Sectarian Provocations Against Shiites Begin at Zainabiyah, Damascus
The English section of webangah News Agency, quoting Mehr News Agency and the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, reports that escalating sectarian tensions in the Damascus suburbs and the zainabiyeh (Sayyida Zainab) district followed inflammatory remarks by a Sunni imam in the predominantly Sunni town of Hujayrah.These comments have triggered open provocations against Shiites in Zainabiyeh. Yesterday, a presentation took place in Damascus calling for the expulsion of Shiites from Zainabiyeh.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited unnamed sources stating that this imam played a key role in stirring sectarian sentiment and encouraging people to what he termed “countering the spread of Shiism.” This advancement has raised concerns about growing tensions and fears of renewed religious mobilizations returning to southern Damascus.
Despite the Shiite community’s restraint and silence, dozens protested yesterday in Zainabiyeh chanting slogans against Sheikh Adham Al-Khatib, representative of Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shiite authority. The protest came one week after renovation work was completed on Husayniyah Al-zahra’s reopening ceremony there.
Sheikh Adham al-Khatib had previously dismissed provocative claims regarding Husayniyah Al-Zahra’s renovation as unfounded. He stated that repair work was finished but that the husayniyah remained temporarily closed. He confirmed that a mourning ceremony marking the anniversary of Lady Fatimah Zahra’s passing was held there before it was closed again pending official reopening following coordination wiht the Ministry of Awqaf.
In an official statement, Sheikh Al-Khatib condemned ongoing efforts by certain social media pages to incite discord between Sunnis and Shiites in Syria-especially targeting Zainabiyeh. He accused these outlets of spreading false details and exaggerating incidents deliberately to fuel tensions and conflicts within Syrian society while serving enemy agendas.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also warned about rising sectarian provocations. It called on international organizations to pressure syrian authorities to prevent recurrence, ensure respect for freedom of belief, and support coexistence among all segments of syrian society.
