Christian town in Syria prays ‘for this Christmas to pass in peace’ as it confronts ISIL

SADAD, SYRIA // As military vehicles roll by, Syrian boys and girls gingerly decorate a large Christmas tree in the Christian town of Sadad, at the front lines with ISIL.Most residents of the ancient Syriac Orthodox-majority town in central Syria have fled, and those remaining are reluctant to celebrate the holidays as fierce battles with ISIL rage nearby.With the steady approach of ISIL, Youssef, a retired 65-year-old man living alone in Sadad, sent his family away to a safer village.