Extremist Groups Seize Al-Mustafa Mosque in Homs, Syrian Shia Community Condemns Sectarian Takeover

Extremist Groups Seize Al-Mustafa Mosque in Homs, Syrian Shia Community Condemns Sectarian Takeover
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The “Ahl al-Bayt Islamic Office” in Syria has issued an official statement condemning the recent seizure of the “Al-Mustafa Complex and Mosque” in the Al-Bayada district of Homs. The mosque, a major religious endowment and central hub for the province’s Shia community, was reportedly taken over by extremist groups, who appropriated its contents and converted the facility for their own activities.

The statement highlighted that the seizure was driven by sectarian and inciting motives, generating concern among local residents over potential communal tensions that could undermine social stability and coexistence. The Office strongly denounced the extremist rhetoric accompanying the takeover, particularly takfiri claims falsely asserting that the mosque was converted from a “house of polytheism” to a “house of monotheism,” warning that such discourse could legitimize attacks on places of worship and religious endowments.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also condemned the incident, emphasizing the threat posed by rising sectarian and takfiri rhetoric and associated actions, which endanger national cohesion and social fabric. The Observatory called on local authorities and influential entities to intervene immediately to restore the rights of all Syrian communities, protect religious endowments, and safeguard places of worship from discrimination or sectarian targeting.