Introduction:
For decades, the Totalitarian Dictatorial Syrian regime prevented public gatherings and peaceful sit-ins, and tortured and arrested anyone who did or tried to participate in such acts.
When the Syrian Revolution began under the context of the Arab Spring, mosques were the only place available for demonstrations. Most of the demonstrations launched from mosques with participants from other sects and religions because they were the gathering points.
In this regard, Syrian government’s Armed Forces deliberately targeted to shatter the prestigious emotion that the Syrian People have for these mosques, so it shelled, destroyed, vandalized, and stormed mosques in unprecedented and barbaric ways. This is unprecedented, even when considering the days of French colonialism, in which the French government recognized the sanctity of the mosques and didn’t pursue anyone who entered a mosque.
SNHR already prepared a report on the percentage of destruction in Syria, in which more than 3 million buildings were affected, and more than 700,000 buildings were totally destroyed including houses, schools, mosques, and hospitals.
SNHR also conducted a report on destroyed or damaged schools, a report about destroyed or damaged churches, and a detailed report over hospitals. In this context, we reviewed in a survey conducted in all of the Syrian provinces regarding damaged and destroyed mosques. This survey took a while to compile, because of the high number of destroyed mosques.
First : Mosques Targeted by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
SNHR documented at least 1,451 mosques. At least 348 were completely destroyed due to shelling by Scud missiles, surface to surface missiles, TNT, artillery, and other weapons.
Targeted mosques were systematic and widespread in all Syrian governorates, in very large numbers where the ratio was distributed as follows:
Damascus countryside topped the statistic with almost 400 mosques, then Idlib, Daraa, Homs, and Aleppo:
Damascus countryside: 387
Idlib: 308
Daraa: 237
Homs: 217
Aleppo: 158
Homs: 135
Damascus: 92
Dier Alzoor: 67
Lattakia: 37
Raqqa: 25
Qunaitra: 5
Mosques in Hasaka, Tartous, and Swidaa were not targeted.
SNHR shot videos and photos of most of the destroyed mosques with their names and locations, and can provide them in any form asked for.
SNHR also documented in addition to destroyed mosques the murder of at least 48 orators and Imams of mosques in different Syrian Governorates by the Syrian Government’s Armed Forces from shelling and raiding, and some in ethnical cleansing operations (Baniyas massacre and Jdidt Alfadl massacre) 6 field executions, 1 slaughtered with knives, and 2 who were arrested and cruelly tortured to death.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBQUxKdDVKZFBHZU0/edit
Syrian Opposition converted many mosques into shelters because of the destruction of hundreds of thousands of homes, that were shelled by the Syrian Government’s Armed Forces.
About 100 mosques were converted into field hospitals to aide the injured.
Few mosques were converted into schools and educational places.
Appendix and attachments:
Examples for damaged and destroyed mosques in various different governorates
– Damascus countryside: Arbin, 8/12/2012, Syrian Government’s Armed Forces shelled mosques in Arbin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO8wLeA6WYs
– Damascus: Alqadam, 27/7/2012, the effects of destruction on Hasan Albasri mosque caused by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Damascus Countryside: Daria, 9/12/2012, the effects of destruction on the oldest mosque in the city by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Damascus Countryside: Harasta, 14/11/2012, the effects of destruction on Sheikh Mosa mosque after it was shelled by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Damascus: Hajar Alaswad, 19/7/2012, the effects of destruction on Imam Nawawi mosque after being shelled by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Damascus Countryside: Doma, 29/7/2012, shelled Albaghdadi Alsharqi mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PELjQRWh3pg
– Damascus Countryside: Doma, 1/1/2013, the effects of destruction on Taha mosque after being shelled by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Damascus Countryside: Doma, 2/11/2012, the effects of destruction on the big mosque by MIG
– Damascus Countryside: Mdira, 16/12/2012, the effects of destruction on the town mosque in which a rocket launcher was used by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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– Idlib: Binch, 13/2/2013, the effects of destruction on the town mosque for the second time by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
the first time
– Idlib: Maarat Alnoaman, 24/10/2012, huge destruction in Bilal mosque cause shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Idlib: Maarshmarin, 12/10/2012, effects of destruction on a mosque from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Idlib: Binch, 14/12/2012, Bilal mosque shelled by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Idlib: Taftanaz, 5/8/2012, effects of destruction on the town mosques from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Idlib: Maarat Alnoman, 20/11/2012, destroyed minaret of Thei Alnorin mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Idlib: Maarat Alnoman, 3/11/2012, effects of destruction of the Big mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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Lattakia:
– Lattkia countryside: 31/7/2012, effects of destruction on mosques by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Lattkia: Marwniate,24/9/2012, effects of destruction of the Khaled mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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Homs:
– Homs Talebesa – Awion Husain, 30/1/2013, shelled Alwahid mosque by Artillery by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs, Buwaydah Al Sharqiyah
3/1/2013, shelling the village mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
effects of destruction
– Homs – Alkhaldiah, 28/11/2012, shelling Iman mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – Sultaneah, 23/9/2012, shelling the town mosque with artillery by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – Alhwla, 10/9/2013, effects of destruction on the Taldao Archeological Mosque from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – Alhwla, 10/9/2013, effects of destruction on Shuhadaa mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
eyewitnesses on the shelling incident
– Homs – Aldaba, 16/7/2012, effects of destruction on town mosque for the second time by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – Alhwla, 26/12/2012, effects of destruction on the town mosque from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces centered near Hamiri checkpoint
– Homs – Alrastan, 21/9/2012, effects of destructions on Hidayah mosque from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – Old City, 9/12/2012, destroyed mosque from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Homs – 27/7/2012, targeting Khaled Bin Alwalid Archeologicalmosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces shelling
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Daraa:
– Daraa – Yadowda, 12/1/2013, shelled Yadowda village mosques by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Daraa – Noaemeah, 3/9/2013, shelled Abo Bakr Alsdik mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Daraa – Safirah, 9/2/2013, shelled Ahl Badr mosque’s minaret by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Daraa – Shiekh Miskin, 10/11/2012, shelled Ali Bn Abi Taleb mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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Dier Alzoor:
– Dier Alzoor – Miadine, 15/10/2012, effects of destructions on the main mosque in the town from shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Dier Alzoor – Albokamal, 8/9/2012, effects of destruction of the big mosque in the city of shelling by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Dier Alzoor – Alaardi, 2/11/2012, effects of destruction of the Bilal mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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Hama:
– Hama – Kafar Nabodah, 13/2/2013, effects of shelling on the town mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Hama – Kafar Nabodah, 28/1/2013, shelling on city mosques by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Hama – Karnaz, 1/2/2013, shelled big mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Hama – Kafar Zita, 22/1/2013, shelled mosque in the town by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
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Aleppo:
– Aleppo – Tarek Albab, 14/9/2012, the effect of destruction caused by the shelling of Alaqsa martyrs mosque
– Aleppo – Andan, 25/9/2012, the effect of destruction caused by the shelling of the big mosque by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces
– Almahmandar ( Alkadi ) mosque, 26/8/2012
– Ismailiah Archeological mosque, 25/9/2012
– Othmaniah Archeological mosque, 21/9/2012
– Omayyad mosque
– Mosque in Alsalhine neighborhood, 22/8/2012
– Alkhair Archeological mosque, 12/11/2012
– Mosque in Jainagh area, 1/7/2012
– Almshatiah, 13/12/2012
– Fatima Alzahraa Mosque, 20/8/2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA9DZo2sUW0 –
– Albotool Mosque, 20/8/2012
– Alrashid Mosque, 5/9/2012
Targeting Mosques by Armed Rebels
Some armed factions supporting the opposition targeted at least 4 minarets of mosques, and justified their action by claiming that Syrian Government’s Armed Forces had placed snipers in these minarets and targeted civilians. For example, a sniper who killed more than 27 civilians from the neighborhood was killed in an explosion in the Abo Bakr Mosque minaret in Daraa, which was located on a high hill overlooking the entire city.
Al Nusra troops stormed Hosseiniyeh, which belongs to a Shiite sect and is considered to be an enemy target. Most of them support Alassad’s regime. This incident occured in Jisr Ash-Shughur area.
Recommendations
Human Rights Council:
1- Consider the sanctity of mosques affected by the attacks that occurred in Syria as a violation of basic human rights;
2- Denounce violations committed against houses of worship and mosques by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces, and document those attacks;
3- Pressure the Syrian Government’s Armed Troops and formally request it to stop its violations on mosques;
4- Persuade allies and supporters of the Syrian Government’s Armed Forces (who supply weapons and gear) to take clear positions against those violations and apply diplomatic and political pressure in an effort to stop and end these violations.
Arab League:
1- Denounce violations against houses of worship and mosques, and document those attacks;
2- Pressure regionally and internationally to make effective decisions in this regard;
3- Pressure the Syrian regime to stop those violations that affect Muslims all around the world;
4- Demand the states that can pressure the Al-Assad regime to stop its deliberate and widespread violations against mosques.
Security Council:
1- Denounce violations against houses of worship and mosques, and criminalize those attacks;
2- Issue a binding decision against the Syrian regime to stop all violations, specifically against all houses of worship and mosques;
3- Warn the Syrian government of the consequences for such violations against social peace and its leadership for sectarian and religious wars, and hold it fully responsible for their actions;
4- Demand the protection of mosques and other archeological places, and warn of their endangerment.
