DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Al-Muhammad, who lived in an area under the control of the Iranian-backed militias south of the Euphrates River, was forced to relocate to a town on the left bank of the river under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after being harassed by security forces.
Zain al-Muhammad, a young man in his twenties from the town of al-Mayadin in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, east Syria, that is held by Iranian-backed militias, most notably the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), moved with relatives to the town of al-Tayana that lies within the areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Al-Muhammad is among thousands of people from Deir ez-Zor who moved from areas under the control of Iranian-backed militias due to their purposeful harassment. They imposed the Shia doctrine on the region and criminalized those who refused to change their belief.
In late 2017, the militias, most prominently the IRGC, controlled regions of Deir ez-Zor, namely west of the Euphrates, previously held by the Islamic State (ISIS).
Created after Iran’s 1979 revolution to protect the new Islamic regime, the IRGC has become one of the most powerful paramilitary organizations in the Middle East. It has provided assistance to militant groups in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen. Its control over large sectors of the Iranian economy helps it fund its activities.
The militias purposefully harassed the locals in every possible way, including forcing them to change their beliefs to push them to collectively leave to AANES-held areas, to seize their property, and implement a demographic engineering of the region.
He said that after the IRGC controlled the region, along with Syrian government forces whose presence is merely formal, they began to attract and recruit the population and spread the Shiite doctrine.
“Most locals stayed Sunni and were not seduced by benefits and money. Then the militias started harassing the population using the most brutal repression methods and carried out arrests amid security chaos and deteriorating economic conditions,” he added.
As a result, he left with a group of relatives to the town of al-Tayana east of the Euphrates River, which is militarily held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The relatively stable security status, job opportunities, and continuous harassment in al-Mayadin, prompted him to leave.
In order to implement their schemes, the militias are marginalizing the service sector in their held areas and do not create job opportunities in order to attract and recruit the locals according to the doctrine that will ensure the implementation of their aspirations.
There are more than 30 recruiting centers deploying in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, west of the Euphrates River, most of them were houses belonging to residents that were seized by the pro-Iranian militias under the pretext that their owners are residing in areas held by either the SDF or opposition factions.
Abu Abdullah al-Abd, who works at the humanitarian crossing between areas held by the government forces and the SDF, has noticed the increasing displacement from government-held areas.
He told North Press that “More than one hundred families come from government–held areas to Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor governorates which are held by the (AANES) to stay with their families or to work and escape the deteriorating economic conditions west of the Euphrates River.”
He revealed that smuggling networks exploit the people west of the Euphrates River. They try to illegally smuggle them via small boats through the River, arguing that they are wanted by government forces.
“These people cannot go through the humanitarian crossing as travelers are subjected to inspection in checkpoints located on the western side of the crossing before passing to SDF-held areas,” he added.
Activists believe the region’s future is at risk with large-scale displacement taking place from areas under the control of Iranian-backed militias, especially the youth, of which few are left. In time they will be turned into a Sunni minority amid the major spread and deployment of Shiite Iranians and local people who became Shiite in the region.
After the Iranians took control of regions in Deir ez-Zor, they built a shrine for pilgrimage near the Ain Ali water spring in al-Mayadin, in addition to the al-Quba shrine in Abu Kamal and 11 Hussainiyas (Shiite worship places) in various areas in Deir ez-Zor.
Naji al-Subhi, a father of three daughters and two sons from the town of Abu Kamal in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, could not continue living in his town due to a lack of job opportunities and extremely high prices with no censorship from the local authority in the region.
He moved to SDF-held areas after his eldest son, Ali, joined the Iranian Cultural Center in the town and embraced the Shia doctrine. Al-Subhi tried several times to change his mind, but he refused and even asked his father and siblings to become Shiites. He soon tried to force them, taking advantage of his influence in the Iranian Culture Center.
There was no choice for him but to take his family and leave. They escaped during the night through a local smuggler to the town of Baghuz in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, leaving behind his son who “changed his religion and disobeyed me, and all I own fearing for my daughters and other son.”
Since the eruption of the events in Syria in 2011, Iran has officially announced its support to the Syrian government and sent military consultants to support government forces in their war against factions of the Syrian opposition.
He told North Press, “I came and settled in a neighborhood in Hasakah. I currently work with my son in construction, and our economic conditions are better and very different from how we used to live in our town in Abu Kamal.”