Syrian Christians attended regular Sunday services for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, as the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) sought to reassure minority groups that their way of life would not be at risk.
The protection of Syria’s minorities was a key concern during a meeting between top diplomats from Arab nations, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union in Jordan. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken backed an inclusive and representative government that would respect minority rights and not offer “a base for terrorist groups.”
Syrian students also returned to classrooms on Sunday, as the new rulers ordered schools reopened in a sign of some normalcy. The country’s new de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, faces a massive challenge to rebuild Syria after the civil war, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and a devastated economy. As Syria starts trying to rebuild, its neighbors and other foreign powers are still working out a new stance on the country, a week after the collapse of the Assad government backed by Iran and Russia.