Completely dressed in black, with a long beard in gray hair and a kalashnikov hung on his shoulder, Abou Georges stopped every car that approached the entrance of Bab Touma. This door takes to the Christian neighborhood of the old city of Damascus, where at night, young people and families walk between churches, shops and cafes. Georges made sure that no one entered with weapons. Nothing really distinguishes him from the general security officer with black uniform that accompanies him, except the big cross hung around his neck that he kept discreetly under his jacket.
The 40-year-old man is a member of Faza’a (“Come” in Arabic), an association created by residents of the predominantly Christian neighborhoods in the center of Damascus after the fall of the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, on December 8, 2024, to prevent. Unidentified people and groups are taking advantage of the prevailing security vacuum. The Whatsapp group of Faza’a has more than 1,000 members. “With each incident report, hundreds of young people take to the streets to protect the neighborhood,” said Maya Arkoush, co -founder of Faza’a and marketing manager of a beauty care company.
Faza’a leaders contacted Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) security, the radical Islamist group that passed to Damascus with other armed factions. “We inform you that young people have control of their neighborhoods. We ask to send reinforcements in the case of incidents,” Arkoush, 47, continued. At night, Faza’A members ensure a presence in the security points they have established in their neighborhoods.
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