Holy Shrine Defender

Holy Shrine Defenders, known in Persian as Modafean-e-Haram (مدافعان حرم), is a phrase that the Iranian government uses for their advisers and military personals who are fighting in Iraq and Syria in defense of Shia holy shrines that are often targeted for destruction by Sunni rebels.

Funeral of Abolfazl Nikzad, a Holy Shrine Defenders member[1]

According to Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani, the Holy Shrine Defenders guarantee the "security, awareness and dignity of the Iranian people" by fighting against ISIS.[2]

Etymology

According to Al-Monitor, "defenders of the shrines" is referred to advisers and military personals who fight at the Shia holy sites located in Iraq and Syria that have been targeted by Sunni rebels.[3] Afghan and Pakistani fighters who fight with Liwa Fatemiyoun or Liwa Zainebiyoun are also considered to be Holy Shrine Defenders.[4][5][6]

Developing

On April 2013, Al-Nusra Front associated with Al-Qaeda in Syria [7] disinterred the dead body of Hujr ibn 'Adi [8][9] and threatened to repeat this action at Zaynab bint Ali ’s shrine.[10] Hassan Nasrallah answered that such as these actions has negative consequences. Also he said about forces who defend Zaynab bint Ali’s shrine.[11]

On August 2012, Syrian opposition forces attacked Al-Mashhad area of Aleppo in Syria. After this event, some groups decided to defend the shrine of Sakinah, Daughter of Husayn ibn Ali. While Abolfazl al-Abbas Brigade in Iraq was established on January 2013 and they went to Syria for defending Zaynab bint Ali ’s shrine, using the term of Holy Shrine Defenders was widely spread in the Iranian media on April 2013.[12]

In the early days of the Syrian Civil War, a truck carrying explosives was moved toward the shrine of Zaynab bint Ali by Syrian opposition forces, the news of which led many volunteers departing to Syria in order to defend the shrine.[12]

Subgroups

• Liwa Fatemiyoun
• Hezbollah
• Liwa Zainebiyoun
• Badr Organization
• Kata'ib Hezbollah
• Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
• Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
• Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba[13]
• Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham
• Kata'ib al-Imam Ali
• Liwa al-Baqir
• Quds Force

See also

• Shia Crescent
• Axis of Resistance
• Khan Tuman (operation)

References

1. "خبرگزاری تسنیم - تشییع پیکر شهید مدافع حرم ابوالفضل نیکزاد". خبرگزاری تسنیم - Tasnim (in Persian). 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
2. "Speaker: Holy Shrine defenders guarantee Iran's security, dignity". The Iran Project. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
3. Staff, writer. "2,100 Iran fighters killed in Iraq, Syria". al-monitor. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
4. Staff, Writer. "Iran confirms IRGC members death in Israel attack on Syrian airfield". trend. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
5. "Liwa al-Fatemiyoun: Martyrdom Graphic". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
6. "Iran: Afghan Children Recruited to Fight in Syria. Protection Gaps Increase Children's Vulnerability". Human Rights Watch. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
7. "جبهه النصره مسئولیت نبش قبر مزار "حجر بن عدی" را برعهده گرفت". farsnews. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
8. "شكل گيري هسته هاي سپاه بين المللي شيعيان براي دفاع ازحرم حضرت زينب با نام ابوالفضل العباس". mehrnews. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
9. "مسؤول نبش قبر حجر بن عدی". alalam. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
10. "تروريست‌هاي وهابي در سوريه: بزودی قبر زينب[ع] را هم نبش مي‌کنيم". mashreghnews. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
11. "سخنرانی دبیر کل حزب الله لبنان، درباره‌ی بحران سوریه و پهپاد یافت شده بر فراز مدیترانه". moqawama. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
12. "who are "Holy Shrine Defender"?". nedaesfahan. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
13. https://ar.mehrnews.com/news/1879278/استشهاد-احد-ابطال-النجباء-في-سوريا