(By Ali Eid; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)
Hauran, southern region of Syria, has never been a host for extreme or deviated principles, as people there do not need militants to teach them Islamic and religious principles. However, what is going on these days between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Nusra Front in the area is the natural development of events to put things right according to many facts.
First fact that people in Hauran are moderate in dealing with religion where social customs and traditions have strong effects of the society which has mainly familial aspects and power. Those traditions do not contradict with religious principles, moreover, the social network and traditions in Horan can be considered an example of advanced cumulative pure and genuine social culture, but that has some exceptions like any community.
On the other hand, Nusra Front wanted to apply the religious principles as they are without taking any social consideration, especially after managing to obtain a wide social support because of the Front’s participation in fighting the Syrian Regime. But it faced strong rejection from Hauran’s people which forced the Front to leave dealing with social matters and to concentrate on fighting and the military aspects only. Therefore and according to that verbal agreement, Nusra Front was accepted as a component of the fighting groups against regime.
The second fact in Hauran region and its battle against Syrian regime was lacking of support and arming, as sometimes two or more fighters share on rifle and three store of bullets.
However, many people in Hauran have strong and extreme ways in dealing with Islam, which can be considered the third fact, that made Nusra Front attracting for them, but still all members of the Front in Horan are from the region, despite the leadership used to be from outside Syria.
Adding to that, Nusra Front attracted fighters and people in Hauran because of its ability to support them and provide arms and its expert leaders , not because of its connection to Al-Qaeda. The state of desperation people reached to, and the increasing numbers of deaths and killing, all that push people to have sort of beliefs help them to accommodate with those difficult circumstances and reduce the fear of death which Nusra Front took a chance of in recruit people.
The fourth fact that regional forces worked on strengthening Nusra Front besides intruding it by the Islamic State, all that aimed to increase choices especially with the fear that the Free Syrian Army might fail, besides plans to put the Front in direct battle field with Hezbollah Militia.
Scenarios to eradicate Nusra Front from Hauran.
Incidents like hitting a woman or arresting a prominent figure by Nusra Front have provoked discussions about the need to eradicate Nusra Front from the area, but those direct incidences cover deeper new circumstances and Strategic changes required new forces on ground and new choices.
The first and most important change in Horan is that 80% of the area has been liberated; therefore there are fears of repeating Riqqa’s scenario and occupying them by the Islamic State (ISIS).
Events took place in Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees gave justification for such fears especially when Nusra Front facilitated ISIS’s entry to the camp via Hajar Aswad.
Moreover, it seems that Nusra Front started to annoy other formations, especially when they refused to abide by the law and started to mess up the Free Syrian Army’s achievement, liberating Nasib crossing-point at the Syrian-Jordanian borders and raising al-Qaeda flag is an example of those acts, which internationally gave bad impression and caused fears and worries at the Jordanian government.
The second change is expected to happen is training arming and training the Free Syrian Army (FSA) or what so called “the moderate opposition” with possibility to provide them with anti-aircraft weapons, which could change the direction of battle in Damascus, that would require areas to be controlled by only one military formation each, which mandates moving Nusra Front from Hauran and keep the area under FSA’s control, then dealing with the front later, after managing to distance it from the Syrian-Jordanian boarders and Golan.
The third important change is that clashes took place in Hauran between the revolutionary forces and other formation of religious background which led to social changes, and threatened of polarization and tension in area for the first time in 4 years of the revolution.
A thoughtful and wise solution need to be introduced, considering the fact that people in Hauran have joined Nusra Front because they wanted a winning battle, not because of its religious background or connection to al-Qaeda.
In Hauran, the familial theme and aspects are still prevail and there are families count more than 100 thousand people, in those cases, educated and wise people can play significant roles in reducing tension and preventing Nusra Front from reaching to close end.
Simply Nusra Front need to detach itself from al-Qaeda, and stop dealing with any social matter and concentrate of fighting only, that could stop a deadly battle among people of the same area.
Zaman Al Wasl
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