DAMASCUS, Syria — Shiite pilgrims from Syria and overseas used to flock to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine exterior of Damascus yearly to commemorate Ashoura, a solemn day marking the Seventh-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson.
Within the days main as much as Ashoura, the streets could be lined with black and pink mourning banners and funeral tents. On the day of the commemoration, black-clad mourners would course of by way of the streets, whereas in gathering halls often known as “husseiniyas,” the devoted would hear and weep as clerics recounted the loss of life of Imam Hussein and his 72 companions within the battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq.
Defending the shrine dedicated to Sayyida Zeinab, the Prophet Muhammad’s granddaughter and sister to Hussein, from Sunni extremists turned a rallying cry for Shiite fighters throughout Syria’s 14-year civil war. It was typically pointed to as justification for the intervention of militants from Iran, Lebanon and Iraq within the Syrian battle in assist of former President Bashar Assad.
This 12 months, after Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgents, the Shiite neighborhoods of Damascus have been subdued. The lodges that have been as soon as brimming with non secular vacationers have been empty. There have been no banners or processions.
The devoted continued to watch their rituals contained in the shrine and prayer halls, however quietly and with strict safety measures.
Syrian Shiites already felt they have been in a precarious place after Assad’s ouster. Their fears elevated after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a church exterior of Damascus final month, killing 25 individuals and wounding dozens extra. Authorities officers blamed the assault on a cell of the Islamic State group and mentioned they’d thwarted plans by the identical cell to assault Sayyida Zeinab.
In Damascus’ Zain al Abdeed neighborhood, mourners entered gathering halls after going by way of a search and screening with metallic detectors.
Qassem Soleiman, head of a physique that coordinates between the Shiite group and the brand new authorities, mentioned Shiite leaders had agreed with the state that they’d maintain their Ashoura rituals however would “in the reduction of on sure issues exterior of the halls to ensure that nobody to get damage and for there to not be issues.”
The attack on the Mar Elias Church in Dweil’a “put us right into a state of nice worry and nervousness,” he mentioned. “So we tried as a lot as potential to do our commemorations and rituals and ceremonies for Ashoura contained in the halls.”
Jafaar Mashhadiyia, an attendant at one of many gathering halls, echoed related fears.
“The safety state of affairs remains to be not steady — there are usually not a whole lot of preventive measures being taken within the streets,” he mentioned. “The teams which might be attempting to hold out terrorist assaults have detrimental views of Shiites, so there’s a worry of safety incidents.”
The absence of pilgrims coming from overseas has been an financial hit to the world.
“There aren’t any guests,” mentioned a lodge proprietor within the Sayyida Zeinab space close to the shrine, who requested to be recognized solely by his nickname, Abu Mohammad, due to safety considerations. In the course of the lead-up to Ashoura, “the lodges must be 100% full,” he mentioned. “The Iraqis usually refill the world.” However this 12 months, they did not come.
His financial woes predate Assad’s fall. Within the months earlier than the insurgent offensive in Syria, a low-level battle between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah escalated right into a full-scale warfare in Lebanon. Tons of of 1000’s fled from Lebanon throughout the border into Syria to flee the bombardment, with a lot of them staying within the lodges in Sayyida Zeinab at discounted charges, Abu Mohammad mentioned.
A guard at a checkpoint in Sayyida Zeinab, who gave solely his nickname, Abu Omar, in accordance with laws, mentioned he had seen no safety points within the space because the fall of Assad.
“There are makes an attempt to sow discord and sectarianism by corrupt individuals who have been with the previous regime and need to play on the string of sectarianism and destroy the nation and create points between us,” he mentioned, describing them as “particular person efforts.”
Abu Omar pointed to a bunch of native males sitting in chairs on the sidewalk close by smoking hookah.
“In the event that they didn’t really feel secure right here subsequent to us, subsequent to a safety checkpoint, they wouldn’t come and sit right here.”
Soleiman mentioned he hopes that subsequent 12 months, the international pilgrims will likely be again and Shiites will be capable to overtly commemorate Ashoura, with Syrians from different teams coming to see the rituals as they did up to now.
“We hope that subsequent 12 months issues will return to how they have been beforehand, and that could be a name to the state and a name to the Normal Safety company and all of the political figures,” he mentioned. “We’re one of many parts in constructing this state.”
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