INCIDENT REPORT FEATURE: INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION OF RELIGIOUS SITES IN AFRIN
U. S. DEPT. COOPERATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: S-IZ-100-17-CA021
BY Jamie O’Connell
Turkish and Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) armed forces intentionally damage Yezidi sites in Afrin.
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
In January 2018, the Turkish military (TAF) and Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters launched an air and ground campaign (known as Operation Olive Branch) in the Afrin region of Aleppo Governorate in order to oust the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters from the area. By late February, the YPG had been pushed back from most of the border with Turkey, allowing for a larger incursion into the Afrin region.
By March 9, TAF and FSA fighters had reached the outskirts of the city of Afrin. The full capture of Afrin was announced on March 18. Turkish and Free Syrian Army fighters engaged in vandalism and looting throughout the city, including defacing and tearing down statues of Rafiq al-Watani, a Kurdish political figure, and Kawa the Blacksmith. Kawa is a mythical figure in Iranian and Kurdish mythology who plays a large role in the story of the New Year, or Nowruz. The destruction of the statue occurred three days before Nowruz, which fell on March 21, 2018.
FSA fighters celebrate in front of the defaced statue of Kawa before using ropes to pull the statue to the ground. (Hasan Kirmizitas/AP; March 18, 2018)
An undated, pre-damage photograph shows worshippers entering the Shrine of Kara Jorna (Lokman Afrin)
Video footage published on Youtube on March 17, 2018 shows FSA fighters vandalizing the shrine. A fighter is seen removing ribbons tied to a tree near the shrine, while others set another tree on fire.
Video stills show FSA fighters removing ribbons tied to a tree outside of the Shrine of Kara Jorna and setting another tree on fire
(Ezdina News; March 17, 2018)
FSA fighters reportedly ransacked the Shrine of Sheikh Zaid, removing its contents and exhuming the remains within
(Al Etihad Press; May 18, 2018)
A pre-damage photograph of the exterior of the Shrine of Nebi Houri, with an FSA fighter at center-left (ASOR CHI in-country source; March 2, 2018)
On March 19, 2018 a Private Facebook Account published video footage of the shrine interior. The footage shows that the table representing the grave of Nebi Houri was turned on its side and garbage was strewn about the shrine. According to an ASOR CHI in-country source, FSA fighters allied with Operation Olive Branch ransacked the shrine looking for treasure.