Syrian scouts play music following Christmas Eve mass at The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the port city of Latakia on December 24, 2024. Syria's rulers who toppled Assad's government on December 8 have since sought to assure religious and ethnic minorities that their rights would be upheld. But for some in the Christian community of several hundred thousands, the promises made by the new Islamist leadership have done little to soothe their fears in a country scarred by years of civil war. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP) (Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images)