THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA AND ITS REGIONAL EFFECTS

44 n THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA
the leadership of Maulana Kalb-e-Jawad (a.k.a. Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad
Naqvi) of the major Anjuman-e-Haideri organization. 230 Jawad is another
ardent supporter of absolute velayat-e faqih with deep ties to Iran. 231 Additionally,
in mid-September 2014 via Facebook and Twitter pages written in
Urdu and Arabic, HHN initiated a recruitment program targeting Pakistani
Shiites to fight in Iraq. (See appendix 8.)
Alongside claims of Somali participation have been announcements of
fighters originating from other African states. The exploitation and promotion
of African Shiite fighters represents another foreign policy push by Iran.
Muhammad Suleiman al-Kuwni, known as the Shiites’ “first African martyr”
in the Syrian war, reportedly died in July 2013 and hailed from Côte d’Ivoire,
where almost half a million Shiites live. 232 Indeed, West Africa has seen an
expanding Shiite population and Iranian influence since Iran’s 1979 Islamic
Revolution. The growth of the Shiite community and, with it, Iranian sway
has resulted in the creation of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. 233
Zones of Deployment
Within Syria, Shiite militias have been involved in a number of major engagements,
as generally verified by comparisons of Shiite claims against those of
the rebels. In particular, evidence makes clear that while Shiite militias were
able to deploy to a wide variety of geographic zones, their victories around
Damascus in particular were hard-won, and often short-lived owing to subsequent
flare-ups against rebel forces.
By reviewing social media posts by different Shiite militia organizations,
a partial map of the zone of conflict can be compiled. Data on battles and
troop movements was collected starting in September 2013 and ending in
June 2014.
The first major operation undertaken by Shiite forces, mainly Lebanese
Hezbollah, involved the takeover in late spring 2013 of the rebel-controlled
town of al-Qusayr, near Homs. Buildup toward this battle had been under
way since March, fighting intensified by May, and Hezbollah claimed victory
on June 5.
While al-Qusayr dominated the headlines, another major deployment was
taking shape in Shiite villages near the city of Aleppo. In late May, Harakat
Hezbollah al-Nujaba’s LAIY had claimed via social media posts that it was
active in Aleppo and the Shiite towns of Nubl and Zahra. 234 In general, social
media posts and Arabic-language media have located activity from LAIY, as