This week, paper leaflets were distributed throughout the town of Tayana in the eastern countryside of Deir-ez-Zor. These leaflets contained concerning messages, including threats aimed at women, coercing them to conform to a specific Islamic dress code under the risk of violence.
One of the distributed materials featured an image of women dressed in black attire, alongside the flag of a certain group. The content of these leaflets went as far as issuing a direct threat against women. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir-ez-Zor reported on this development on Tuesday.
Salvation Government Imposes Islamic Dress Code and Segregation of Boys and Girls in Idleb Schools
Instances of such leaflets or activities associated with this organization are not novel to the city of Deir-ez-Zor The group has previously exploited events like a demonstration in Deir-ez-Zor to further its agenda. During that incident, the group denounced the alleged burning of the Qur’an and utilized the situation to prominently display its flag. Similar leaflets were distributed in the same vicinity, containing menacing messages targeted at the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the controlling authority in the region.
Does the post really go back to the organization?
The content within the post exhibits evident linguistic errors. This aspect served as a focal point for Orabi Orabi, a researcher specializing in jihadist groups, during an interview with Enab Baladi. Orabi employed these errors as evidence to disassociate the publication from the organization in question.
In his conversation with Enab Baladi, Orabi emphasized that the media office of the Islamic State refrains from disseminating documents, statements, or publications that contain linguistic inaccuracies. This stands as a key principle guiding their communication strategy.
Furthermore, Orabi noted a distinct discrepancy in the font utilized in the leaflet compared to the font consistently employed by the group in their analogous publications.
Nevertheless, Orabi clarified that the absence of these leaflets being directly traced back to the group does not necessarily signify their non-presence in the region. This can be attributed to several factors connected to individuals who had previously collaborated with the organization during its control of the area.
Orabi elaborated on the group’s strategy, highlighting how their abduction of individuals from the region compels their families into collaboration. Additionally, he highlighted instances where promises of releasing relatives incarcerated by the SDF motivate cooperation with the group.
The group’s ongoing existence is further underscored by the collection of funds through the so-called sultan cost. This refers to zakat payments extracted from the population, including civilians and capital owners, backed by threats of reprisal for non-compliance.
In tandem with the proliferation of these publications, there has been a notable downturn in the group’s offensive activities against the SDF. While the organization typically executed 25 operations against the SDF monthly, this figure plummeted to a mere 13 operations in the preceding July, as reported by Orabi.
Orabi attributed this reduction in military operations to ongoing negotiations between the group and factions within the region. These discussions aim to establish a ceasefire between the two sides. Given this context, it appears incongruous for the group to disseminate comparable threats to the local population, as articulated by Orabi.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.Salvation Government Imposes Islamic Dress Code and Segregation of Boys and Girls in Idleb Schools
