Christian worshippers attend Christmas Eve Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition, known also as the Olive Church, in Damascus, 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 ANWAR AMRO / AFP)