Syria: Terrorist and Extremist Threatens Chrismas Celebration
Terrorists with Extremist Flags in Damascus Photo: @commonwealmag
December 24, 2024 Hour: 2:45 pm
In a stark reflection of the escalating violence and sectarianism gripping Syria, Christian leaders are urging their congregations to curtail Christmas celebrations this year. This decision, born from a climate of terror perpetuated by extremist groups, lays bare the fragile state of religious coexistence in a country historically known for its diverse communities.
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Recent attacks targeting religious minorities, coupled with the chilling silence of the international community, underscores the urgent need for solidarity and action.
Despite purported “guarantees” from the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a faction of Al-Qaeda that seized power following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, claiming that all citizens are “free to practice their religious rituals,” deep distrust persists among the Christian population.
This distrust is not unfounded. Bishop Andrew Bahi of the Syrian Orthodox Church of St. George expressed profound concern after a recent attack in Hama, where unidentified gunmen opened fire on a Greek Orthodox church, attempting to destroy a cross and vandalizing tombstones in a cemetery. This act of desecration is a calculated attack on their faith, an ominous sign of the HTS regime’s true nature.
Further inflaming the situation, a Christmas tree was set ablaze in Hama, igniting spontaneous protests across Damascus. These courageous demonstrations, led by ordinary citizens, are a defiant stand against the sectarianism and injustice they face under terrorist control.
The protests, fueled by a viral video of extremists burning a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiya, a city with a sizable Orthodox Christian population, highlights the growing outrage at this blatant attack on their religious freedom and cultural heritage.
The official cancellation of Christmas celebrations by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, prompted by a series of attacks on churches and cemeteries, signifies the severity of the situation. These are not random acts of violence; they are systematic attempts to instill fear and insecurity, forcing Christians to question their very future in their homeland. This is a grim reminder of the consequences of unchecked extremism.
Reports indicate that HTS militants are conducting systematic attacks against minority-populated cities, engaging in acts of looting, kidnapping, and murder. An investigation by the Iraqi agency Almaalomah reports that armed groups perpetrate attacks against minorities, particularly in coastal areas, every ten minutes.
These acts are described as “acts of vengeance” under the leadership of Abu Muhammad Jolani, signaling the depth of the crisis. The estimated 90% of unreported incidents due to a strict information blockade imposed by the extremists underscore the brutal realities on the ground.
This situation in Syria is a microcosm of the larger struggle against imperialism and neo-colonialism, which have fractured many societies across the globe, often along religious lines. The rise of extremist groups like HTS is often a symptom of the destabilizing impacts of foreign intervention and the collapse of societal structures. These actors, often fueled by foreign interests and regional power plays, seek to consolidate their control through violence and intimidation, targeting vulnerable minorities.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: Al Mayadeen-PressTV