By Faris Al Rifai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Prominent Syrian cleric Hassan al-Doghim said recent rebels’ victories in Wadi al-Deif and al-Hamidiyah north Syria came as a result of brave resistance and strong faith of Islamist rebels.
The well-known revolutionary figure in Idlib province, told Zaman al-Wasl that each battle had weakened the invaders, contributing in their defeat.
The former judge explained that main reason behind the victory was cutting the supplies route between Khan Shikhon and Wadi al-Dief for almost a year, which weakened the regime’s camps, and followed by invading the camp by an elite group from Ahrar al-Sham and Nusra front.
In order to protect victories and the revolutionary achievement, Sheikh al-Doghim advised of moderation in the ideological speech as demanding ideologies could increase the division and extremism. He called to avoid sectarianism besides the need for cooperation among battalions.
In regard that he continuously criticizes of the Islamic State (ISIS), he explained that ISIS was founded to abort the victories of the revolution; he named it as “the Pure Agent” which uses religion and ideal principles to control people and dictate its principles.
“Most of the times, when people erupted against the dictator, such formations appear under claims of protecting the religion and beliefs, then the revolution disappears, and the dictator stays” explained.
Al-Doghim says the Nusra Front is more different than the Islamic State, as most of Nusra’s fighters are Syrians, while the Islamic State mostly recruits outsiders like Tunisians and Iraqis. “Besides that, Nusra Front has many moderate figures, who cooperate and confess of the Free Syrian Army’s role in the Syrian Revolution, while the Islamic State has no moderate open-minded figures”
Despite his opinion of Nusra Front, Sheikh al-Doghim expressed his rejecting of Nusra's joining the initiative of Hold-On “Ettasimo”. He explained that disagreement between Nusra front and them was not about joining the Initiative, but about the joining criteria, which did not mandate refusing subjection to external powers.
“We have many meetings with second and third lines’ leaders of Nusra Front, but all went in vain, we politically and ideologically contradict al-Qaeda, but we can negotiate, we need to get away from accusing people of treason, and be more flexible in negotiation.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.