DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Walid Muhanna, 52, a resident of the northern part of Sayyidah Zaynab town, south of the Syrian capital Damascus, did not take time to think when asked about the situation of the town, and summed up his answer by saying, “If you look around, what you see!”
The man meant that the town is not like any other place in Syria given the Iranian influence in it. It is difficult for you to read the names written on the signs, as if you are in another country not Syria.
When one leaves Damascus and heads 10 km towards its southern countryside, one can start noticing Lebanese Hezbollah flags and slogans, which give you the impression that you have left Syria.
The route will take you to the Shiite-dominated town of Sayyidah Zaynab, and as you go deeper into the region, you will see impressive urban construction and public services to be available more than the capital itself.
The absence of government institutions provided an opportunity for Iranian institutions to thrive and provide services in the region, and impose its cultural and ideological agenda, according to observers of the Syrian issue.
Life in the town of Sayyidah Zaynab is very different than Damascus. People here use all kinds of currency. The locals deal with visitors using the US dollar, Iraqi dinar and Iranian rial, while Syrians use their own currency, the Syrian pound.
According to residents’ testimonies, Iran has consistently tried to convert Syrians into Shiism, even before the Syrian conflict in 2011, but it increased its efforts after the war, especially in the Sayyidah Zaynab, which some consider it to be the ground zero of the Iranian expansionist project in Syria.
Region for settling scores
Muhanna said that the town witnessed a dramatic shift compared to how it was before 2011, especially with regard to the Sunni-Shiite conflict. “The Sunni here is worthless, and could be slaughtered just like a camel,” Muhanna said.
After Iran bolstered its presence in Sayyidah Zaynab, “the law of the jungle” prevailed in the town, and killing became the only solution for any problem between Sunnis and Shiites, according to residents.
This situation forced Muhanna to prevent his child from hanging out with children of his age, and even with his friends in the school “to save him from getting killed,” he said.
In early May, seven people, including a 12-year-old child named Nour al-Qahtan, were killed after infighting broke out between Iranian-backed militants in the town due to disputes over money.
The town contains a number of Shiite shrines, most notably the shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, which is known for its special religious status among the Shiites.
The Sayyidah Zaynab shrine has a unique architecture and considered one of the most visited places among Shiites, as it is repeatedly visited by people from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and some Gulf countries.
Syrian opposition accuses Iran of recruiting Shiite Syrians within its militias to strengthen its Military leverage. It is also accused of spreading sectarian hatred speech, and conducting campaigns to convert the Syrian population into Shiism.
Muhanna, who has been residing in Sayyidah Zaynab since 1988, recalls the years when the town was considered one of most tourist-attracting religious locations in Syria and how they used to benefit from this merit.
“During the war, our town has turned into an area of settling scores since the Zayyat family, who hails from the town of al-Zahraa in the Aleppo northern countryside, took control of it,” he added.
Damascus is occupied by Iran
From a gathering in Sayyidah Zaynab, North Press was able to obtain information regarding the Iranian-planned project to convert Syrians into Shiism.
In the gathering, Sultan al-Zayyat, a man who works in one of the centers that aim at converting Syrians to Shiism, said that Iran is interested in three regions in Syria; which are Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo and Damascus.
Al-Zayyat admitted that these centers aim at attracting the largest number of Sunnis to convert them into Shiism, and mentioned two centers, one in Jaramana in Rif Dimashq and the other in the Naqqareen area in Aleppo.
He bragged that Iran “succeeded in attracting the al-Baggara clan in Aleppo, which is one of the largest Syrian clans in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo.”
The Jaramana center works to support children in their education and to provide free meals to the residents. Seeing Iran’s support prompted many to join workshops funded by Iran in the professions of carpentry, blacksmithing and building houses.
Iran continues, with support of Syrian government, to expand its control of different parts of Syria, leading some people say that “Damascus is occupied by Iran.”
Residents of Damascus told North Press that the objectives of the Russian and Iranian presence in Syria are not the same, as the latter seeks to impose its religious beliefs, divide the Syrian people and achieve what is known in the region as the Shiite Crescent. Russia, meanwhile, seeks to consolidate its presence in the Middle East to achieve certain interests which have nothing to do with the Syrian population.
The Shiite Crescent is an Iranian project that supposedly aims at building an ideological belt of Shiite governments in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Persian Gulf region. The term was first introduced in 2004 by King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Expropriation of properties
Muhammad Zainaddin, 55, a resident of Sayyidah Zaynab, said that during the years of 2009 and 2010, Shiite groups expropriated many properties, hotels, and agricultural lands.
These groups began building religious centers with the aim of increasing the number of visitors who come to visit the shrine, according to Zainaddin.
Back then, the man was offered to sell his house, which he and his family has been residing in since 1982, but he declined the tempting offer, according to what he told North Press.
Zainaddin pointed out that since 2006; expropriation of properties and the Shiite presence have increased in the town.
“Since then, these Iranian-backed Shiite groups started buying houses from the Sunni majority population who live in the vicinity of the shrine,” he added.
According to information obtained by North Press from residents of the town, some Iranian-backed groups known as Zulfiqar emerged since the early days of the Syrian war in order to defend the shrines. They also claimed that these groups forced the residents to leave their houses in case they refused to become Shiites and carry arms with them.
Many young men of the region had no choice but to carry arms with Zulfiqar in order to keep their families from getting kicked out of their houses, according to the residents.
Those who fight in the Iranian militias are called “al-Moukallaf,” a designation that distinguishes the Shiite fighter from the Sunni one, they said.
Zainaddin feels sorry for years when “life was simple and we would not feel like we are living in a multi-ethnic region.”