Damascus, Syria (AP) -Shiite-Pelgrims from Syria and abroad flocked to Sayyida Zeinab sanctuary outside of Damascus to commemorate Ashoura, a solemn day that marks the 7th-century martyrdom of Mohammed's greater.
In the days prior to Ashoura, the streets would be covered with black and red mourning banners and funerals. On the day of the commemoration, black -dressed mourning people would process through the streets, while in collecting halls known as 'husseiniyas', the believers listen and cry while clergymen told the death of Imam Hussein and his 72 companions in the Battle of Karbala in present -day Iraq.
The protection of the sanctuary dedicated to Sayyida Zeinab, the granddaughter and sister of the Prophet Mohammed against Hussein, became a rally-group of Sunni extremists for Shiite hunters during the 14-year civil war of Syria. It was often pointed out for a justification for the intervention of militants from Iran, Lebanon and Iraq in Syrian conflict to support former President Bashar Assad.
This year, after the expulsion of Assad in a lightning official under the leadership of Sunni Islamist insurgents, the Shiite neighborhoods of Damascus were subdued. The hotels that were once full with religious tourists were empty. There were no banners or processions.
The believers continued to observe their rituals in the sanctuary and prayer halls, but quiet and with strict safety measures.
Violence takes its toll
Syrian Shiites already felt that they were in a precarious position after Assad's expulsion. Their fears increased after a suicide terrorist blown up in a church outside of Damascus last month, killed 25 people and injured dozens more. Government officials blamed the attack on a cell of the group of the Islamic State and said they had thwarted plans of the same cell to attack Sayyida Zeinab.
In the Zain Al Abdeed van Damascus district, mourning people came into collecting Hallen after a search and screening with metal detectors.
Qassem Soleiman, head of a body that coordinates between the Shiite community and the new government, said that Shiite leaders had agreed with the state that they would hold their Ashoura rituals, but “would cut certain things outside the corridors to not be injured and not to be problems.”
The attack on the Mar Elias Church in Dwil'a “brought us into a state of great fear and fear,” he said. “So we tried as much as possible to put our memorials and rituals and ceremonies for Ashoura in the corridors.”
Jafaar Mashhadiyia, a servant in one of the collective halls, repeated similar fears.
“The security situation is still not stable – not many preventive measures are taken on the street,” he said. “The groups that try to carry out terrorist attacks have negative views of Shiites, so there is fear of security incidents.”
Worries influences the economy
The absence of pilgrims from abroad has been an economic hit for the area.
“There are no visitors,” said a hotel owner in the Sayyida Zeinab area near the sanctuary, who asked for only being identified by his nickname, Abu Mohammad, for concern about safety. During the run -up to Ashoura, “the hotels must be 100% full,” he said. “The Iraqis normally fill the area.” But they didn't come this year.
His economic misery dates from before the fall of Assad. In the months before the rebel offensive in Syria, a low -level conflict escalated between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant group of Hezbollah in a full war in Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanon fled across the border to Syria to escape from the bombing, with many of them in the hotels in Sayyida Zeinab staying against reduced rates, Abu Mohammad said.
A guard at a checkpoint in Sayyida Zeinab, who gave only his nickname, Abu Omar, in accordance with the regulations, said that he had not seen any safety problems in the area since the fall of Assad.
“There are attempts to sow disagreement and sectarianism by corrupt people who were and want to play at the former regime about the series of sectarianism and destroy the country and create problems between us,” he said, and described them as “individual efforts”.
Abu Omar pointed to a group of local men who are in chairs on the sidewalk near smoking water pipe.
“If they do not feel safe here next to us, next to a security control point, they would not be sitting here.”
Soleiman said he hopes that next year the foreign pilgrims will be back and Shiites will be able to reveal openly Ashoura, with Syrians from other groups that come to see the rituals as in the past.
“We hope that things will return to how they were earlier next year, and that is a call to the state and a call to the General Security Agency and all political figures,” he said. “We are one of the components when building this state.”
___
Associated Press Religion Coverage receives support through the cooperation of the AP with the conversation US, with financing Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is only responsible for this content.
