Three defining events of 1979: Burning of Makkah’s Grand Mosque. Soviet tank in Kabul. Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Tehran. AFP/Getty Images/AFP
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Three defining events of 1979: Burning of Makkah’s Grand Mosque. Soviet tank in Kabul. Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Tehran. AFP/Getty Images/AFP

1979 - The Iranian Revolution, the siege of Makkah, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

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Updated 22 April 2025
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1979 - The Iranian Revolution, the siege of Makkah, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

1979 - The Iranian Revolution, the siege of Makkah, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
  • The seismic events of 1979 reshaped the Middle East, fueling extremism, regional hostilities, and global conflicts that continue to reverberate even now

RIYADH: In a region in which major geopolitical events are almost commonplace, the trio of seismic shocks that erupted in 1979 made it a year like no other. 

A single thread connected the Iranian revolution, the siege of Makkah and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: The birth of a brand of Islamic extremism that would have catastrophic consequences for millions, with repercussions that continue to reverberate around the entire world to this day. 

The first rumblings began the previous year, amid widespread disquiet in Iran at the increasingly oppressive rule of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, whose “White Revolution” reforms were seen by many as pushing the Westernization of the country too far, too quickly. 

A religious demonstration in January 1978 in the city of Qom, a center of Shiite scholarship 130 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tehran, was broken up violently when security forces opened fire, killing as many as 300 protesters, mainly seminary students. 

Demonstrations spread to cities across the country, culminating by the end of the year in widespread strikes and protests amid demands that the shah step down and Grand Ayatollah Khomeini be allowed to return from exile in France. 

On Jan. 16, 1979, the shah and his family left Iran, never to return. On Feb. 1, Khomeini arrived at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, stepping off an Air France flight from Paris after 15 years in exile to a tumultuous welcome by millions of Iranians. 

Within 10 days, the last remaining vestiges of the old regime had collapsed and Shapour Bakhtiar, the prime minister appointed by the shah barely a month earlier, fled into exile. 

How we wrote it




The newspaper covered the Iranian government’s “first major crisis” as pro-Shah troops clashed with demonstrators in Ahwaz, reigniting tensions amidst a concurrent earthquake.

On April 1, 1979, the results of a national referendum were revealed and, with the support of more than 98 percent of the voters, Khomeini declared the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, of which he would be supreme leader. 

The Iranian Revolution was founded on a sectarian constitutional basis that emphasized the export of its revolutionary ideology, and so it fueled sectarian tensions across the region. 

The revolution introduced the Guardianship of the Jurist theory (Wilayat Al-Faqih), a sectarian principle that positions the Islamic jurist, or expert on Islamic law, above the state and its people, granting him ultimate authority over foreign relations and national security. 

Crucially, the guardian jurist perceives himself to be the leader of all Muslims worldwide, his authority not limited to Iranians or even Shiites. It was this claim of universal leadership that most alarmed other countries in the region, as the theory disregards state sovereignty, promotes sectarian groups, and grants the revolutionary regime the “right” to intervene in the affairs of other nations. 

The new Islamic Republic’s commitment to the principle of exporting its revolution further exacerbated regional hostilities, with the Iran-Iraq War that broke out in 1980 serving as a flash point. 

Iran’s revolutionary agenda had sought to undermine Iraq, a pivotal Arab country, by inciting and supporting Shiite groups and militias with training, financial aid and weapons. Ultimately, it would be these groups that formed the basis of the militias Iran leveraged extensively after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, when Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime fell. 

It was not long before the fears among Iran’s neighbors that the revolution would spread throughout the region appeared to be realized. 

Key Dates

  • 1

    The shah and his family flee Iran.

    Timeline Image Jan. 16, 1979

  • 2

    Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after 15 years in exile.

    Timeline Image Feb. 1, 1979

  • 3

    Angered by Washington’s refusal to return the shah for trial, revolutionaries seize the US Embassy in Tehran and hold 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

  • 4

    Religious extremists seize control of the Grand Mosque of Makkah.

    Timeline Image Nov. 20, 1979

  • 5

    Call to noon prayer brings thousands of worshippers to the mosque for the first time in three weeks.

  • 6

    Soviet troops invade Afghanistan.

    Timeline Image Dec. 25, 1979

  • 7

    Last detachment of Soviet troops leaves Afghanistan.

    Timeline Image Feb. 15, 1989

On Nov. 20, 1979, following the dawn prayer in the Grand Mosque of Makkah, more than 200 armed men, led by Juhayman Al-Otaibi, a religious extremist, seized the sacred site and announced that the long-awaited Mahdi, the harbinger of the day of judgment, prophesied to bring justice after a period of oppression, had appeared. This supposed Mahdi was Al-Otaibi’s brother-in-law, Mohammed Al-Qahtani. 

Al-Otaibi instructed his followers to lock the doors of the mosque and position snipers atop its minarets, which overlook Makkah. Meanwhile, the man identified as the Mahdi, who believed himself to be under divine protection, was swiftly shot by Saudi special forces when he appeared during the clashes without protection. 

The siege of Makkah continued for 14 days, ending with the capture and execution of Al-Otaibi and dozens of his surviving fellow insurgents. 

While there was no evidence to suggest direct Iranian involvement in the seizure of the Grand Mosque, the revolutionary climate in Iran provided ideological inspiration for many extremist movements and armed organizations during that period. 

The Saudi government’s robust response to the siege sent a clear and unequivocal message to extremist factions: rebellion and violent ideologies would not be tolerated. This strategy of deterrence proved instrumental in safeguarding the Kingdom from further violence and bloodshed. 

How we wrote it




Arab News reported the siege’s end, citing 75 “renegades” killed, 135 captured, and 60 Saudi soldiers dead “in the service of God.”

But 1979 had a further shock in store. On Dec. 25, just over a month after the siege of Makkah ended, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan. 

The invasion took place during a period of intense political instability in the country. In 1978, President Mohammed Daoud Khan and his family were overthrown and killed by Nur Mohammed Taraki, a Communist. 

Taraki’s rule was short-lived; his former political party comrade, Hafizullah Amin, seized power and killed him. Amin’s attempts to align Afghanistan more closely with the US prompted the Soviets to orchestrate his assassination, replacing him with Babrak Karmal, a more reliable Communist, thereby securing a more compliant leadership. 

The Soviet intervention was driven by a combination of motives. Economically, Afghanistan’s wealth of natural resources made it a valuable target. Politically, the invasion aimed to help prop up the faltering Communist regime and ensure no hostile government emerged in Afghanistan, a key neighbor within the Soviet Union’s immediate geopolitical sphere. 

This was particularly critical within the broader context of the Cold War, in which the US was actively working to counter Soviet influence by encircling the Soviet Union and curbing its expansionist ambitions. 

How we wrote it




Arab News reported Afghan minister Muhammad Abdo Yamani urging Austria to demand Soviet forces “out” of Afghanistan and suggesting an embargo to pressure their withdrawal.

The Soviet army faced strong resistance in Afghanistan from the Islamist Mujahideen, who received substantial support from international powers, particularly the US and its regional allies, and in the end the intervention proved futile. 

For 10 years the Soviet Union endured significant human and material losses in Afghanistan but failed to regain control and political stability in the country through the political system they endorsed. This system lacked popular legitimacy and controlled only limited territory, with the rest of the country remaining under the control of opposition forces. 

All these factors finally compelled the Soviet army to withdraw from Afghanistan after almost a decade. A subsequent civil war culminated in Taliban coming to power in 1996. 

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had far-reaching consequences. Geopolitically, it exposed the limitations of the Soviet army, and the failure in Afghanistan coincided with internal political and economic decline within the Soviet Union, its inability to compete with the US in the arms race, and the outbreak of popular uprisings in countries that had adopted the socialist model. 

As such, the invasion is widely regarded as a major contributing factor in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. 




Afghan resistance fighters repelled the Soviet invasion with immense human cost and significant Western, especially US, aid. An estimated 1.5 million Afghans died in the conflict. AFP

The war also became a breeding ground for extremist jihadist movements. Arabs and Muslims who joined the Afghan resistance found the conflict to be a unifying platform, drawing leaders and fighters from several countries in the Islamic world. 

Upon returning to their homelands, these individuals brought with them military expertise and radical ideologies. This environment facilitated the establishment of terrorist organizations, as these veterans sought to replicate the armed struggle to overthrow regimes in their own countries. 

The most prominent product of this phenomenon was Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, who fought alongside the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He founded the terror group Al-Qaeda, which emerged as a leading force among extremist religious organizations. 

Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda played a central role in the global wave of terrorism that culminated in the 9/11 attacks on the US, and all the repercussions that followed. These included the invasion of Afghanistan by a US-led coalition in 2001, and the rise of Iranian-backed terror groups in Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, which ultimately led to the rise of Daesh. 

  • Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). 


AI-powered robot to assist Hajj pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Makkah

AI-powered robot to assist Hajj pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Makkah
Updated 7 min 54 sec ago
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AI-powered robot to assist Hajj pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Makkah

AI-powered robot to assist Hajj pilgrims at Grand Mosque in Makkah
  • Updated 2nd version of the high-tech helper features designs inspired by Islamic motifs and architecture in Makkah and Madinah
  • The robot will act as a reference point for religious inquiries and offer direct video calls with muftis

MAKKAH: As preparations continue in Saudi Arabia for the start of Hajj, pilgrims in need of assistance will this year be able to call on the services of a new high-tech helper that blends the traditions of Islam with the latest developments in artificial intelligence.

The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque unveiled the updated second version of its AI-powered Manarat Al-Haramain Robot on Wednesday, as part of an initiative that aims to leverage the power of advanced technologies to enhance the spiritual experiences of pilgrims.

It said the robot will act as a reference point for religious inquiries at the Grand Mosque, and can connect worshippers and other visitors to direct video calls with muftis who can answer any questions they might have, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The robot's updated version and software features designs inspired by traditional Islamic motifs and architecture found at the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. It combines authenticity, modernity, and advanced technology to help enhance the experiences of pilgrims by providing easy access to information, the presidency said.

Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage every Muslim is obliged to undertake at least once in their life if they are physically and financially able to do so, is expected to begin in Makkah on June 4 and end on June 9. Pilgrims from around the world began to arrive in the Kingdom this month.


Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster

Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster
Updated 18 min 51 sec ago
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Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster

Liverpool to unveil new Heysel memorial marking 40th anniversary of disaster
  • "Titled 'Forever Bound', the new memorial will replace the existing plaque
  • The memorial will be unveiled later in the English summer

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool will unveil a new memorial at Anfield to mark the 40th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium disaster where 39 supporters were killed, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

The fans, mainly Italian Juventus supporters, were killed when a wall collapsed after Liverpool fans charged them before the European Cup final in Brussels in 1985.

More than 600 were also injured in one of the worst disasters in soccer stadiums, leading to a five-year ban for English clubs from European competition.


"Titled 'Forever Bound', the new memorial will replace the existing plaque currently situated on the wall of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and will move to a new location at the stadium," Liverpool said in a statement.

"The newly designed memorial will feature two scarves knotted together and gently tied - symbolising the unity and solidarity between the two clubs and the bond formed through shared grief and mutual respect in the aftermath of the disaster."

Liverpool said the plans for the new memorial were shared with Juventus and the families who lost loved ones.

The memorial will be unveiled later in the English summer. Juventus are unveiling their own near their Allianz Stadium on May 29, the anniversary of the disaster.

"To see a new memorial created with such care means a lot and it's incredibly important to have a fitting tribute to remember the 39 fans who lost their lives," the Liverpool statement cited Ian Rush, who played for both clubs and also witnessed the tragedy in 1985, as saying.

"We must never forget why this matters and why we continue to stand together in solidarity, all these years later."


Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot

Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot
Updated 45 min 49 sec ago
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Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot

Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot
  • The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine
  • The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision

NEW YORK: Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate to wait for efficacy data from a late-stage trial of its influenza shot, which is due later this year.

The company said it pulled the application in consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration. It is the latest sign of increased regulatory scrutiny of the vaccine approval process since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the top US health job earlier this year.

Moderna’s decision comes a day after the US FDA said it would require new clinical trials for approval of annual COVID-19 boosters for healthy people under 65.

The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine, both under development by Moderna.

The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision for the next-generation COVID vaccine, which is due by the end of the month.

Shares of the company have been battered by declining COVID revenue as well as investor concerns spurred by the appointment of Kennedy, who is a vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Moderna has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots to make up for falling sales of its COVID vaccine and less-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, which sent its shares down nearly 60 percent last year.

The company in early May pushed back the time frame for the likely approval of its combination vaccine — meant to protect adults aged 50 and above against both COVID-19 and influenza — to 2026.

The FDA last week approved rival Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine more than a month after missing the deadline for the shot’s approval, and limited its use to people with conditions that put them at risk due to the illness.


Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running

Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running
Updated 53 min 7 sec ago
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Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running

Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running
  • Network bagged 160 awards across various categories, including 25 gold, 76 silver and 59 bronze.

Riyadh: Asharq Network has won the “Telly Company of the Year” award for the second consecutive year.

The accolade recognizes the network’s efforts in producing impactful, high-quality content. In total, Asharq Network received 160 awards across various categories, including 25 gold, 76 silver and 59 bronze.

The network stood out among 13,000 record-breaking entries from five continents. Its winning work includes content from across all Asharq Network brands, including Asharq News, Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Asharq Documentary, Asharq Discovery.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Telly Company of the Year award for the second consecutive year. This achievement reflects the hard work, creativity and passion of our entire team, who continue to push the boundaries in creativity and media,” said Nabeel Alkhatib, general manager of Asharq News.

“This recognition reinforces our commitment to providing our audience with the most insightful and engaging content, tailored to the evolving needs of the Arabic-speaking world.”

Mohammed Alyousei, general manager of Asharq Discovery and Asharq Documentary, said: “Receiving this honor is a profound affirmation of our team’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. This global recognition motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of storytelling, ensuring that we deliver narratives that resonate and make a meaningful impact.”

Asharq Network’s storytelling and production quality were recognized across multiple categories. Asharq News and Asharq Business standout wins included coverage of the “US Elections Campaign,” the immersive VR Story on the “Destruction of Gaza,” the “Year-Ender 2024 Promo,” and the innovative “Business Image Promo — Connect the Dots.”

Asharq Documentary’s powerful “Faces” series was honored alongside compelling promos for the original documentaries “Under the Rubble,” “Beyond Sednaya,” “Moataz Aziza,” “Amazing Mercy of Tents” and “Dooms Day.” Meanwhile, Asharq Discovery’s gripping “Dark Minds” series and the dynamic “Shark Week” idents captured the judges’ attention, showcasing the network’s creative versatility and commitment to impactful content.

Steven Cheak, director of creative and branding services at Asharq Network, said: “Winning at the Telly Awards once again is a monumental achievement for our young and passionate team. Competing among such esteemed global brands only motivates us to continue elevating the standard of content creation. This year’s win underscores the brilliance of teams working well together, embracing technology, to achieve content that engage and resonate with our audiences. It’s truly inspiring to see our work being acknowledged globally, and this recognition fuels our passion to continue innovating, creating and telling stories that matter.”

The Telly Awards, established in 1979, are one of the most respected global awards programs, celebrating the best in video and television content. The awards cover a diverse range of categories, from traditional television commercials to cutting-edge digital media.


In Syria, a Shiite shrine and community navigate a changed landscape

In Syria, a Shiite shrine and community navigate a changed landscape
Updated 21 May 2025
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In Syria, a Shiite shrine and community navigate a changed landscape

In Syria, a Shiite shrine and community navigate a changed landscape
  • It’s more than just religious devotion that the golden-domed shrine became known for during Syria’s prolonged civil war
  • With such a legacy, local Shiite community leaders and members are now navigating a dramatically altered political landscape around Sayyida Zeinab and beyond

SAYYIDA ZEINAB, Syria: At the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, rituals of faith unfold: worshippers kneel in prayer, visitors raise their palms skyward or fervently murmur invocations as they press their faces against an ornate structure enclosing where they believe the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad is entombed.

But it’s more than just religious devotion that the golden-domed shrine became known for during Syria’s prolonged civil war.

At the time, the shrine’s protection from Sunni extremists became a rallying cry for some Shiite fighters and Iran-backed groups from beyond Syria’s borders who backed the former government of Bashar Assad. The shrine and the surrounding area, which bears the same name, has emerged as one symbol of how the religious and political increasingly intertwined during the conflict.

An altered landscape after Assad’s ouster

With such a legacy, local Shiite community leaders and members are now navigating a dramatically altered political landscape around Sayyida Zeinab and beyond, after Assad’s December ouster by armed insurgents led by the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). The complex transition that is underway has left some in Syria’s small Shiite minority feeling vulnerable.

“For Shiites around the world, there’s huge sensitivity surrounding the Sayyida Zeinab Shrine,” said Hussein Al-Khatib. “It carries a lot of symbolism.”

After Assad’s ouster, Al-Khatib joined other Syrian Shiite community members to protect the shrine from the inside. The new security forces guard it from the outside.

“We don’t want any sedition among Muslims,” he said. “This is the most important message, especially in this period that Syria is going through.”

Zeinab is a daughter of the first Shiite imam, Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad; she’s especially revered among Shiites as a symbol of steadfastness, patience and courage.

She has several titles, such as the “mother of misfortunes” for enduring tragedies, including the 7th-century killing of her brother, Hussein. His death exacerbated the schism between Islam’s two main sects, Sunni and Shiite, and is mourned annually by Shiites.

Zeinab’s burial place is disputed; some Muslims believe it’s elsewhere. The Syria shrine has drawn pilgrims, including from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Since Assad’s ouster, however, fewer foreign visitors have come, an economic blow to those catering to them in the area.

The shrine’s locale has faced many attacks

Over the years, the Sayyida Zeinab area has suffered deadly attacks by militants.

In January, state media reported that intelligence officials in Syria’s post-Assad government thwarted a plan by the Daesh group to set off a bomb at the shrine. The announcement appeared to be an attempt by Syria’s new leaders to reassure religious minorities, including those seen as having supported Assad’s former government.

Al-Khatib, who moved his family from Aleppo province to the Sayyida Zeinab area shortly before Assad’s fall, said Assad had branded himself as a protector of minorities. “When killings, mobilization ... and sectarian polarization began,” the narrative “of the regime and its allies was that ‘you, as a Shiite, you as a minority member, will be killed if I fall.’”

The involvement of Sunni militants and some hard-line foreign Shiite fighters fanned sectarian flames, he said.

The Syria conflict began as one of several uprisings against Arab dictators before Assad brutally crushed what started as largely peaceful protests and a civil war erupted. It became increasingly fought along sectarian lines, drew in foreign fighters and became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers on different sides.

Post-Assad, new tensions center on the shrine

Recently, a red flag reading “Oh, Zeinab” that had fluttered from its dome was removed after some disparaged it as a sectarian symbol.

Sheikh Adham Al-Khatib, a representative of followers of the Twelver branch of Shiism in Syria, said such flags “are not directed against anyone,” but that it was agreed to remove it for now to keep the peace.

“We don’t want a clash to happen. We see that ... there’s sectarian incitement, here and there,” he said.

Earlier, Shiite leaders had wrangled with some endowments ministry officials over whether the running of the shrine would stay with the Shiite endowment trustee as it’s been, he said, adding “we’ve rejected” changing the status quo. No response was received before publication to questions sent to a Ministry of Endowments media official.

Adham Al-Khatib and other Shiite leaders recently met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

“We’ve talked transparently about some of the transgressions,” he said. “He promised that such matters would be handled but that they require some patience because of the negative feelings that many harbor for Shiites as a result of the war.”

Many, the sheikh said, “are holding the Shiites responsible for prolonging the regime’s life.” This “is blamed on Iran, on Hezbollah and on Shiites domestically,” he said, adding that he believes the conflict was political rather than religious.

Early in the conflict, he said, “our internal Shiite decision was to be neutral for long months.” But, he said, there was sectarian incitement against Shiites by some and argued that “when weapons, kidnappings and killing of civilians started, Shiites were forced to defend themselves.”

Regionally, Assad was backed by Iran and the Shiite militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, whose intervention helped prop up his rule. Most rebels against him were Sunni, as were their patrons in the region.

Besides the shrine’s protection argument, geopolitical interests and alliances were at play as Syria was a key part of Iran’s network of deterrence against Israel.

Emotions can run high; for some, fears persist

Today, rumors and some social media posts can threaten to inflame emotions.

Shrine director Jaaffar Kassem said he received a false video purporting to show the shrine on fire and was flooded with calls about it.

At the shrine, Zaher Hamza said he prays “for safety and security” and the rebuilding of “a modern Syria, where there’s harmony among all and there are no grudges or injustice.”

Is he worried about the shrine? “We’re the ones who are in the protection of Sayyida Zeinab — not the ones who will protect the Sayyida Zeinab,” he replied.

While some Shiites have fled Syria after Assad’s fall, Hamza said he wouldn’t.

“Syria is my country,” he said. “If I went to Lebanon, Iraq or to European countries, I’d be displaced. I’ll die in my country.”

Some are less at ease.

Small groups of women gathered recently at the Sayyida Zeinab courtyard, chatting among themselves in what appeared to be a quiet atmosphere. Among them was Kamla Mohamed.

Early in the war, Mohamed said, her son was kidnapped more than a decade ago by anti-government rebels for serving in the military. The last time she saw him, she added, was on a video where he appeared with a bruised face.

When Assad fell, Mohamed feared for her family.

Those fears were fueled by the later eruption of violence in Syria’s coastal region, where a counteroffensive killed many Alawite civilians — members of the minority sect from which Assad hails and drew support as he ruled over a Sunni majority. Human rights groups reported revenge killings against Alawites; the new authorities said they were investigating.

“We were scared that people would come to us and kill us,” Mohamed said, clutching a prayer bead. “Our life has become full of fear.”

Another Syrian Shiite shrine visitor said she’s been feeling on edge. She spoke on condition she only be identified as Umm Ahmed, or mother of Ahmed, as is traditional, for fear of reprisals against her or her family.

She said, speaking shortly after the coastal violence in March, that she’s thought of leaving the country, but added that there isn’t enough money and she worries that her home would be stolen if she did. Still, “one’s life is the most precious,” she said.

She hopes it won’t come to that.

“Our hope in God is big,” she said. “God is the one protecting this area, protecting the shrine and protecting us.”