The Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world, renowned for its architectural splendor and unmatched artistic creativity.
This grand mosque is visited daily by hundreds of individuals, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, without restrictions or conditions. However, just days ago, a security decision was issued by the Syrian government, imposing what has been described as "strict" limitations on "foreign visitors." According to the Syrian news site "Voice of the Capital," sources indicated that the "National Security" office, which is the highest security authority in the country, is behind this directive.
The sources clarified that the ordered security measures "require religious tourism delegations to obtain special approvals to enter the mosque." These measures stress the prohibition of delegations from "practicing religious rituals and ceremonies, and issuing sounds that might infringe on the sanctity of the mosque." The site also noted that instructions have been issued to the administration of the Umayyad Mosque stipulating "not to allow entry to any non-Syrian, even for personal tourism, without prior security approval."
The directive affects diplomats and clergy from the Shia community, who must obtain approvals through their respective diplomatic missions before visiting the mosque. It also extends to non-Syrian journalists, photographers, and tourists who might come to Syria from various countries worldwide.
### Preventing Sectarian Tension
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, asserted that the decision "seems aimed at preventing sectarian provocation," referring to the actions of some visitors and delegations within the mosque's precincts, who have chanted phrases considered offensive to other sects.
Earlier this month, a man and a woman dressed as Hindu monks appeared in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, performing some meditation rituals, which sparked a wave of condemnation in Syrian society. It appears that there are factions within the ruling authority in Syria that are dissatisfied with Iranian influence in Syrian institutions, including security, and are likely the ones leaking the locations of Iranian leaders to Israel.
