>> the taliban are pushed back. afghan forces backed by an american airstrikes get the upper hand after days of fierce fighting. bethlehem, pilgrims prepare for the traditional midnight mass. numbers are down after months of tensions and violence. once again the scene of stabbings and clashes. in the french capital, the festive mood has arrived.

harris is celebrating christmas under tight security. -- paris is celebrating christmas under tight security. thanks very much for joining us on "france 24" this christmas eve. afghan soldiers and police have been trapped inside the district in helmand province. the district had been besieged for several weeks by taliban forces. there are fears that -- there were fears that the district could follow. -- fall. reporter: holding on by the skin of their teeth, afghan forces pushed back taliban insurgents in helmand province following u.s. airstrikes wednesday night. >> the district is completely under the control of the .overnment security forces the enemy never took control of this district. reporter: despite putting a brave face on the matter, the

taliban have made strong inroads in the area after government forces were unable to move in and reinforce local troops during the initial onslaught. in strategic district sits an important region. afghan authorities control outrageous two of the province's 14 districts. coming just a few months after the temporary fall of the kuthern city of konduz -- nduz to the taliban, concern mounts, a year after the official departure of nato forges -- forces. >> building an army is not the work of years. how many enablers they had. how many jets they had. how many we have today? the way we are fighting today, i think you cannot compare with

any of those forces who were fighting at that time. reporter: the on wednesday nights airstrikes, the u.k. -- beyond wednesday night's airstrikes, the u.k. has also sent a contingent of advisors back to afghanistan. troops likely to stay beyond 2016. melissa: the district was taken back by afghan forces helped by american airstrikes. coalition airstrikes were carried out in support of iraqi troops -- of troops. the battle for the town could last several days. it would be the second major town to be retaken from the islamic state group leader rock. this after two great -- after tikrit fell back into government hands in may. they will aim to form a

coalition government -- a unity government. the security council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the international roadmap for the syrian peace process. syria's christians are preparing to celebrate christmas, despite the war that began back in 2011. here is a look at a town near the front lines of the islamic state group, where residents live in constant fear of the jihadists. you a merry christmas ♪ reporter: they want to celebrate like anybody else in the world, except this will be their fifth christmas stuck in war. they have set up christmas trees in their homes because of their sadness and all of the martyrs. we wanted to put a smile on the face of all our children. we wanted to give them hope. they are tired of the sound of war and canons. -- cannons. reporter: they never know when

the enemy might attack. for years, rebel forces were backing bashar al-assad's army to control this christian orthodox count. now, the enemy is the islamic state group. residents are terrified of suffering the same date as a village some -- same fate as a village some 15 kilometers away, recently taken over by jihadists. the city is counted nine churches, including -- is home to nine churches, including some ancient sites. as christmas day approaches, people pray for peace. >> christmas this year is not like christmas in previous years, because residents of the town became scared when i.s. got closer to the town. half of them have fled to neighboring villages. our neighboring -- our young men have picked up their arms and gone to the frontline. reporter: and the frontline is

only a few kilometers away. they remember their victims with pictures of fighters and civilians killed posted on walls. the people of hope this will be their last christmas at war. -- the people all hope this will be their last christmas at war. melissa: the traditional christmas festivities will be celebrated tonight. fewer pilgrims than usual. months of unrest have led to a sharp decrease in visitors to the region. violence erupted once again in the west bank today. military trails on manger square. palestinian forces wrapup preparations in the sacred city of bethlehem. security is tighter than usual as the holy site celebrates christmas with christian worshipers from around the globe. >> we are in bethlehem celebrating christmas, celebrating the birth of our lord, jesus christ. this is the birthplace of the king of peace, so what we want

is peace, to live in peace. reporter: this year, the festivities are low-key as the region is rocked by a new wave of palestinian violence. on thursday, four palestinians were killed in separate incidents in the west bank. palestinians medical officials say the fourth died in clashes with israeli troops. it comes a day after an israeli man died from wounds sustained in a palestinian knife attack in jerusalem. >> when i was told what happened, i fell on the ground and i started crying to god. a 15-year-old girl bearing her father -- burying her father. reporter: the latest violence marks what should be a festive time of year for all. melissa: the bishop is also the president of an association that helps minorities throughout the

middle east. thank you for being with us. the truth is we have been hearing from syria, seeing those images of bethlehem, where the pilgrim numbers are down. it has never been so hard to be a christian in the middle east as it is today. >> i think there have been other times, long time ago, where it has been more difficult, but certainly today is extremely hard, because of the clashes between the sunnis and the shiites that are the backdrop of the growth of isis, the daesh state group. by the way, thanks for inviting me back to "france 24." it is always a pleasure. the story about the syrians trying to celebrate christmas, and the people in bethlehem -- it is desperately in need of some real action -- we are

desperately in need of some real action by the coalition against the isis group. and this is even more crucial, the long-term plan. we have millions of christian refugees who are dying to go back to their homelands. we are talking, you know, at least one million iraqis, 250,000 or so syrians. i was at the calle -- calais camp, the so-called "jungle," where i met iranian christians and syrian christians. they are very hopeless, really. one showed me his scarred wrists from his suicide attempt. really, there needs to be an international effort, a serious one, to work together and get rid of daesh, get rid of isis, and then found some new government in syria and iraq also needs a real government,

one that is not so dominated by iran. isn't there a danger of focusing on the refugees' religion, on their christianity? following in the steps of the narrative of the islamic state organization that this is a rural religion? -- a war of religions? a war of religions. that is their propaganda. this is an attempt instrumental eyes -- instrumentalize religion, particularly a conservative brand of islam, in order to build a political government, a government that then allows for a conquest ideology. so, no, this is not religious. the god of peace, the god of islam, the god of christianity or judaism is not involved in this, by any means. melissa: thank you for being with us on this christmas eve.

this brings us to the festivities being celebrated here in france. of course, christmas eve will be marked here as it is elsewhere, under tighter security than normal, this six weeks after the terrorist attacks that left 130 people dead. remainse of emergency in place throughout the country with security measures stepped up everywhere throughout the country, from train stations to tourist sites. here is richelle. reporter: security measures have been beefed up ahead of christmas mass. at the entrance, guards checked worshipers' bags one by one. barriers are in place for crowd control, with some 10,000 people expected here this christmas eve. >> what we need is to exercise some common sense, ensure that we remain vigilant, whether we are at train stations or in the subway. reporter: six weeks after the

deadly paris attacks, many french people are expected to flock to churches and temples across the country over the christmas holiday. but it is mostly volunteers helping out with the new security checks. >> the security measures are somewhat random. they won't discourage terrorists from launching an attack. it will simply slow them down and give us time to raise the alarm. reporter: across france, military police presence is at its peak. in paris alone, 2500 soldiers patrol the city's most sensitive sites, from monuments and train stations to department stores. >> they are checking bags more than before. they are also looking more carefully. we feel safer. reporter: the security measures seem to reassure both tourists and locals as paris celebrates its festive season -- this festive season under a state of national emergency. melissa: more news in just over

15 minutes. stay with us. >> a striking site in central sarajevo. and clothesr beds in the manner prescribed by salafism.in -- by even as they quote facebook, they want to return to the origins of islam. their strategy is simple. >> come along, help yourselves.

that's for the kids -- 50 wonderful stories. >> islam is progressing and spreading. in bosnia, islam has coexisted with christianity for the past six centuries. bosnian muslims are largely moderate. drinking alcohol is common, while veiled women are rare. ago, they chose a more -- >> you should speak to the iteration of early generations, not of modern, often polluted interpretations that are in place -- saudi arabia retained the most pure form. represents muslims 45% of the total population. until recently, few sported announced, visible signs of their faith.

now, though, islam is increasingly asserted. >> it is more of a fashion statement, as crazy as that sounds. a lot of these girls, they put the veil on, but they are very empowered and they are very outspoken. but i also feel that it is a change from what we really are. this, itcontinues like is sure that they will become even more radicalized. they will become a bigger community and they will recruit terrorists. reporter: that sentiment of rejection means bosnia's small exists onociety still the edges of society. these two now devote their energies to islamic-inspired .ocial work and good deeds

>> today we are delivering a wheelchair to a seven-year-old girl. we launched an appeal on the internet because she is affected by a number of serious sicknesses. >> these pictures will be posted on the facebook page to help encourage future donations. >> the wheels just need something. can we come in to see her? her full veil used to frighten the full -- the young girl. now she is used to it. in bosnia, medical treatment is costly and health insurance is rare. they aid that they provide is seen as a blessing. believe me, we did everything possible. we never went to anyone to ask for help up until now. the first time i publicly asked for help was when i went to -- we just kept trying ourselves.

>> one in five bosnian's lives in poverty. standing in for the state's failures allows them to depict salafism as part of society. that zealousness is not always welcome. the couple have been attacked, spat on, and insulted. that has done little to shake their belief. life, i dong i do in according to religious rules. if they say it is reasonable to have four wives and i fulfill all the conditions, well, i can have four. >> [laughter] >> women are, by nature, jealous, as natural. that would be hard for me. to havellah allows him more wives, then i cannot prevent him from doing so. >> he was not always so strictly

-- she was not always so strictly observant and submissive. in her youth, she went to bars and nightclubs. and she volunteered in the war to defend sarajevo. >> i hope my brother is still alive. i have not seen him in years. >> her war photos show a distant past. she insists now her face be blurred. the conflict two decades ago inspired her intense faith. it was also the moment of the southwest -- that the seller salafistthat the moving arrived in bosnia. the conflict attracted for the fighters, who just sitting -- attracted foreign fighters, mujahedin. they brought with them their more radical islam.

after the war, saudi aid organizations stepped in to shore up the state. their cash helped rebuild the -- villages, schools, and, above all, mosques. one of those is the largest in the balkans. >> it is a place where people and beome and socialize productive, fertile ground for making business connections. just getting to know older brothers. here,etting married extending family ties. c teacher also helped him find a job as a real estate agent. bosnia has become a popular destination for wealthy gulf arabs, attracted by its lush countryside.

the scale of their ambition is unprecedented in bosnia. this tourist village is said to cost 4 1/2 billion euros, about 1/3 of bosnia's annual gdp. >> have this key connecting factor to religion -- we have this key connecting factor to religion and religious practice. we are all connected to islam. >> the mosque is a symbol of islam's group on the muslim community in bosnia. it attracts hundreds of faithful each day. inside, it's facilities go far beyond simple prayer, -- its facilities go far beyond simple prayer. the mosque does not answer to local authorities. imam received authorization to film. the saudi kingdom pays for 50 bosnians to take the mecca. >> the selection process is very

demanding. we try to choose the elite from public life, from cultural, political, or religious spheres. it is a fair and honest process. >> the saudi benefactor will provide scholarships to study in the gulf kingdom, and opportunity for and still -- an a saudiity to instill version of islam. >> there are some individuals who have been influenced by certain ways, which is very much, let's say, of the saudi type. i don't deny they are individuals. >> 20 years after award driven by ethnic hatred, violence and religion remain entwined in the country. bosnia used to import jihadists. now it exports them. bosnian fighters are known to fill the ranks of the islamic state organization. this radio exchange was recorded

-- recorded in kobane, north of bosnia. [gunfire] >> more than 300 bosnian citizens have taken up arms to fight in syria. with a population of under 4 million, that is the highest ratio in europe. they also provide ideal recruitment, because, for the islamist groups, propaganda videos. >> the threat is taken seriously by the bosnian authorities. in the past year, operation damascus has seen a spate of raids across the country across -- country.

the leader of bosnia's most hardline southwest group -- group.e salafist he has been involved in recruiting from europe into the islamic state organization, now a passionate proponent of the international caliphate. he was jailed in 2015 for sending dozens of bosnian muslims to the middle east. many of his disciples will never return. a 24-year-old was killed fighting for the i.s. group in syria. his father blames the man who sent him there.

>> he held sway in the far north of the country. this region is predominantly ked by poverty and unemployment. it proved fertile ground for his message. as we arrive at the family home, the young jihadist killed in syria, the welcome is far from friendly. >> his brother, as he threatens our team, demonstrating the grid exerted by the hardliners -- the exerted by the hardliners. this region is home to 20,000 people and it has seen 40,000 -- 40 young men leave.

he acquired land nearby for his family and process disciples. -- and closest disciples. >> bosnia's intelligence agencies say jihadists train in this region before leaving for syria. the struggle between moderates, salafists, and jihadists has marked this mosque. this man testified at bosnic's trial. he has now left the country. his successor refuses to discuss the subject. he does put the urge to wage jihad in a local context. >> alcohol, drugs, fighting abroad in foreign wars -- all of these problems are equally worrying and need to be addressed.

these are sick children, poorly educated. we need to educate them and bring them closer to the mosque. >> inside the mosque, moderate bosnian muslims mingle with s alafists, but not everyone here is happy with the changes their community is undergoing. >> there are several branches, salafists and more moderate. imam practice to moderate, traditional islam. salafist, iam is think. he claims to be moderate, because that is what the community requires. >> you think the solid this -- do you think the salafists have won here? >> basically, yes. views are not welcome

here. that tension reflecting the cost of extremism in the region, the cancer eating away at the community. this woman's son left for

12/24/15 12/24/15 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from pacifica, this is democracy now! >> this is the moment in my life right here -- i just feel really great. i mean, i am kind of lost for words, but i feel really great. amy: clarence moses-el walked free this week after 28-year behind bars for a crime he says he did not commit. in 1989, moses-el, who is african-american, was sentenced to 48 years in prison after a