Iraqi, Lebanese Shiites unite to ‘protect Damascus shrine from Sunni rebels’

Iraqi, Lebanese Shiites unite to ‘protect Damascus shrine from Sunni rebels’

Published time: March 04, 2013 19:01

A Shiite military unit has emerged in Damascus to fight Sunni rebels, while also pledging independence from Syrian President Bashar Assad. The multi-ethnic brigade reportedly claims their only aim to protect a local shrine.

The presence of Shiite combatants from Iraq and Lebanon in the Syrian capital was confirmed to Reuters by sources in Iraq and Syria.

Their move to set up a military brigade and protect one of the major Shia relics in Damascus – the shrine of Sayidda Zeinab, granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Imam Ali, believed to be the father of Shia Islam – follows reports that rebels have destroyed or damaged other Shia holy sites across the war-torn country.

A video from Syria's northern Idlib province was posted online in mid-December showing dozens of anti-Assad fighters congratulating and kissing each other in front of what was believed to be a Shia mosque burned down by the rebels. The incident was condemned by Human Rights Watch, which in a January statement confirmed that rebels in Syria had desecrated and looted the religious sites of various minorities.

"While the motivation for the church break-ins may have been theft rather than a religious attack, opposition fighters have a responsibility to protect religious sites in areas under their control from willful damage and theft," Human Rights Watch said.

Sayidda Zeinab’s shrine in Damascus has been damaged before – last June, a suicide bomb attack took place near it.

The majority of the brigade set up to defend the shrine are Iraqis who had fled their country and found refuge in Syria before the war began, Reuters reported.

Shiite Iraqi official interviewed by Reuters said the rebels "wanted to destroy the Sayyida Zeinab shrine and hundreds of Iraqi Shiites who were already living in Syria stood up to them and fought back."

FULL STORY: http://rt.com/news/syria-shrine-sunni-war-784/

Views: 95

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

pohonemas33 team commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

DejaVu

"nice very goodjob, i wish you can visit official situs pohonemas33"
6 hours ago
Sandy posted a photo
16 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post
yesterday
Saint Quinn favorited Burbia's video
yesterday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Thursday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's blog post The Jewish Couple That Taught Bob Dylan Hebrew and Introduced Him to Zionism
"Haaretz put this story behind a pay wall. Sali Ariel and Terry Noble were the names of the couple…"
Wednesday
William Heckman is now a member of 12160 Social Network
Wednesday
cheeki kea commented on tjdavis's photo
Wednesday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future Forever

"It's a sad day on the highway. But I guess the show must go on. Watch out for the ruination of…"
Wednesday
cheeki kea posted a video

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future Forever

This Woman DESTROYED Harley-Davidson's Future ForeverWelcome to Ride Radar – Your Frontline Source for Motorcycle Deals, Trends & Market Mayhem.Looking for t...
Wednesday
tjdavis posted a photo
Wednesday
Burbia posted a status
"Who knew releasing the MLK files and literally deflecting, it ends up implicating himself with the Epstein Files."
Tuesday
Burbia posted a video

Dan Bilzerian DEMOLISHES MAGA Nutjob Patrick Bet-David on His Own Show

Watch as two powerhouse personalities collide in this no-holds-barred debate on one of the world’s most contentious issues. Patrick Bet-David, known for his ...
Monday
Doc Vega's 7 blog posts were featured
Jul 20
tjdavis's 2 blog posts were featured
Jul 20
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's blog post Track AIPAC
Jul 20
FREEDOMROX's blog post was featured

MRNA VACCINES: Question

Hello my fellow sojourners,I know it has been five years since the Plandemic, but one question has…See More
Jul 20
Less Prone favorited FREEDOMROX's blog post MRNA VACCINES: Question
Jul 20
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Jul 19
cheeki kea posted a photo
Jul 19

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted