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Umayyad Mosque... Hardline Approach Sneaks in with Restrictive Measures Isolating Women
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Umayyad Mosque... Hardline Approach Sneaks in with Restrictive Measures Isolating Women The gender segregation measures and restrictions on women's movement in the Umayyad Mosque reflect the interim S
The administration of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus has imposed restrictive measures targeting women, in a move reflecting hardline tendencies that raise fears of extremist ideas infiltrating one of the most important cultural and religious landmarks in Syria and the Islamic world.
The new measures included installing barriers separating men and women in the prayer area, as well as preventing women from entering through the main gate of the mosque, forcing them to use the northern door known as the "Saladin Gate."
The supervising authorities justified these decisions as "organizational procedures" aimed at improving crowd management and enhancing the atmosphere of reverence during periods of congestion, affirming that their purpose is to maintain the spiritual character and order within this religious edifice.
These changes have sparked widespread controversy in the digital space, with critics considering these policies to reflect a dangerous shift in the management of historical religious sites, indicating the adoption of a hardline approach that restricts public freedoms, especially women's freedom of access to shared spaces.
The "Syrian Coast" account on the "X" platform sarcastically commented that this decision comes within "Vision 2050 for civilizational closure," referring to the retreat from values of openness and tolerance that Syria has historically been known for.
Observers pointed out that these practices are reminiscent of the policies of extremist organizations that controlled areas of Syria in recent years, which imposed similar restrictions on women's movement in public places, warning of a gradual trend toward adopting hardline religious thought in official institutions.
Experts in Syrian affairs consider the new measures at the Umayyad Mosque to reflect a concerning shift in the cultural and religious policies of Syria's interim caretaker government, which appear contradictory to Damascus's cultural heritage as a city historically known for diversity and openness.
Researchers in Islamic history emphasize that the Umayyad Mosque, which dates back more than a thousand years, has remained throughout the ages a shared space for worship, contemplation, and learning, without strict physical separation between worshippers, confirming that the current changes represent a deviation from its historical traditions.
Local sources confirm that these measures come within a series of societal transformations imposed by the current Damascus authorities in an attempt to impose a unilateral vision on the diverse Syrian society, which contradicts the principles of pluralism and respect for cultural and religious diversity.
