The Syrian Future Movement views the assassination of Sheikh Farhan Hassan al-Mansour, the preacher of the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, on Friday, May 1, 2026, as a cowardly and heinous act of terrorism. He was killed when a hand grenade was thrown at his car in the Fatimiyah area of Sayyida Zeinab city immediately after he left the shrine following congregational prayers.
The Syrian Future Movement condemns this heinous targeting of religious and social figures, considering it a blatant attack on the entire fabric of Syrian society.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the Syrian Ministry of Interior’s pledge to pursue the perpetrators and its classification of the incident as part of a “dangerous escalation” aimed at “targeting religious and social figures to incite sectarian strife and undermine social stability” confirms that the transitional authority is fully aware of the malicious intent behind this conspiracy.
The Syrian Future Movement appreciates the heightened security alert in the area and the immediate commencement of investigations to uncover the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. We also recall that the authorities had thwarted an ISIS plot to bomb the shrine on April 4, 2026, which reinforces the context of ongoing threats and the state’s efforts to prevent them, as has been officially confirmed.
The Syrian Future Movement, with firm national and civic conviction, believes that this crime will not be the last in the series of violence and targeting that Syrians have endured in recent years. Attempts to target innocent civilians and destabilize security are desperate attempts by forces of evil and terrorism to divide Syria.
We also categorically reject any sectarian, racist, or inflammatory rhetoric, and we affirm that an attack on any Syrian, regardless of their sect, religion, or region, is an attack on the entire nation. Therefore, the Syrian Future Movement calls on all Syrians, in all their diversity, to be more vigilant, united, and committed to coexistence, emphasizing that overcoming this ordeal will only be possible through adherence to the state, the rule of law, and the unified national will.
The Syrian Future Movement extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Sheikh Farhan Hassan Al-Mansour, and prays that God will have mercy on him. May God have mercy on him, and may his blood be a curse upon his killer and a catalyst for greater unity among Syrians of all sects, denominations, and backgrounds.
