The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Wednesday: reported Protests erupted in Syria's coastal cities of Tartus, Latakia, Homs and Qardaha after a video posted on social media showed an attack on an Alawite shrine by unknown militants.
The Alawites are sect The number of Shiite Muslims in Syria is quite small, but until recently they had great influence because dictator Bashar al-Assad was an Alawite. Qardaha is President Assad's hometown, while Tartus and Latakia are the cities with the largest Alawite populations.
The protests over the shrine attack are the second large-scale religious demonstration since a rebel coalition led by the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Assad's government on December 8. held The attack was carried out by Syrian Christians after masked gunmen destroyed a Christmas tree earlier this week.
HTS and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa established a new Islamist government to replace Assad, sharia The law applies to the entire country but also protects the rights of religious minorities, including Christians and Alawites. Many Syrians and outside observers are skeptical of these promises, given the history of HTS and Shara'a's career as an al-Qaeda leader.
Christians appear to have fared fairly well after protesting the burning of Christmas trees, as HTS promised to punish the perpetrators and acted quickly to replace the destroyed trees. Alawites fear being persecuted for their support for Assad, but things haven't been much better for them since he took office. first large-scale protests Under the new system.
Police have imposed a curfew in Homs and other towns. acting quickly This was to disperse the thousands of Alawites who had taken to the streets. There were several deaths reported During clashes between police and demonstrators in Tartus and Homs.
of curfew The sentence was imposed after 14 police officers were reportedly killed in Homs in rebel action. explained As an “ambush” by Assad regime remnants. In addition to the curfew, the government prohibited “The distribution and publication of media content and news with a sectarian tone aimed at widening division.”
The Interior Ministry, which is under HTS, said the video of the shrine attack was “old” and dates back to rebel attacks on the city of Aleppo in early December, adding that the shrine attack was carried out by an “unknown group” with no ties to the state. He said that he was injured. new government.
International news organizations and SOHR said they could not determine the exact date of the shrine attack video.
sole said The attack apparently targeted a shrine in Aleppo's May Saloun district, dedicated to Sheikh Abu Abdullah al-Hussein al-Alawi, the founder of the Alawite sect. It has great historical significance for the Alawites.
The Interior Ministry said the video was disseminated by hostile forces to “incite conflict between the Syrian people at this sensitive stage.” Three Alawite judges shot dead It was during a trip to the Syrian countryside the day before the video of the shrine was posted on social media.
On Thursday, the HTS administration launched A large-scale security operation was carried out in Tartus and other coastal cities to “manage security, stability and civil peace” and “pursue the remnants of Assad militia in the forests and hills.”
Syria's new foreign minister, Assad Hassan al-Shibani, on Tuesday slammed Iran for “spreading chaos in Syria” and said Iranian leadership would take responsibility for “the consequences of recent statements.”
Shibani was referring to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. prompt Syrian youth speak out on Sunday to stand up against the new government. Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, who remained in power with Iranian support during Syria's long and brutal civil war.
“A young Syrian has nothing to lose. His university, his school, his home, his streets and his life are in danger. What should he do? Khamenei is with those who orchestrated this unrest. We must stand strong and firm against those who did it, and if God wills, he will prevail over them,” Khamenei said.
