“I am very happy because the Assad regime has fallen. It’s like a dream come true. Nobody wants to live under a dictatorship. But there is concern. I have to be realistic,” said Yusef Sabag, a Christian lawyer.
“HTS is here now and they are an Islamic militia. That’s what they are. I wish, I pray, that they are a modern Islamic militia.’
“I’m not just speaking as a Christian, many Syrians, Muslims and all, we don’t want Syria to become another Afghanistan, we don’t want to become a new Libya. We have already suffered a lot.”
Syria’s Christian community is one of the oldest in the world, and the country is home to some famous holy sites.
When the uprising against Assad began in 2011, Christians were initially wary of taking sides, but eventually members of the community fought on both sides of the conflict.
Homs Archbishop Jacques Murad told the BBC last week that three meetings had already taken place with HTS and they were able to express their views and concerns frankly.
For now, these signs are encouraging to many Christians.
Bars and restaurants serving alcohol are open in the Christian quarter of Old Damascus and in other parts of the city. Christmas decorations are also in many places.
At a restaurant in the Old City, we met a lawyer, Uday al-Hayat, who is a Shiite Muslim.
“There is no doubt that there is anticipation and anxiety. The signs coming from HTS are good, but we have to wait and watch,” he said.
“It is impossible to know the opinion of all Shiites, but there are concerns about a scenario similar to Libya or Iraq. However, I believe that Syria is different. Syrian society has been diverse for a very long time.’
