"We are full of hope that our people will coexist in peace" says a priest at the Saint Francis Church in Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo. In the days since a lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels overthrew former president Bashar al-Assad, the country's new rulers have sought to reassure Syria's religious minorities. Brother Georges Sabe who attended a meeting between rebels and local Christian representatives said they "had a reassuring feeling ... they told us to carry on with our lives as normal: "You're getting close to Christmas, so you're going to celebrate your festivities as normal.'" IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES