The start of sectarian agitation against Shiites in Zainabiyah, Damascus – Mehr news agency RCO News Agency

According to the report of Mehr news agency, quoted by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, the escalation of sectarian tensions in the suburbs of Damascus and the area of ​​Zainabiyah (Sayyida Zainab) following the provocative statements of a Sunni imam in the Sunni area of ​​Hajairah town, led to the spread of public provocations against Shiites in the area of ​​Zainabiyah. In this regard, a demonstration was held in Damascus yesterday, which demanded the expulsion of the Shiites of Zainabiya.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoting some sources, reported that this imam has played the main role in inciting sectarian feelings and encouraging people to fight against the spread of Shiism, and this has raised concerns about the expansion of the scope of tension and the return of religious camps to the south of Damascus.

In the shadow of silence and self-restraint of the Shias, Zainabiyah area in the suburbs of Damascus witnessed the demonstration of dozens of people today who chanted slogans against Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, the representative of Seyyed Muhammad Hossein Fazlullah, the Shia authority. This demonstration was held a week after the reconstruction and opening of Hosseinia Al-Zahra in this city.

Earlier, Sheikh Adham al-Khatib denied provocative claims about Hussainiyah al-Zahra in Zainabiyah region and stated that the maintenance work of Hussainiyah has been completed, but Hussainiyah is currently closed. He added that a mourning assembly was held on the occasion of the death anniversary of Hazrat Fatemeh al-Zahra (PBUH) in this Hosseinieh and then it was closed again for the official opening after coordination with the Ministry of Endowments.

In a statement, he condemned the continuous efforts of some pages on social networks to create sedition between Sunni and Shia in Syria, especially in the Zainabiyah region, and accused these pages of serving the enemies’ plans based on false news and exaggerating some incidents with the aim of creating tension and conflict between the people of the Syrian society.

The Syrian Human Rights Watch also warned against the increase in sectarian provocations and called on international organizations to put pressure on the Syrian authorities to take measures to prevent the recurrence of such phenomena and ensure respect for freedom of opinion and support for coexistence among the Syrian society.