In Syria, a Shiite shrine and community navigate a changed landscape

SAYYIDA ZEINAB, Syria -- At the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, rituals of religion unfold: worshippers kneel successful prayer, visitors rise their palms skyward oregon fervently murmur invocations arsenic they property their faces against an ornate operation enclosing wherever they judge the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad is entombed.

But it’s much than conscionable spiritual devotion that the golden-domed shrine became known for during Syria’s prolonged civil war.

At the time, the shrine's extortion from Sunni extremists became a rallying cry for immoderate Shiite fighters and Iran-backed groups from beyond Syria’s borders who backed the erstwhile authorities of Bashar Assad. The shrine and the surrounding area, which bears the aforesaid name, has emerged arsenic 1 awesome of however the spiritual and governmental progressively intertwined during the conflict.

With specified a legacy, section Shiite assemblage leaders and members are present navigating a dramatically altered governmental scenery astir Sayyida Zeinab and beyond, aft Assad’s December ouster by equipped insurgents led by the Sunni Islamist radical Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The analyzable modulation that is underway has near immoderate successful Syria’s tiny Shiite number feeling vulnerable.

“For Shiites astir the world, there’s immense sensitivity surrounding the Sayyida Zeinab Shrine,” said Hussein al-Khatib. “It carries a batch of symbolism.”

After Assad’s ouster, al-Khatib joined different Syrian Shiite assemblage members to support the shrine from the inside. The caller information forces defender it from the outside.

“We don’t privation immoderate sedition among Muslims,” helium said. “This is the astir important message, particularly successful this play that Syria is going through.”

Zeinab is simply a girl of the archetypal Shiite imam, Ali, relative and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad; she's particularly revered among Shiites arsenic a awesome of steadfastness, patience and courage.

She has respective titles, specified arsenic the “mother of misfortunes” for enduring tragedies, including the 7th-century sidesplitting of her brother, Hussein. His decease exacerbated the schism betwixt Islam’s 2 main sects, Sunni and Shiite, and is mourned annually by Shiites.

Zeinab's burial spot is disputed; immoderate Muslims judge it’s elsewhere. The Syria shrine has drawn pilgrims, including from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Since Assad’s ouster, however, less overseas visitors person come, an economical stroke to those catering to them successful the area.

Over the years, the Sayyida Zeinab country has suffered deadly attacks by militants.

In January, authorities media reported that quality officials successful Syria’s post-Assad government thwarted a program by the Islamic State radical to acceptable disconnected a weaponry astatine the shrine. The announcement appeared to beryllium an effort by Syria’s caller leaders to reassure spiritual minorities, including those seen arsenic having supported Assad’s erstwhile government.

Al-Khatib, who moved his household from Aleppo state to the Sayyida Zeinab country soon earlier Assad’s fall, said Assad had branded himself arsenic a protector of minorities. “When killings, mobilization ... and sectarian polarization began," the communicative "of the authorities and its allies was that ‘you, arsenic a Shiite, you arsenic a number member, volition beryllium killed if I fall.’”

The engagement of Sunni jihadis and immoderate hardline overseas Shiite fighters fanned sectarian flames, helium said.

The Syria struggle began arsenic 1 of respective uprisings against Arab dictators earlier Assad brutally crushed what started arsenic mostly peaceful protests and a civilian warfare erupted. It became progressively fought along sectarian lines, drew successful overseas fighters and became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers connected antithetic sides.

Recently, a reddish emblem speechmaking “Oh, Zeinab" that had fluttered from its dome was removed aft immoderate disparaged it arsenic a sectarian symbol.

Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, a typical of followers of the Twelver subdivision of Shiism successful Syria, said specified flags “are not directed against anyone,” but that it was agreed to region it for present to support the peace.

“We don’t privation a clash to happen. We spot that ... there’s sectarian incitement, present and there," helium said.

Earlier, Shiite leaders had wrangled with immoderate endowments ministry officials implicit whether the moving of the shrine would enactment with the Shiite endowment trustee arsenic it’s been, helium said, adding “we've rejected" changing the presumption quo. No effect was received earlier work to questions sent to a Ministry of Endowments media official.

Adham al-Khatib and different Shiite leaders precocious met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

“We’ve talked transparently astir immoderate of the transgressions,” helium said. “He promised that specified matters would beryllium handled but that they necessitate immoderate patience due to the fact that of the antagonistic feelings that galore harbor for Shiites arsenic a effect of the war.”

Many, the sheikh said, “are holding the Shiites liable for prolonging the regime’s life.” This “is blamed connected Iran, connected Hezbollah and connected Shiites domestically," helium said, adding that helium believes the struggle was governmental alternatively than religious.

Early successful the conflict, helium said, “our interior Shiite determination was to beryllium neutral for agelong months.” But, helium said, determination was sectarian incitement against Shiites by immoderate and argued that “when weapons, kidnappings and sidesplitting of civilians started, Shiites were forced to support themselves.”

Regionally, Assad was backed by Iran and the Shiite militant Lebanese radical Hezbollah, whose involution helped prop up his rule. Most rebels against him were Sunni, arsenic were their patrons successful the region.

Besides the shrine's extortion argument, geopolitical interests and alliances were astatine play arsenic Syria was a cardinal part of Iran’s web of deterrence against Israel.

Today, rumors and immoderate societal media posts tin endanger to inflame emotions.

Shrine manager Jaaffar Kassem said helium received a mendacious video purporting to amusement the shrine connected occurrence and was flooded with calls astir it.

At the shrine, Zaher Hamza said helium prays “for information and security” and the rebuilding of “a modern Syria, wherever there’s harmony among each and determination are nary grudges oregon injustice.”

Is helium disquieted astir the shrine? “We’re the ones who are successful the extortion of Sayyida Zeinab — not the ones who volition support the Sayyida Zeinab," helium replied.

While immoderate Shiites person fled Syria aft Assad’s fall, Hamza said helium wouldn’t.

“Syria is my country,” helium said. “If I went to Lebanon, Iraq oregon to European countries, I’d beryllium displaced. I’ll dice successful my country.”

Some are little astatine ease.

Small groups of women gathered precocious astatine the Sayyida Zeinab courtyard, chatting among themselves successful what appeared to beryllium a quiescent atmosphere. Among them was Kamla Mohamed.

Early successful the war, Mohamed said, her lad was kidnapped much than a decennary agone by anti-government rebels for serving successful the military. The past clip she saw him, she added, was connected a video wherever helium appeared with a bruised face.

When Assad fell, Mohamed feared for her family.

Those fears were fueled by the aboriginal eruption of unit successful Syria’s coastal region, wherever a counteroffensive killed galore Alawite civilians — members of the minority sect from which Assad hails and drew enactment arsenic helium ruled implicit a Sunni majority. Human rights groups reported revenge killings against Alawites; the caller authorities said they were investigating.

“We were frightened that radical would travel to america and termination us,” Mohamed said, clutching a supplication bead. “Our beingness has go afloat of fear.”

Another Syrian Shiite shrine visitant said she's been feeling connected edge. She spoke connected information she lone beryllium identified arsenic Umm Ahmed, oregon parent of Ahmed, arsenic is traditional, for fearfulness of reprisals against her oregon her family.

She said, speaking soon aft the coastal unit successful March, that she’s thought of leaving the country, but added that determination isn’t capable wealth and she worries that her location would beryllium stolen if she did. Still, “one’s beingness is the astir precious,” she said.

She hopes it won’t travel to that.

“Our anticipation successful God is big,” she said. “God is the 1 protecting this area, protecting the shrine and protecting us.”

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