Jawad Al-Zabadani, Baladi News, Damascus Countryside
Assad's regime with the help of Lebanese militia "Hezbollah" seeks to change the entire demographic map of Damascus countryside, especially the areas near the Syrian-Lebanese borders, as they form a strategic depth for Hezbollah's military operations on the Syrian territories. Hezbollah considers the city of Al-Zabadani as a starting point towards Damascus countryside to prevent the arrival of Islamic factions on one hand, and to keep his suppling lines on the other hand.
The most prominent ways followed by Assad's regime and Hezbollah are to transform mosques in the town of Al-Zabadani, whose people are Sunnis, into schools and congregation halls for Shi'i's commemoration ceremonies known as "Hussainias". Hezbollah has recently set "Sectarian" banners over Al-Zabadani mosques controlled by it, resulting in a state of rage among people of Al-Zabadani rejecting the party and its Shiite thought. They also refused offers from the regime and Hezbollah to leave the city in exchange for their safety. Hezbollah forces transformed "Al-Hawash Al-Kabieer" mosque into a "Hussainia" through which they call for prayer their way and hold sectarian activities in an attempt to imprint such thought on the minds of people and their children.
Hezbollah resorted to bring Lebanese settlers affiliated to the party, giving them houses in the city of Al-Zabadani in an attempt to change the demographic map of the city by force.
Oum Ala'a, a woman from Al-Zabadani, who suffered forced displacement by Hezbollah, told Baladi News that, "Hezbollah militia expelled me from my house claiming that my husband and my son are from the rebels", "My son has been working in Lebanon for five years and my husband is dead", she added.
"Muhammed Mustafa", is another resident from Al-Jamiait area in the town of Madaya who was also subjected to harassments by Hezbollah militia. He says: "in the beginning, Hezbollah militia started to harass and bother us, but we ignored them, then they told us that we have to leave our houses". "We were between the devil and deep blue sea, but in the end we had to leave everything behind and move", he added.
The fate of Al-Zabadani and Madaya doesn't seem better than the rest of Damascus countryside areas as the rebels of Muadamiyat Al-Sham and Darayyaa are suffering from similar pressures; they have to surrender according to the regime terms or leave the two cities towards Idlib which is a step towards the establishment of a Shiite security cordon around the capital Damascus.