Why is Islamic State targeting the revered Sayyida Zaynab shrine in Syria? The shrine belongs to…, related to Prophet Muhammad from…

The Sayyida Zaynab shrine, located 10 kilometers south of Damascus, is a center of faith for Shia pilgrims from all over the world, and the shrine's protection was major issue even during the 13-year Syria civil war.

Syria Civil War: Syria’s intelligence agency has said that it foiled a plot by the Islamic State (IS) terror group to carry out a major attack on the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine near Damascus. The spy agency said the attack was uncovered, foiled, and the attackers arrested. The Sayyida Zaynab shrine, located near the Syrian capital, is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Shia Muslims, revered by millions across the globe.

But why is the Islamic State targeting a sacred Muslim shrine in Syria and who is Sayyida Zaynab? Here’s what you should know;

Who is Sayyida Zaynab and why is she revered by Shia Muslims?

Sayyida Zaynab is the great granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad from his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, the fourth Caliph, and the first Shi’ite Imam. Zaynab is sister of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam who was massacred along with his family and followers in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

Following the battle, Lady Zaynab, along with other family and followers of Hussein were taken captive by the Caliph Yazid’s forces and imprisoned in Damascus, the then capital of the Islamic Caliphate. Shias believe that Sayyida Zaynab, along with Hussein’s daughter, Sayyidah Ruqayya, are buried in Damascus, and hold the shrines of both figures in high reverence.

Apart from Shiites, Sayyida Zaynab also commands high respect among the majority of Muslims because of her blood ties to Prophet Muhammad, and her role in preserving and spreading the Prophet’s teachings and legacy.

Why the shrine is under threat after al-Assad’s ouster?

The Sayyida Zaynab shrine, located 10 kilometers south of Damascus, is a center of faith for Shia pilgrims from all over the world, and the shrine’s protection was major issue even during the 13-year Syria civil war, which ended in December last year when rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured Damascus, forcing Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to flee the country.

During the Syria civil war period, Shia fighters from various countries, including Iraq and Iran, had voluntarily arrived in Damascus to protect the shrine from being harmed by the Islamic State group– hardline Islamists who consider building and visiting shrines as apostasy, and has carried out several attack in and around the shrine over the years.

Syria’s Shi’ite shrines were well-protected under the former Assad regime, but after his toppling the revered shrines are once again under threat from hardliners, mainly because of the questionable past of Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of HTS, Syria’s main rebel group which played a major role in toppling Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Julani was formerly associated with the al-Qaeda and Islamic State terror groups, and his HTS outfit is considered a hardline Sunni Muslim outfit, whose ideology is inspired by Julani’s former associates. While Julani has assured that there will be a secular, democratic regime in Damascus, experts have raised concerns due to his and HTS’ past, and there are fears of and Islamic State resurgence in the region.

The majority of Muslims in Syria are Sunnis, while Shias and Christians are in a minority, and there are fears among experts that a new Syria civil war might erupt if minorities are targeted by hardline Sunni factions in the region.