Spirit of Christmas: Young Muslim choir surprise Beirut churchgoers

Crowds at the Saint Elias Kontari church in Beirut were expecting to hear an Arabic rendition of Silent Night sung by renowned Lebanese Christian singer Abeer Nehme when the choir group from the Imam Sadr Foundation surprised worshipers by walking in from the back of the church.

The audience's reaction of both surprise and amusement testified to the poignancy of the latest in a series of multi-faith projects in a region wrecked by confessional and sectarian strife.

Rami Al Khal, who was present at the service, told The New Arab the performance was touching.

"It was so moving that I think we all got goosebumps," Al Khal said, "No one expected this wonderful set up. It was so amazing.

"The veiled girls were very serene in their singing - their performance was heavenly."

Reaction on social media was similarly palatable as users commended the efforts to signify co-existence.

"Just beautiful. The Spirit of Christmas is just beautiful. No difference between humans. We are all equal," one user said.

"What a beautiful way to deliver the message of Christmas," another user said.

"I hope the world can watch this and learn a lesson from Lebanon," another said.

The Imam Sadr Foundation is an NGO that works to bring about social justice based on the teachings of late Shia cleric Moussa al-Sadr.