PNN – Following inflammatory remarks by a Sunni cleric in the outskirts of Damascus, sectarian provocations against Shia residents have once again erupted in the Sayyidah Zainab area.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, sectarian tensions in the suburbs of Damascus and the Sayyidah Zainab district intensified after a provocative sermon delivered by a Sunni imam in the predominantly Sunni town of Hujaira, leading to open incitement against Shia residents in the Zainabiyah area. In this context, a demonstration was held in Damascus yesterday demanding the expulsion of Shias from Sayyidah Zainab.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoting several sources, reported that this Sunni cleric played a key role in inciting sectarian sentiments and encouraging people to “resist the spread of Shiism,” which has sparked concerns about the possible expansion of tensions and the return of sectarian mobilization in southern Damascus.
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Despite the restraint and silence of the Shia community, the Zainabiyah area witnessed protests by dozens of people chanting slogans against Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, the representative of the Shia cleric Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah. This demonstration came a week after the restoration and reopening of Al-Zahra Hussainiya in the city.
Sheikh Adham al-Khatib had earlier dismissed provocative claims regarding Al-Zahra Hussainiya in Sayyidah Zainab, stating that maintenance and repair works had been completed, but the Hussainiya remained closed. He explained that a mourning ceremony was held there to commemorate the anniversary of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’s (S.A.) demise, after which the building was closed again pending official reopening in coordination with the Ministry of Awqaf.
In a statement, he condemned ongoing efforts by some social media accounts to incite sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shias in Syria—particularly in the Sayyidah Zainab area—accusing these platforms of spreading false news and exaggerating incidents to serve the agendas of the enemies of the Syrian people by fueling division and tension.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also warned against the growing trend of sectarian provocation and called on international organizations to pressure Syrian authorities to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and to ensure respect for freedom of belief and protection of coexistence among Syria’s diverse communities.