Iran to build Shiite shrine in Homs

(Translation by Dani Murad)

According to private and knowledgeable sources in Homs, Iran with all its potentials and “very strong” influence over Syria, seeks to take over all the mosques, which include tombs and shrines of ( Ahl al-Bayt) , (prophet Muhammad’s family) including the mosque of “ Jafar al-Tayar’s sons” in Homs, and the areas surrounding it , such as Bab Dreib cemetery where burial had stopped in it for more than twenty years ago .

According to the sources, Iran aims to convert these religious buildings and cemeteries into shrines for the Shiite community, while observers to the Iranian affairs say that the move really aims to strengthen followers of Shiite sect outside Iran in the Syrian society, which Sunni Muslims make up the vast majority of it in comparison with the rest of other religious components.

In addition to that, and as observers to the scene pointed out, these shrines will be centers for the Iranian intelligence as it was the customary thing in the shrines and Husseniats that were built in the heart of the Omayyad capital Damascus, under the Syrian government’s encouragement of Iranian missionary activity in Syria.

After the systemic displacement of Sunni neighborhoods, “Jafar al-Tayar’s sons” mosque which was abandoned for two years, has been visited many times during the last two weeks, by delegates from the Iranian embassy in Damascus, after the cessation of fighting that took place recently between rebels and regime forces in Homs, which was not possible before when rebels used to control old Homs, which lies tens of meters from the mentioned mosque. According to sources.

And as an informed source confirmed, the Iranian delegation included, diplomats from the embassy, technicians specializing in construction and architecture, who have been specially sent from Iran, in total absence of officials from the directorate of Awqaf in homs !

The aim behind these strangers’ visit, is to develop concepts and plans for a study to demolish the entire mosque and rebuilt it again, according to the Iranian and Safavid architectural style, using the construction of Shiite mosques which makes the grave as the central structural part of the mosque, similar to “Masjid al-Haram ““The Sacred Mosque “in Mecca, where pilgrims perform Hajj.

Despite the similarity in performing pilgrimage, Shia pilgrims perform flagellation and have their own prayers and religious rituals which contradict totally with Islam’s principles, and for them these rituals are considered the pillars and necessities of the core belief of the Shia Safavids.

Since the eighties of last century and with the blessings and support of Hafez Al Assad, Iran has seized Sayyidah Zaynab and Roqia shrines in Damascus and others tombs of ( Ahl al-Bayt) and built purely Shiite mosques on them, including the minarets, in accordance with the Shiite doctrine , after destroying Sunni mosques which were under the management of Sunni Awqaf for hundreds of centuries !

The same scenario was repeated with the tombs of the companions “ Amer Bin Yaser” and “ Tabai Ouis al Qarni in the city of Raqqa , which Iran has seized and usurped the land of the cemetery surrounding them , building a huge Shiite shrine that has been visited by pilgrims from all over the world .. .!

It’s also noteworthy that the mosque of “Jafar al-Tayar’s sons” is located in the neighborhood of Jeb Jandali, which is controlled by Assad's forces since early 2012.

And the mosque constitutes of two constructional parts, the first was built over the graves of Abdullah bin Jafar al tayar and his son Obaidullah, and this archaeological part was not primary a mosque but meant to be a tomb "shrine", dating back to the Mamluk period and has a beautiful dome with a striated shape, muqarnas at the bottom with a wonderful corner curved decorations, while the second part is the current construction of the mosque, built on two phases.

Before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, and in all the various ways of persuasion and intimidation, the Iranian embassy in Damascus had tried repeatedly to seize this mosque and other tombs in Homs such as “ Safina, Qanbar and Zine El Abidine in Abu Ouf street, but all its attempts were in vein , because the regime was trying to avoid any open confrontation with the large Sunni community in Homs , since it has been striving to present itself as a Sunni regime , participating in most religious occasions of Sunni Muslims !

As for Iran, according to observers, has now found an opportunity to achieve its long planned goals, providing the regime with the valuable and precious support of men, ammunitions and money to prevent the fall of the shaky , weak regime, which has become a puppet controlled and guided by Iran to do whatever it pleases.