In secular Syria, an Islamic revival

[Muhammad]

 

By Nicholas Blanford

 

ALEPPO, SYRIA – Turmoil in the Middle East and the sluggish pace of domestic political reform is fuelling an Islamic resurgence here.

Although the regime is deeply hostile to extremist Islam, analysts and diplomats believe that Islamic groups could play an increasingly influential role if the state's hold on the country weakens.

 

Young Syrians are filling mosques, many women have taken to wearing the head scarf known as the hijab, and underground women's religious discussion groups are increasingly popular despite being banned. The austere Wahhabi brand of Islam practiced by Osama bin Laden is preached in some small towns in northern Syria. Even longtime Baath partisans are embracing religion.

 

"The Islamic awakening dominates conservative neighborhoods in cities and small Sunni towns," says Samir al-Taqi, a Syrian political analyst. "In Damascus, through a network of mosques, they dominate between 60 to 65 percent of pious Muslims.... I see many secular people, including Communists, turning to religion."

 

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[Liqaye]

Thank you brother Conquest.

 

If any body has heard of what to homs and allepo in the early 80's when both these towns were bombed to rubble and even chemical weapons were used so as to suppress the ikhwan, must agree that the baathist's are beyond the pale of islam.

[Conscious Manipulation]

salaam

JZK for posting this!

 

Sheikh Kuftaro runs the Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro Islamic Foundation, a Damascus-based group for religious education which caters to some 5,000 students, 20 percent of them foreigners. "As an Islamic thinker, I am for a moderate secular state working for the religious beliefs of all.... There is no room for political Islam on our agenda," he adds.

 

No matter what institutes they establish to "educate" Muslims, they'll never succeed as they will never be able to stop the revival of Islam in the hearts of the people.