Armed Assault Targets Mosque in Homs Over Call to Prayer Dispute

Armed Assault Targets Mosque in Homs Over Call to Prayer Dispute
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An armed group stormed Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq Mosque in the al-Nuzha district of Homs on Saturday evening, attacking the muezzin and threatening him with death over the use of the Jaafari call to prayer. Witnesses said the assailants forced him to drop the phrase “Hayya ‘ala Khayr al-‘Amal.”

The incident sparked anger among local worshippers and prompted the mosque’s committee to resign. Reports noted that a similar assault occurred four months earlier against the former muezzin, while the imam was also threatened at gunpoint.

In response, the Alawite Islamic Council in Homs suspended religious services at the mosque until security can be guaranteed. Established in 1963 through community donations, the mosque has been a central place of worship in the neighborhood for decades.