Iran imparts Shia trend on mosques and schools in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The Iranian religious reference (Marji’-religious reference) existed in the Iranian Cultural Center in the eastern Syria’s city of Deir ez-Zor started to impart the Shia trend on schools and mosques situated in the city.
News outlets cited observers as saying that Iran is attempting to consolidate infiltration in Syria by changing its methods, fixing its presence within Syrian economic, social and cultural infrastructure so that to impart the Iranian official trend on all its activities inside Syria.
The Shia groups in Deir ez-Zor replaced the name of Umar ibn al-Khattab mosque to Ridwan after a Shia mosque located in Sayyidah Zainab area in the Syrian capital Damascus, according to eyewitnesses in al-Mayadin city, 45 km east of Deir ez-Zor.
Similarly, the name of Sayyidah Aisha mosque in the village of Biqres was replaced to Ahl al-Bayt and the name of Uthman ibn Affan school was changed to Imam Hassan in the town of Sabikhan.
As military operations diminished in Syrian territories two years ago, Iran started to change its policy from the stage of direct combat to another stage namely Shiitification, recruiting and encouraging as many numbers as fighters and loyalists.
The Iranian Cultural Center based in al-Mayadin is the most place through which Syrians are recruited and undergone the process of Shiitification(converting to Shiism).
The center holds activities and gives payouts periodically in coordination with some Syrian security forces.
Since the eruption of the Syrian war in 2011, Iran has officially announced its support to the Syrian government and it continues recruiting Syrian militants within the ranks of factions affiliated with it attracting them through many offers and exploiting the economic and livelihood conditions that Syria is going through.
Iran publically supported and established military factions, through which it aimed to implement its ambitions in Syria, the National Defense Forces (NDF), Fatemiyoun and Zainebiyoun are the most prominent of which.
The Iranian religious reference (Marji’) removed several signs bearing names of companions and prophets from mosques and schools in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor in order to place new Shiite names in the coming days, according to residents of the area.
Recently, the Iranian factions have increased the efforts of calling and attracting residents of the eastern countryside to convert to Shiism, that coincided with the construction of Hussainiyas, and the spread of real estate offices that buy homes, real estate and land in favor of Iranian parties, at high amounts.
The factions also seized houses, whose owners are residing outside the area or wanted to the government forces, and turned them into military headquarters, according to eyewitnesses.