Protests against the burning of Christmas trees have erupted in Syria, prompting new Islamist authorities to take measures to protect minorities.
A video posted on social media showed a tree on fire in the central square of the Christian-majority town of Saqilbiya in central Syria.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main Islamist faction that led the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad, said foreign fighters had been detained over the incident.
HTS representatives have pledged to protect the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.
Footage on social media showed masked men dousing a Christmas tree with an unknown liquid as Christians in Syria prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve. It was not clear whether they were trying to put out the fire or helping it spread.
Later videos showed a religious figure from the ruling HTS rebel group assuring a crowd gathered in Thaqilbiya that the tree would be repaired before dawn.
The man then held up a cross in a show of solidarity, something Islamic conservatives don’t usually do.
ReutersOn Tuesday, more protesters took to the streets after the arson attack, including in parts of the capital Damascus.
Some people shouted slogans against foreign fighters in Syria in the Qasa neighborhood of Damascus.
“Syria is free, non-Syrians must leave,” he said, referring to foreign fighters that HTS was behind the attack.
Demonstrators in the Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus carried crosses and Syrian flags and chanted “We will sacrifice our lives for our cross”.
“If we are not allowed to live in our country according to our Christian faith, as we used to do, then we don’t belong here,” one protester named Georges told the AFP news agency.
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alevi Shiites, and Arab Sunnis, the latter of whom constitute the majority of the Muslim population.
Just two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell to rebel forces, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
How the HTS group will rule Syria remains to be seen.
HTS began as a jihadist group – espousing violence to achieve its goal of establishing a state governed by Islamic law (Sharia) – but in recent years it has taken a more pragmatic, less compromising stance. A non-doing approach was adopted.
As the fighters marched toward Damascus earlier this month, its leaders spoke of creating a Syria for all Syrians.
According to SANA news agency, the new authorities announced on Tuesday that leader Ahmed al-Harara had “made an agreement with the revolutionary factions… to dissolve all factions and integrate them under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense.”
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said the ministry would be restructured to include rebel fighters.
Although the statement mentioned “all factions”, it was not clear which groups were included in the merger.
There are a number of armed groups in Syria, some of which are hostile to the HTS and others on good terms with it.
Getty ImagesHTS has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, although there are indications that a diplomatic transition may be on the way.
on Friday, The US scrapped the $10m (£7.9m) prize. After meetings between senior diplomats and representatives of the group, HTS leader Ahmad al-Shara at the head.
The US continues its military presence in Syria. It said on Friday it had carried out an airstrike in the northern city of Deir Ezzor – killing two members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
The presence of foreign fighters, Islamist extremists, or even government supporters interested in creating insecurity and attacking minorities to destabilize the country is a major challenge facing the new Islamic leadership.