Jawad al-Zabadani, Baladi News, Damascus countryside
"Hezbollah's" militias started a while ago completing the construction of a mosque in the town of al-Housh near al-Zabadani in order to convert it into a Hussainia (Shia congregation hall) to perform their religious rituals. This comes after they have brought the militants' families to the region which is seemingly a step for a permanent occupation of the area as they form now the highest authority in the region especially after the members and officers of regime forces have become hopeless before them. This coincides with the continuation of their policy of systematic displacement against the residents even the supporters.
Mr. Muhammed Eissa, head of the Local Council of Madaya and Baqin talked about the policy of displacement by saying: "we are afraid now of the continuation of their sectarian policy especially after having displaced the residents of al-Zabadani, besieged the people of Madaya and Baqin, and displaced the residents in the areas under their control on the outskirts of al-Zabadani even the Christians among them. Their policy of displacement continued by displacing the region of al-Akaba and the orchards of Madaya with their attempt to put new points in order to make these regions inaccessible security positions. The situation currently drives us to make sure of their intention to stay and occupy our land and towns".
The people of Madaya confirmed that they have been hearing a "Shiite" call for prayer coming from the mosques of the neighboring towns along with Shiite chants while the party's members open fire on the town, as they believe that their battel here is a kind of Jihad which takes them to Jerusalem as Sheikh Abu Mahmoud said, one of the mosques' orators in Madaya. He added to Baladi News: "We have been hearing the Shiite call for prayer and the Shiite chants in the vicinity of Madaya coming from mosques used to be Sunni in origin, and this confirms their sectarian intention and war which they claim to be a sacred Jihad against out starving children".
Al-Housh is located south of al-Zabadani. It's a town with a little population, but it has become full of the militants' members and families in order to convert it to a headquarter for them as Mr. Muhammed said: "After they have made al-Qusayr a Shiite district, here they are trying to do the same thing with al-Zabadani, as they started to have a Hussainia in the town of al-Housh, in which they perform their prayers, rituals and celebrations. We have now concerns on our survival, mosques, towns and our city as they are seeking by following an accurate and well-defined plan to occupy al-Zabadani and turning it into a Shiite place along with Madaya and Baqin, but the families will provide whatever they have to protect their religion, houses and survival. We ask the United Nations and all the organizations which claim preserving human rights, what are they doing for the 40000 people, their destiny and rights?! Life is not only food, it's our right to live or die on our land and not to be forcibly displaced out of it"
Lebanese Hezbollah had started the battel of al-Qusayr in 2012 in the southern countryside of Homs, where it displaced the people and converted the whole city into a Shiite place. One year later, it occupied al-Qalamoun and its cities and displaced its people. Moreover, it started a year ago a battel to seize control over the city of al-Zabadani and put its flag on one of the mosques and that was only the beginning as the current developments suggest.