[Today's Prayer] Syria, religious conflict ignites after dictatorship overthrow… Concerns over 'anti-Christian' terrorism

Concerns over religious conflict are growing as attacks on Christians have occurred one after another since the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad dictatorship in Syria.
According to the New York Times (NYT) and other sources on the 25th (local time), Christians in the Syrian capital Damascus celebrated Christmas amid heavy anxiety.
On Christmas Eve, the streets of Damascus were decorated with national flags, wreaths, and lights. Some restaurants had their interiors decorated with Christmas trees.
While Syrian Christians are glad that the Assad regime has been overthrown, they are wary that the interim government of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) could oppress them.
HTS was previously linked to the Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda. It also has a history of strictly enforcing Islamic rule, such as executing residents who joined or cooperated with rival groups or were accused of blasphemy or adultery.
Ahmed al-Shara, the head of the HTS, has long vowed to break with al-Qaeda and establish a different form of Islamic rule. He has also pledged to protect Syrian minorities and religious sects.
However, he has not made any specific statements about protecting Christians ahead of this Christmas.
There are also concerns about attacks by other armed groups or extremists. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, several violent incidents occurred on the 18th, including an unidentified gunman shooting a church in Hama.
On the evening of the 23rd, a Christmas tree installed in the central square of Suqaylabiya, a Christian village near Hama, was burned by assailants.
According to a video shared on social media, an HTS official promised to punish the perpetrator and replace the tree. There are still concerns among the Christian community that such attacks could become routine.
On the 24th, hundreds of people took to the streets of Damascus to protest, saying, “We demand the rights of Christians.” Some even chanted the radical slogan, “Our solution is two things: the cross and the rifle.”
The Christian side is demanding that the interim government guarantee the protection of believers and the prevention of discrimination in the constitution.
(omitted)
About 74% of the Syrian population is Sunni Muslim, and about 13% is Shiite, including Alawites and Ismailis. The Christian population has decreased significantly from 10% before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war to about 2.5%. 3% are Druze, a Shiite sect.
Source: Newsis
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)
As the long-ruling dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in Syria, attacks on Christians continued, and the rebel interim government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham promised to protect Syrian minorities and religious sects, but there is still sad news that concerns are rising among the Christian community that such attacks could become routine, as they have not made specific statements about protecting Christians ahead of Christmas.
In response to this, hundreds of people have protested in Damascus, some shouting out radical slogans that the only solution is the cross and the rifle, but may the Syrian Christians realize that the best solution is to preach the gospel and forgive with the love of the cross first.
May the Lord block those who are targeting the Syrian Christians, like the Assyrian king Sennacherib who surrounded Jerusalem and made Israel tremble in fear, and may the Syrian church be strong and courageous at such times, so that they may see with faith that the Lord God who is with the believers is greater than Allah, the god of false Islam.
May the Syrian church become true neighbors who preach the gospel and love to those who have not yet heard the gospel in Syria, believing that the Lord God, who will surely help and fight on their behalf, is with them and protects them like the apple of His eye.
May the Syrian church pour out more love and grace than before so that they can forgive and give with the love of the cross of Jesus Christ rather than fight against it, so that the Syrian people may see the life and work of Jesus Christ through the Syrian church.
For this work, may the global church pray for the Syrian church and help it in various ways, and may they serve the Syrian people together and send more people to spread the gospel to Syria.
May the news of Jesus will fill Syria again, and may the vision of the Arab high priest be restored, and may they become a nation that serves the Arabs and the nations and welcomes the second coming of the Lord!
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