Christian communities in the Syrian cities of Latakia and Homs held celebrations this weekend marking the beginning of Advent, the Christmas season, lighting Christmas trees and opening themed markets.
The Christmas season is beginning in the country for the first time under a government not run by the Assad dynasty in over half a century. On December 7, 2024, former dictator Bashar Assad fled the country for Moscow as his regime collapsed, leaving in charge the leaders of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) al-Qaeda offshoot. HTS terror leader “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani” abandoned his jihadist adopted name and became President Ahmed al-Sharaa, using his new position to prioritize the attraction of foreign investment to rebuild the war-torn country.
Prior to the fall of the Assad regime, Syria experienced a civil war that lasted 13 years.
Sharaa’s government has imposed an Islamist constitution to replace the Assad regime’s structure, but Sharaa himself has repeatedly insisted he would respect religious minorities and that his government would not be akin to the Taliban or other jihadist terror organizations. He has pursued a working relationship with President Donald Trump, who has prioritized fighting Christian persecution in his foreign policy, and made history as the first Syrian president to visit the White House last month. As part of that visit, Sharaa formally introduced Syria into the global coalition against the Islamic State, with which HTS has not traditionally cooperated.
Despite the assurances of tolerance and support from the Trump administration, religious minorities – particularly Christians, Alawite Shias, and the Druze – have expressed apprehension at being ruled by an al-Qaeda offshoot and protested for their rights. While the Assad regime brutally persecuted political opponents of all faiths, it mostly allowed Christians to exist in the areas it most securely controlled while other parts of the country fell to jihadist organizations such as the Islamic State. As recently as this week, reports from Syria’s “Valley of the Christians” in Homs indicated that roving jihadists were organizing menacing displays against Christian civilians.
Those reports and conflicts coexisted with the organization of massive Christian events this weekend in Latakia – a Christian and Alawite stronghold – and Homs. In the former, St. Michael’s Church, a Greek Orthodox house of worship, staged an event titled “Christmas Is Here” in which thousands celebrated the lighting of a large Christmas tree before the church. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), controlled by the Sharaa regime, reported on the event.
According to the Syriac Press, the event included several addresses by Christian clergy celebrating the Christmas tree as a symbol of world peace.
The governor of Latakia, Muhammad Othman, also attended the event, giving it the Sharaa regime’s seal of approval.
“He called on everyone to contribute their utmost to the nation, so that it may become a symbol of progress, civilization, and stability,” Syriac Press reported. “The Governor further stressed that Syria will remain a land of peace, since its stability will contribute to the stability of the entire region.”
In Homs, one of the cities most devastated by the Syrian Civil War, the Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs opened its annual Christmas fair on Thursday, featuring “activities and games that reflect the spirit of love and peace,” according to SANA.
“Event organizer Amjad Ghali explained that the fair was designed to create a joyful environment throughout December,” the state outlet explained. “Programs are tailored for all age groups, including games, food, and entertainment … Churches in Homs traditionally host annual Christmas activities ahead of the holiday.”
The promotion of Christian events in government media follows other high-profile public gestures to the shrinking Christian population of the country. In November, reports surfaced, for example, that government officials handed over control of the Jesuit School of Aleppo, seized by the socialist Baath Assad regime and repurposed as the “Al-Ram School,” to the Franciscan Order. Members of the order confirmed on social media that the government had returned the property, one of the region’s most prestigious schools.
Archbishop Ignatius Aphrem, the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, told the Kurdish outlet Rudaw in October that Sharaa made time to meet with him personally and assure him that he intended to respect the rights of Christians. The Christian leader added some hesitation, however, that jihadis used to rampaging during the decade and a half of civil war would listen to Sharaa.
“We want Christians to be citizens of the first degree … And this is what we heard from the president. This is what he really promised,” he asserted.
The archbishop noted, however, that “there are different groups that reached the government with the president, Ahmed Al-Sharra. And they differ in the degree of their religious commitment and openness to others.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a non-governmental organization, reported on November 28 that residents in the Valley of Christians in Homs had reported outlandish jihadist displays menacing the indigenous Christian population there recently.
A gang of jihadist thugs reportedly organized outside of the Mor Elias Church during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, riding motorcycles and shouting “allahu akbar.”
“Activists reported to SOHR that the individuals involved were believed to be aligned with the current Syrian authorities,” Syriac Press reported. “Their display of jihadist flags, in villages historically targeted by extremist factions during earlier stages of the conflict, heightened the alarm among residents.”
The outlet reported that Christians in the region and in Latakia had complained that they were also facing pressure to join pro-government demonstrations in anticipation of the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime.
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