored vehicle to remove the sign and apologize, and by arresting the Hama vandals, Bishop Bahhi remains cautious. “The community is watching to see if the groups currently in power are genuinely committed to establishing a civil society that offers equal opportunities for all,” he said.
Scars of War Run Deep for Syria’s Christians
Years of civil war and dictatorship have left deep emotional scars on Syria’s Christian community, as well as other religious and ethnic minorities such as Muslim Kurds, Shi’ites, and the Druze. For many, the prospect of living under Sunni Islamist rule brings back fears of persecution and oppression.
For Emilia Katarina, a Christian woman in Damascus, the trauma of war is deeply personal. Katarina lost her eldest son, Firas Azar, and her husband during the conflict. Firas disappeared in 2012 after being detained by Assad’s forces at a checkpoint as he prepared for his wedding. Two years later, her husband was killed, and she and her daughter Mary were injured when a rebel group shelled their neighborhood.
“Whenever I hear a sound at night, I jump. Fear is deeply ingrained in us,” Katarina said, sitting in her home near a portrait of her husband wrapped in the Syrian flag. Holding a photograph of her missing son, she expressed her skepticism about the Islamist rulers’ promises. Her daughter echoed her concerns, saying, “The ideology does not change in an hour. We are afraid of this ideology.”
Even before Assad’s fall, HTS representatives met with Christian leaders like Bishop Bahhi, assuring them of their safety. “But how truthful and serious he is? We don’t know,” Bahhi said. Even if trust is built with HTS, Christians also fear the influence of other armed Islamist groups in the region.
Adapting to a New Reality
In response to the current climate, church leaders are encouraging their communities to modify their holiday traditions. Bishop Bahhi has advised young people to ensure women dress modestly, to keep images of Father Christmas or St. Nicholas confined to church premises, and to avoid the customary distribution of sweets on the streets. These measures, he says, are meant to minimize attention and avoid any potential conflicts.
The presence of heavily armed men patrolling the streets of Damascus, many with long beards, does little to reassure Christians. For them, these sights evoke memories of past violence and deepen fears of what the future may hold under Islamist rule.
Despite these challenges, some Christians remain hopeful for change. At St. George’s church, Bishop Bahhi recently delivered a sermon encouraging his congregation to keep their faith strong during these trying times. Among those in attendance was Emilia Katarina, who quietly lit a candle and whispered a prayer for her missing son. “Maybe God will answer my prayers and bring back my son,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
The Path to Trust and Reconciliation
The challenge for HTS and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, lies in proving their commitment to building a civil society that respects and protects all religious groups. While initial actions, such as the arrest of the Hama vandals, signal a willingness to uphold law and order, the road to trust and reconciliation is long and fraught with challenges.
For now, the scars of war remain fresh, and the Christian community watches cautiously, hoping for genuine change but preparing for the possibility of more hardship. As Christmas approaches, Syria’s Christians navigate a delicate balance between maintaining their traditions and adapting to an uncertain reality under new leadership. Whether HTS can foster an inclusive environment in a deeply divided nation remains to be seen.
