In December the hated Assad regime was ousted from Syria, where they’ve been ruling since 1971. However, the coup was spearheaded by a radical Islamic group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Will the change of presidency be good or bad news for the nation’s roughly 300,000 Christians? Juliette* reflects on how she and her fellow believers are feeling about life, the changes, and the long run they face.
Today, Syria looks like a newborn child, tentatively finding its way.
I feel the tip of the Assad-led government is a pivotal moment for the country, potentially offering a latest and more hopeful chapter for the Syrian people.
As it unfolded, the streets reverberated with surreal scenes of jubilation, marking the tip of an era characterised by fear and oppression. There were heartening tales of people reunited with their family members after enduring prolonged imprisonment. It is extraordinary to see this level of joy, hope and euphoria.
One of the primary things I noticed after the changes was this: for years, we struggled to search out even the fundamentals, but now I see essential goods available in the market. Imported products are once more visible on the streets and in local markets.
When I’m going out for a walk the landscape of Syrian streets has transformed. We now not see images of the Assad family or the military checkpoints that were once ubiquitous.
What’s much more inspiring are the initiatives bobbing up in every single place. Loads of local associations and youth groups have launched initiatives for communal support. From cleanliness campaigns in universities and on streets and squares, to art projects modifying the artworks that express the previous government. There were bread distribution initiatives in the course of the period when bakeries were closed and plans to form neighbourhood committees for cover and assistance in the course of the transitional period.
But let me be honest: amid the celebrations, the fear lingers alongside the surreal happiness. Like so many others, I feel insecure as we do not know what to anticipate.
For Christians like me, the uncertainty is particularly unsettling. When I’m going to church, I see it in everyone’s eyes. We’re fearful about what this transformation might mean for us.
The incidents that happened to Christians across Syria up to now weeks only add to this. On December 17, 2024, gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Hama in Western Syria, shooting on the church partitions and attempting to tear down the cross atop the constructing.
Before Christmas Eve, attackers burned a Christmas tree near the Syrian city of Hama. Additionally, some groups moved around cities, especially in neighbourhoods where Christians live reminiscent of in Aleppo and Damascus, calling for everybody to wear the hijab or join Islam.
Thankfully all these incidents appear to have been individual acts. None of them were carried out by the brand new authorities. So far, they’ve acknowledged the events and are working to rectify the situation.
I feel that in this transitional phase, we as Christians have to act fastidiously. We have to be mindful of the trail ahead and find ways to handle the challenges without scary conflict or adding to the tensions that include such a big change.
It’s also crucial for us to guard our faith and our core beliefs, especially when I believe concerning the history of groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and the brand new authority now in power. I’m also deeply concerned concerning the Islamic groups that challenge the place of Christianity as a minority in society. Some of my friends from church have even encountered individuals who claim that Christians now not belong here.
But even within the face of those challenges, I find strength in my faith and within the words of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch delivered in a sermon after the change of regime:
“We stand on the brink of a latest phase, perceiving the dawn of a homeland all of us love and cherish. We are getting ready to renewal, which we desire to be radiant with hope and crowned with light. Here in Damascus … we declare to the world: as Christians, we’re from the soil of Syria. We should not guests on this land, nor did we come to this land today or yesterday. We are from the traditional roots of Syria and as old because the jasmine of Damascus. We are from Apostolic Antioch, from this land that has adorned the world with the name of Jesus Christ.”
Christians not only belong on this land but additionally have every right to contribute to its progress and development—that is our aspiration.
I decide to be cautiously optimistic, the brand new leadership is saying the fitting things, and that is a start. Nevertheless, the trail ahead stays veiled in uncertainty.
We are turning to prayer and asking for divine guidance, trusting that God’s will shall prevail. It is important for all of us to remain steadfast in our faith, drawing strength and solace from our unwavering trust in God’s plan for our own and our country’s well-being.
*Pseudonym used for security reasons.
