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ALEPPO IN SYRIA: Christians celebrate in Syria's cities - Deceptive freedom under HTS Islamists? A new and uncertain chapter is beginning for the Christian minority in Syria. Despite the seizure of power by radical Islamists, Christians are still allowed to celebrate Christmas in some areas of the country - but fear and skepticism remain. In Aleppo, one of the most important centers of Christian life in Syria, the choir of St. Michael's Church is rehearsing for a Christmas concert. The performance was actually supposed to take place in Homs, but the tense security situation forced the singers to stay in Aleppo. Father Maximos from St. George's Church reports on a divided community: some Christians fled in time, others stayed out of a sense of solidarity with their homeland, their houses and their traditions. The new rulers are seeking dialogue and promising to respect the rights of religious minorities, but isolated incidents are undermining trust: a cross in a Christian school was destroyed, women were asked to wear a hijab, and alcohol shops are hiding their goods for fear of possible reprisals. "When the opposition forces came, I opened my shop demonstratively. If I was afraid, I would not have gone out on the street," reports a Christian shop owner from Aleppo. But not everyone is so brave - many are cautious, live in seclusion or are thinking about leaving Syria. The regime of Bashar al-Assad, despite its crimes and brutal rule, guaranteed religious minorities at least a certain amount of protection. It remains uncertain whether the new rulers will keep their promises and enable peaceful coexistence. For many Christians in Syria, this Christmas is not only a celebration of hope, but also one of deep uncertainty. #worldnewschannel #politics #syria Subscribe to the WELT YouTube Channel / weltvideotv WELT DOKU Channel / weltdoku WELT Podcast Channel / weltpodcast WELT Netzreporter Channel / dienetzreporter The WELT news livestream http://bit.ly/2fwuMPg The top news on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2rQQD9Q The media library on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2Iydxv8 WELT news channel on Instagram / welt.nachrichtensender WELT on Instagram / welt On our own behalf: Due to the high volume of irrelevant and offensive posts, we are currently unable to accept any more comments. Thank you for your understanding - the WELT team created Video 2024