Intercommunal violence continues to plague Hama’s Sahel al-Ghab region. In mid-August, two men were killed within 48 hours of each other in attacks in the Alawi town of Aziziyah and the Murshdi town of Rasif. The attacks appeared to be linked to targeted vigilantism in one case, and an attempted house seizure in the other. The killings should serve as a reminder for the international community that this part of Syria remains among the most contentious and deadly in the country.
I have covered the sectarian- and revenge-linked dynamics in Sahel al-Ghab several times here, based on weeks of meetings with residents over the course of the past year. The most severe tensions originate from the string of Sunni, Alawi, and Murshdi villages in the center of al-Ghab Plain, known as the “Middle Line.” The Sunni homes here were systematically dismantled by local regime militias following their complete displacement in 2015. The severity of this crime and today’s lack of housing or infrastructure, is the single most important factor fueling violence in the area. Every person I have met with this summer, from every sect, has agreed that the only way to end the violence is to rebuild the five Sunni villages.
Earlier this year I published an interview with a resident of one of these destroyed villages, Ramleh. Last month I met with several residents of another village, Qabr Fida. Below is a partial transcript of that meeting, covering the history of the town before displacement, challenges after returning, and inter-faith relations.