After arson attack, Christians in Syria warn they will leave the country if left unprotected against Islamist attacks

The Christian minority in Syria held a protest on Christmas Eve following the burning of a Christmas tree the night before in the predominantly Christian town of Al-Suqaylabiyah. The perpetrators are believed to have been foreign Islamist extremists.

Protesters from the Christian community demanded protection from the new regime in Syria, holding crosses and new flags to represent the government, following the collapse of the Assad regime. They called for an end to "injustice and sectarianism against Christians."

"Either we live in a country that respects our Christianity as we did before or open the door for us so that we can leave abroad," one protester stated.

Syrian military officials and Islamic clerics promised the Al-Suqaylabiyah parish priest, Father Maher Haddad, that the anti-Christian perpetrators would be punished for the arson attack.

The Christian community in Syria is one of the most ancient Christian groups in the world. Before the devastating Syrian Civil War in 2011, there were approximately 1.5 million Christians in Syria. However, due to Islamist-led persecution and large-scale emigration to the West, the number of Syrian Christians has dropped dramatically to 300,000 by 2022, according to The Syrian Observer. During this time, the proportion of Christians in Syria decreased from 10% to just 2%.

While most Syrians welcomed the recent collapse of the Iranian-backed Assad regime, Christians and other minorities are concerned about their future in a country currently controlled by Islamist rebels with dubious intentions.

Ahmed Al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), the leader of the Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – and now the de facto leader of Syria – has tried to downplay his past affiliations by presenting himself as a reformed and pragmatic leader. Furthermore, he has publicly vowed to protect and tolerate Syria’s religiously and ethnically diverse population.

"No one has the right to erase another group," al-Sharaa said during a recent interview with CNN. However, Christians and other minorities remain skeptical, as the Islamist leader’s current statement contrasts sharply with his previous rhetoric.

"Alawites, Christians, and other minorities have no place in Syria," al-Sharaa said a few years ago.

Only time will tell whether al-Sharaa's current moderate stance represents a genuine shift or merely a tactical charm offensive to gain acceptance by the Western world.

The United States recently dropped its previous $10 million reward for the arrest of al-Jolani following a meeting in Syria between U.S. officials and the Islamist rebel leader who now calls himself Ahmed al-Sharaa. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf described the meeting with Sharaa as “very productive” and claimed the Islamist leader is “pragmatic.”

Meanwhile, the Christian minority is not the only community that is concerned about its future in Syria.

A speaker from the Druze village of Hader on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights recently called for annexation to Israel due to fears of attacks from Islamist extremists.

“In the name of all the people of Hader, and if anyone objects, please say… if we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil – to be annexed to the (Israeli) Golan!” the Druze speaker said in a clip that was shared on social media. He also warned of “the other evil coming our way” and argued that the Islamists would “take our wives, our daughters, our homes.”