Of the various contingents of ‘muhajirin’ (foreign fighters and their families who joined the side of the insurgency in Syria) still present in the country following the fall of the Assad regime, the French nationals congregated as ‘Firqat al-Ghuraba’ (‘Division of Strangers’) under Omar Omsen is notable for being at odds with the Syrian government. The tension stems from two main reasons and has roots in disputes between Omar’s faction and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham when it controlled Idlib and its environs.
First, Omar’s group generally has an outlook somewhat similar to the American media activist Bilal Abdul Kareem (resident in Syria) in terms of the ideological vision for Syria: i.e. they believe that the government is not implementing an Islamic or sufficiently Islamic vision for the country. Second, Omar’s group runs a camp in north Idlib that is not fully under government authority. This latter issue came to the fore in October last year when the government tried to forcibly impose control on the camp, following accusations that Omsen’s group had kidnapped a girl. This attempt to impose full control failed however as some Uzbeks (another notable ‘muhajirin’ contingent) rallied to support Omsen’s group, giving rise to a ceasefire agreement with the government that has held. The group has however continued to be critical of the government, highlighting (for example) the arrest of Bilal Abdul Kareem in December last year.
In relation to Eid al-Adha, Omsen’s group advertised celebrations of the occasion in their camp in north Idlib, as can be seen below.
Omsen himself has issued a statement on Eid al-Adha addressed to the people of Syria. The statement is most likely intended as criticism of the Syrian government, criticising not only its arbitrary detention practices but also its alliances with Western countries and insufficient implementation of Islamic law. The statement is translated by me below.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Official statement issued by Omar Omsen, head of the French camp in Harem, to the noble people of al-Sham.
As-salam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu
On this blessed occasion, the occasion of Eid, I send my sincerest congratulations and prayers to the noble people of al-Sham, asking God to accept our deeds, purify our intentions, and guide us to what He loves and is pleased with, and make us avoid what incurs His anger and wrath.
We ask God to ring together the people of al-Sham on truth and justice, and obedience on Him, conciliate honest hearts, extinguish causes of division, protect the oppressed, and keep away from us those who have betrayed His religion and then the believers after claiming to have served them.
We ask that this should be the beginning of a new age of justice, not merely changing faces, slogans or speeches, but rather a true change that restores rights to their people, preserves the dignity of the believers, and makes the word of truth supreme, and weakens oppression and its people.
On this day of Eid, we recall that the joy of Eid should not make us forget those who have been deprived of it: the prisoners and detainees, those far away from their people, those confined in pain, those deprived of their freedom, and those sometimes detained without a clear accusation and without a fair trial, and without clear evidence before the people. Their absence must pain our hearts, because the society that celebrates and forgets its innocent prisoners is showing negligence in an aspect of its justice.
We ask God to provide deliverance for their burden, strengthen their hearts, protect their people and hasten their release. We ask that we should see them soon outside those cells among their people, having recovered their dignity and rights. For a person cannot be deprived of their freedom without evidence, justice or fairness.
Our Lord is God, the One, the Vanquisher.
We believe in all His Prophets and Messengers. We do not distinguish between any of them. And we believe that His Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) is the seal of those sent, through whom God perfected religion, and made clear the path till the Day of Judgement.
God Almighty has said: ‘Muhammad is not the father if any of your men, but the Messenger of God and Seal of the Prophets’- Surat al-Ahzab 40.
And the Almighty has said: ‘Say, if you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive your sins’- Surat Al Imran 31.
The path to reaching God is through following His Messenger (SAWS). The one who claims to love God and then deviates from the guifance of the Prophet has deceived himself, because love of God is not merely in words that are said, but rather a path we affirm through deeds, establishment of justice, support for truth, and obedience that is to be preferred over people’s arbitrary whims.
God Almighty has said: ‘This is My path, so follow it, and do not follow the paths that take you away from His path. This is what He has ordered you to do, that you may be God-fearing’- Surat al-An‘am 153.
There is no salvation in the deviant paths, nor the alliances that contravene the Qur’an and Prophetic guidance, nor speeches that beautify falsehood. The path is one: the path of Tawhid, justice, and truth, and following the Prophet (SAWS).
We ask God to make this Eid for the people of al-Sham a gateway for reform, dignity and justice, and to remove oppression, expose the traitors, make firm the truthful ones, and release those wrongly detained, and make true change come near.
May God accept this from us and you, and make us and you among those steadfast on His path, and among those who die upon His contentment and are resurrected with the truthful and just ones.
Blessed Eid for the noble people of al-Sham. As-salam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu.
Omar Omsen, head of the French camp in Harem, to the noble people of al-Sham.
