Syrian Christians celebrate Christmas, wary of Al-Sharaa’s promises

The Christian community of Damascus, still mourning a suicide bombing that killed 25 people in June, is celebrating Christmas under heavy security as uncertainty looms over Syria’s political future.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, overthrown after nearly 14 years of civil war by former jihadist leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s new authorities have pledged to promote “coexistence” among the country’s diverse religious and ethnic communities. 

However, bloody intercommunal violence has recently shaken predominantly Druze and Alawite regions, fueling fears among minorities.

In Damascus’s Old City, home to a small but active Christian community and several historic churches, the atmosphere remains outwardly festive. Red ornaments hang from trees, shop windows are decorated for Christmas, and street vendors sell roasted chestnuts. Yet behind the decorations, anxiety persists.

Syria’s Christian population has sharply declined, dropping from around one million before the war in 2011 to fewer than 300,000 today, according to experts. Many were forced into exile by years of conflict, economic collapse, and insecurity.

Although the Islamist-led government in Damascus insists it guarantees religious freedom, Christian leaders and residents remain wary. Their concerns are reinforced by the composition of the new Syrian army, which includes militias with known Islamist extremist backgrounds.

For many Christians, public celebrations continue, but trust does not. As one resident put it quietly outside a church in the Old City, “We are still here, but we are watching very carefully.”