Three weeks since the rebels’ successful campaign to topple Assad, Syria’s Christians now join those in Lebanon and Palestinian territories to celebrate Christmas amid great uncertainty and fear in the region. Under Bashar al-Assad, Christians were allowed to celebrate their holidays and practice their rituals but like all Syrians faced tyrannical limitations on freedom of speech and political activity. Al-Sharaa has maintained that his group will protect minorities and religious sects of Syria but has yet to call specifically for the protection for Christians ahead of the Christmas celebrations. Hilda Haskour, a 50-year-old Aleppo resident who identifies as Syriac Catholic, is preparing to celebrate Christmas but says there’s still worry among Christians. “The war will end, and we will rebuild again, but we must guard our hearts to be capable of rebuilding.

---

Persons: Assad, Syria’s, Bashar al, Hayat Tahrir, Sham, Ahmad al, Abu Mohammed Al Jolani –, Sharaa, “ Hayat, Al Sham, ” George, George, Hilda Haskour, there’s, “, ” Haskour, ‘, Bethlehem Anton Salman, Salman, HAZEM BADER, Issa Kassissieh, Santa Claus, Menahem Kahana, of Jerusalem, ” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Israel, ” Tony Batte, Hassan Nasrallah, ” Batte Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Getty Images, Catholic Locations: Syria’s, Lebanon, Palestinian, Syria, Damascus, Aleppo, Jesus, Bethlehem, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, AFP, Jaffa, Jerusalem's Old City, Parish, Jerusalem, Beirut, New York