📍 Breaking News: This article covers the latest developments. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage.
Amid the persistent waves of sectarian unrest rippling across various syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian regions following the dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year, a fresh eruption of communal tension now threatens the fragile stability of the damascus countryside. The latest flare-up, sparked by inflammatory rhetoric from a mosque imam in the town of Hujayrah targeting the Shiite population of nearby Sayyidah Zaynab, has culminated in nightly demonstrations calling for their expulsion. as per local sources and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this escalation has raised grave fears of intercommunal hostilities, further endangering syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria’s already frayed social fabric. Sectarian Flashpoint in Sayyidah Zaynab The towns of Hujayrah and Sayyidah Zaynab have witnessed a series of demonstrations marked by sectarian slogans and open hostility towards the local Shiite community.
The protests were reportedly triggered by the restoration and reopening of Husayniyyah al-Zahra in Sayyidah Zaynab—a religious gathering place for Shiite worshippers. Indeed, protesters carried placards and chanted slogans including: “Where the Shiites tread, we gouge out eyes,” “Shiites out—we want none of you,” and “Free Syria, free—expel the Shiites beyond! ” Activists have circulated video footage showing scenes of unrest in the Damascus suburbs, implicating the imam of a prominent mosque in Hujayrah in leading these nightly marches. The Syrian Observatory declared that the cleric played a key role in fuelling tensions, urging worshippers to “stand against the Shiite expansion”—a message that risks reigniting long-dormant sectarian fissures in southern Damascus.
The Reopening of Husayniyyah al-Zahra The latest anger has centred on Sheikh Adham al-Khatib and erupted one week after the reopening of the husayniyyah, as per the Observatory. Local residents—numerous originally from the Golan and other parts of Syria—reportedly viewed the resumption of Shiite activities at the site as a provocation and blamed Sheikh al-Khatib for inflaming sectarian divisions. Sheikh al-Khatib serves as the deputy to Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah, the moderate Shiite marja’ known for promoting Islamic unity and rejecting vilification of other sects. numerous within the Shiite community perceive the outcry not merely as a personal attack but as part of a broader effort to undermine their communal presence in the area.
Furthermore, on 12 August, Sheikh al-Khatib delivered a sermon at the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine denouncing what he described as “violations and encroachments” against the Shiite population, allegedly carried out by armed groups with ties to the current power structure. According to the Syrian Observatory, he condemned a litany of abuses:…