A Christmas tree in Saydnaya, a town in the Damascus countryside, caught fire on Wednesday evening, sparking a flurry of online speculation and conflicting narratives. Videos and comments circulated rapidly across social media platforms, depicting the blaze in front of the Saint Elias Church.
Initial reports and social media posts accused religiously extremist elements of deliberately setting the tree ablaze, labeling the incident a “crime against the symbols of joy and life in Syria.” Some videos circulating online purportedly contained audio of religious chants during the fire, further fueling tensions.
However, other users contested the authenticity of these videos, suggesting the audio was artificially added to incite sectarian strife. These individuals claimed the original footage indicated an electrical malfunction as the cause, showing attendees attempting to extinguish the flames without any chants being audible. According to these accounts, the doctored videos, often shared with captions accusing Muslims of burning the Christian tree, garnered millions of views and triggered a wave of online abuse and recriminations.
Official Clarification
Father Elian Wahba, the pastor of Saint Elias Church in Saydnaya, issued a statement clarifying the events. He explained that the fire occurred around 8:30 PM during a celebration in the church courtyard. A young man accidentally set off fireworks, which ignited the tree, adorned with primarily nylon decorations. The resulting blaze completely consumed the tree, but thankfully, no injuries were reported.
“There was no act of terrorism or intentional sabotage,” Father Wahba emphasized. “Thank God, no one was hurt, and we wanted to clarify the situation for the record.”
Similarly, Nour al-Din Baba, a spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Interior, addressed the incident on social media, stating, “Regarding what was published about the burning of the Christmas tree in Saydnaya, we confirm that the cause was fireworks, not a security incident.”
Authorities are urging caution against spreading misinformation and emphasizing the importance of relying on verified sources for information regarding the incident.
