“Friday for the Detainees in Assad’s Prisons”

Dr. Zaher Baadarani, the president of the Syrian Future Movement, performed last Friday’s prayer in the liberated Northern Syria, coinciding with the global public call to participate in what was named “Friday for the Detainees in Assad’s Prisons.”

The Imam and Preacher of Al-Bakri Mosque, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahwal, invited the president of the Syrian Future Movement to be the preacher and Imam for Friday prayers. He delivered a sermon that was recorded and published, titled: ‘Reviving the Memory of the Day of the Detainees in Assad’s Prisons, a Personal Duty on Every Free Syrian’.”

After the Friday prayer, Dr. Zaher Baadarani, the president of the Syrian Future Movement, called upon the worshippers to participate in the central demonstration in the city of Afrin as part of the ‘Detainees Week in Syria’ campaign. The call for protest was answered, and crowds of worshippers walked out of Al-Bakri Mosque (one of the central mosques of Afrin city) towards Al-Khair Complex Square, joined by members of the Syrian Future Movement in Afrin.

The president of the Syrian Future Movement delivered a revolutionary speech, in which he spoke about the importance of supporting the detainees’ cause, emphasizing it as a distinctly humanitarian issue. He stated that the detainees in Assad’s prisons are still paying the price for our freedom, and for our continued existence, whether for those who had the opportunity to migrate from their provinces, cities, and villages under the oppression of Assad’s regime within Syria to other safer lands, or for those who managed to escape and survive outside the country. Dr. Emad Al-Aqra’a, a former political prisoner, also delivered a speech reminding everyone of the ongoing suffering of the detainees and their families, saying, ‘The mother of a martyr can sleep, but the mother of a detainee cannot!’ He thanked the presence and participation of the president of the Syrian Future Movement in the demonstration and all those who responded and attended with him.

Dr. Baadarani, the president of the Syrian Future Movement, emphasized that the responsibility towards detainees does not mean remembering them just one day a year! Instead, it should be one of our top priorities, especially for those who are currently leading the political opposition against the Assad regime. It is an extraordinary, pivotal issue with a positive political impact if properly leveraged and highlighted on the international stage.

After actively participating in the demonstration, the president of the Syrian Future Movement held a meeting with students of Islamic studies from religious institutes, Sharia colleges, and others, who are considered the advocacy pillars of Al-Bakri Mosque in Afrin city. During the meeting, he engaged in discussions with them, establishing the concept that supporting any national issue (not belonging to a specific party, but falling under the service of the nation and its citizens) is our duty as advocates.
This support is crucial for the continuity and success of our revolution.

It’s also worth mentioning that there was a brief and pleasant meeting at the door of Al-Bakri Mosque with some brothers from the Tablighi Jamaat, in the presence of their leader.

Dr. Zaher Baadarani, the president of the Syrian Future Movement, concluded his program with a private meeting with the Imam and Preacher of Al-Bakri Mosque, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahwal (a member of the Syrian Future Movement in its religious office), at his office and library. The discussion focused on the necessity of understanding the current reality to achieve a future jurisprudence, and our religious and national duty to utilize our just causes in service of the righteous Syrian revolution, in loyalty to the martyrs’ blood and in respect for the patience of the detainees.
The meeting was partially attended by Mr. Eyad Hamdi, the General Coordinator for the Syrian Future Movement’s programs in the liberated Northern Syria, and Mr. Munir Kartal, a member of the Syrian Future Movement and director of the Turkish organization Sham Kolou.