SNHR: The Targeting of Mosques by the Syrian Government’s Armed Forces

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.

Russian Journalist Investigating Corruption Uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky Awarded Top Journalist Award

Press Release

12 June 2013 – Roman Anin, Russian journalist for an independentNovaya Gazeta, has won the prestigious international journalism award for his investigative reporting oа the high-level Russian corruption uncovered by Hermitage lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who was in retribution arrested andkilled in Russian police custody.

“The award to Roman Anin is a testament to his bravery and integrity in the fact of massive corruption in Russia and a tribute to the legacy of Sergei Magnitsky who gave his life for exposing the same crimes and standing up to the same principles and belief for the rule of law and accountability of government officials,” said Hermitage Capital representative.

The 2013 Knight International Journalism Award recognizes excellent reporting that makes a difference in the lives of people around the world, said the International Center for Journalists, making the announcement.

In 2007-2008, Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky uncovered how Russian officials and organised criminals stole $230 million from the Russian budget of the tax revenue paid by his client, Russian companies of the Hermitage Fund. After he reported and gave evidence of the crime, he himself was arrested on trumped-up charges, tortured to retract his testimony, and killed in the Russian Interior Ministry custody at the age of 37. Since his death, Russian authorities have exonerated all officials he named from any wrong-doing.

In 2011, Russian journalist for Novaya Gazeta, Roman Anin, began a series of explosive reports describing how the criminal conspiracy protected by government officials stole budget funds both before the $230 million theft uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky and after, and that these thefts continued even after Sergei Magnitsky’s death and their public exposure, using the same modus operandi. In an article called “Makhaon, Parfenion and He,” published on 28 September 2011, Roman Anin described links from the thefts to senior tax officials subsequently moved to senior positions with the Russian Defence Ministry (http://www.novayagazeta.ru/inquests/48714.html).

In an article published on 1 April 2012, called “VAT”, Roman Anin described how the same officials were involved in even more fraudulent VAT rebates, with the total amount of stolen funds reaching $800 million, and the role of Interior Ministry in abetting them(http://www.novayagazeta.ru/inquests/51924.html).

Roman Anin further uncovered how millions of dollars stolen by the corrupt criminal conspiracy exposed by Sergei Magnitsky were laundered via Russian banks and numerous European jurisdictions, including Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and others (http://www.novayagazeta.ru/inquests/53950.html).

In the article called “Beneficiaries” published on 13 August 2012,  RomanAnin wrote:

“This crime stopped to be an internal affairs for Russia at the momentwhen the first stolen dollar crossed the Russian border and appeared onaccounts of Western banks for legalisation.”(http://www.novayagazeta.ru/inquests/53950.html)

Roman Anin majored in journalism at Moscow State University (MSU) and graduated in 2010. After graduating, he studied at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Science as a Ph.D. candidate in global economics. In 2012, he received three of the most prestigious awards in Russian investigative journalism: the Artem Borovik award, the Youlian Semenov award and the Andrey Sakharov award (http://www.icfj.org/roman-anin).

The 2013 Knight International Journalism Award award is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation which advances transformational ideas that promote quality journalism following the belief that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order in Russia

Russian Parliament Approves Bill Banning “Gay Propaganda”

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia — The Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, voted to approve bills that would ban promoting homosexual “propaganda” to minors and punish those who offend religious believers, on Tuesday.

A supporter of the anti-gay bill spits on a gay rights activist. (Photo Courtesy of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty)

Before the vote was to take place, hundreds of anti-gay and religious activists and gay-rights activists gathered outside the State Duma, across from the Red Square in Moscow to voice their concerns. Fighting erupted between those that supported the bills and those that did not. Eggs and urine were tossed between the groups, and eventually 20 people were detained by police.

The anti-gay bill, which was approved by the Duma by a unanimous vote of 436 to 0, will imposed fines to individuals who provide information about the LGBT community to minors or who hold gay pride rallies. An individual would be fined up to $156 and organizations would be fined up to $31,000. The bill would also apply to foreigners that come into Russia.

The anti-gay bill is part of a larger Russian effort to promote traditional Russian values as opposed to Western liberalism, as the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church view the latter as corrupting Russian youth and greatly enhancing the protests against Vladimir Putin’s presidency.

The bill was preliminarily approved in January; however legislators then altered the wording of “homosexual propaganda” to “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.”

As the bill was passed by the Duma, it now needs to be passed by the Federation Council, which is the Russian Senate, and signed by the President. This process is considered a formality, however, and the bill is expected to become law by the end of June.

Hostility and violence towards LGBT communities is common in Russia, and human rights activists believe this bill will contribute to an even greater increase in these incidences.

“The draft law would only raise the level of intolerance in Russian society,” reported Human Rights Watch.

Yelena Mizulina, the head of the Russian State Duma’s Committee for Family, Women, and Children, however, believes that the law is a positive step to protect traditional family values. “[The bill prevents] the spreading of information aimed at forming nontraditional sexual attitudes among children, attractiveness of nontraditional sexual relations, or a distorted perception of social equality between the traditional and nontraditional sexual relations,” she stated.

The Duma also passed a bill Tuesday that would impose prison time on those found to be insulting religious believers. This bill would include prison terms of up to one year and fines of up to $9,000. The bill came to light after members of the punk rock band Pussy Riot sang a ballad against President Putin in a cathedral in Moscow last year.

“This is another step in the attack on the right to freely express your opinion, a right guaranteed by the constitution of the Russian Federation,” a researcher at Human Rights Watch opined.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera – Russian legislators pass “gay propaganda ban” – 11 June 2013

BBC – Russian Duma passes law banning “gay propaganda” – 11 June 2013

Los Angeles Times – Russian lawmakers move to keep information on homosexuality from kids – 11 June 2013

The Moscow Times – Law on “Homosexual Propaganda” Set for Duma Approval – 11 June 2013

Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty – Russian Duma Passes Ban on “Homosexual Propaganda” – 11 June 2013

 

Tuareg Rebels and Mali Army Soldiers Torture and Abuse Civilians

By Danielle Gwozdz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BAMAKO, Mali — Taureg rebels and Mali army soldiers committed abuses against civilians over the past week and a half. Taureg rebels are accused of rounding up and beating members of rival, darker-skinned groups, while Mali army soldiers are accused of torturing Tauregs.

The Taureg group have long said they have faced discrimination in northern Mali (photo courtesy of AFP)

The Tauregs of northern Mali, a mostly light-skinned group, have a history of seeking autonomy from the rest of the country. The Tauregs state they have been discriminated against by the government in Bamako. The Taureg rebels – Taureg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) – detained about 100 people, most of them darker-skinned men from non-Taureg ethnic groups, and robbed, threatened, and severely beat many of them.

One truck driver told Human Rights Watch that MNLA fighters robbed him of about 300,000 CFA francs ($600 U.S.) and took him to a detention center where he and several others were beaten.

“They hit me with the butts of their guns until I could no longer walk,” the truck driver told HRW, adding that they broke one of his ribs.

Further, the truck driver stated that MNLA told him: “You blacks, Kidal is not for you. It is for us.”

The Malian army also committed abuses against Taureg civilians, including threats to kill them, beating them, and using racial slurs. HRW stated that about 100 black Africans were arrested in Kidal, with many being robbed, beaten, or expelled towards the south.

The Malian army has been conducting patrols and other military operations throughout northern Mali, due to the lack of security forces in this area because of the periodic infiltration by armed Islamic groups.

“The Malian security forces’ human rights record since January is, simply, appalling. They continue to violate human rights with apparently no fear of being held accountable,” said Amnesty researcher Gaëtan Mootoo.

The government seeks to control the town of Kidal before the July elections; however, the MNLA Taureg rebels state that they will continue fighting if the Mali army tries to recapture Kidal. Negotiations for this political stand-off are currently underway.

BBC International Correspondent Mark Doyle states this re-ignited racial tension has been due to the Mali army’s attempt to re-take Kidal and their plans to hold an election in July.

The MNLA took Kidal last year in its attempt to create a Taureg homeland in northern Mali. The MNLA joined forces with al-Qaeda associated fighters and with their help they overran northern Mali. However, the better-armed Islamists soon took control of the Taureg rebels.

The UN is due to deploy a group of 12,600 people as a peacekeeping force before the planned elections in July. This peacekeeping force is to incorporate thousands of West African troops already in the country in support of the French intervention.

 

For further information, please see:

BBC News — Mali crisis: Human Rights Watch condemns ethnic abuses — 7 June 2013

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH — Mali: New Abuses by Tuareg Rebels, Soldiers — 7 June 2013

StarAfrica.com — HRW reports new abuses by Tuareg rebels, Mali soldiers — 7 June 2013

Yahoo!News — Malian army fights Tuareg rebels; unofficial truce over — 5 June 2013

Independent Online News — Mali army, rebels accused of rights abuses — 7 June 2013