Christians in Aleppo celebrate Christmas as city falls back under government control

Jardine Malado Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Christmas ornaments decorate a balcony in Aleppo, Syria December 12, 2009. | Reuters/Khalil Ashawi/Files

Christians in Aleppo lit up a giant Christmas tree for the first time in five years with the hope that peace will endure now that the city is back under the full control of the government.

The priests prayed for peace at the first Christmas Eve Mass in five years in St. Elias Cathedral, which is located in Aleppo's historic Old City.

"The festive atmosphere is great. It's a new birth for Jesus Christ and a new birth for the city of Aleppo," George Bakhash, a Christian community leader, told Reuters.

The mass was attended by dozens of Christians, including Russian officers. Bakhash said that the number of people attending mass across the city has surged because they are no longer fearful of missiles from rebel-held areas.

He said that the Christian population in the city has shrunk from 250,000 to 50,000 since the start of the conflict.

Many Syrian Christians supported President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, and people in pro-government parts of Aleppo were jubilant after the defeat of the rebels. Assad, a member of a Shi'ite derived minority sect, has been viewed by the Christians as a protector against rebel fighters who are mainly drawn from the Syria's Sunni Muslim majority.

In the Azizya neighborhood, hundreds of people celebrated and put up giant posters of Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Christmas Day, Assad was seen with his family meeting with orphans and nuns at a convent north of Damascus.

Over 4,000 fighters left rebel-held areas of Aleppo during the ceasefire to make way for the Syrian army to retake the city. Although, rebels still control at least 40 percent of Aleppo province.

The Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu is optimistic that the latest development could lead to a country-wide ceasefire.

"The operation conducted on your order involved tight contact with our colleagues from Turkey and Iran," Shoigu told Putin on Friday. "The next phase should follow. I believe we are on the verge of reaching an agreement on a full ceasefire in the territory of Syria," he added.