The “Identity Cards” project…a new funding gateway for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham within its areas of control

Khalil Abdul Rahman – Idlib

About a month ago, the Syrian Salvation Government, the civilian wing of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, approved a project it had put forward earlier, imposing personal cards on all civilian residents under its control in Idlib and its countryside and parts of the western countryside of Aleppo and the western countryside of Hama.

The Salvation Government opened centers in various towns, working to enforce the issuance of personal cards. It also worked on an application that it issued to be used on mobile devices, with the aim of facilitating the registration process with the “Al-Dour” system for issuing the personal card.

Issuing the card imposes specific conditions, but what surprised the people was the imposition of a fee estimated at “10 US dollars,” approximately 290 Turkish liras, as the currency in circulation in those areas, imposed by Turkey as part of a policy that observers consider to be a policy of “Turkification of the region.”

One of the activists in the area, “Y.A.” (his identity has been concealed out of concern for his personal safety), who is displaced from Homs countryside and lives in the areas of the Salvation Government, told Aso News Network, that the ID card issued by the Salvation Authority affiliated with al-Hay’a provides financial benefit to al-Hay’a, which is a new gateway for collecting funds. It also constitutes a state of astonishment among the people that the Salvation Government is working through these cards to strengthen the regional division in Syria. “Perhaps these are steps by al-Hay’a to consolidate its authority as a de facto and work to isolate the region it controls as a state.” Separate inside Syria.

“Y.A” ​​adds that implicitly among civilians in the region there was a state of refusal to impose personal cards, especially since each card issued costs an estimated financial value of about (10 US dollars), and that society has come to consider such decisions to be merely “a source of livelihood.” “A new thing imposed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on society, “despite the fact that society is fully aware that the borders of personal cards will only be in the areas under the control of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, and there will be no recognition of them (..).”

A new gateway to make money
The new project contributes to increasing funds in the treasury of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which imposes itself on society with “fire and iron.” “Khaled Mohammad” (a pseudonym) says to a young man from the town of Kafr Takharim in the northern countryside of Idlib, “Since the establishment of the Salvation Government affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, it has not provided “In exploiting the people and imposing taxes, fees, and royalties on them, and this money always goes to the benefit of the government leaders affiliated with al-Hay’a, who enjoy a clear financial life while civilians suffer difficult living conditions and poor economic conditions.”

Today, Syria is no longer classified geographically uniformly. The issue of administrative and regional division in Syria has become widespread in political statements, in the media, and on the civil and military sides. Today, in Syria, we have areas under the control of the Syrian government, areas under the control of the Syrian opposition, and areas under the control of the Democratic Autonomous Administration. Returning to the areas of Opposition control, which classifies the areas of the Salvation Government. The opposition areas are divided between areas under the influence of the Salvation Government and areas subject to the Syrian Interim Government.

The project imposed by al-Hay’a was preceded by projects carried out by the Syrian Interim Government that imposed various laws, imposed the Turkish currency, and supported the Turkish occupation’s imposition of Turkish mail and the Turkish currency in what activists describe as a process of “Turkification of the region.”

The cost of obtaining an ID card imposed by the Salvation Government is equal to the wage for civil work for at least four days in the areas under the control of the Salvation Authority, while the majority of the region’s population are displaced persons and camp residents, whose living conditions do not allow the ability to pay the fees in light of the lack of job opportunities and the high number of people living in camps and high prices, says Khaled Mohammed.

Rescue Authority cards have no value… and do not replace Syrian government cards
A lawyer from Idlib countryside, who preferred to remain anonymous, said in answer to a question about the cards that the Salvation Government imposed on society, “The Salvation Government realizes that the cards it is imposing on society have no value, and will only be cards that are dealt with in an area restricted by the Salvation Government only”, which is a new financial source for al-Hay’a, but in reality it will not be an alternative, for example, to the cards and papers related to the Syrian government that are authorized to operate and be dealt with officially.”

He adds that what is strange is that in these areas that are under the auspices of Turkey, various decisions and papers are being issued imposed on society, “at the same time that Turkey deals with the Syrians in its government departments and with Syrian refugees, exclusively through papers and documents issued by the Syrian government areas.”

After imposing personal cards on civilians, the salvation government imposed a decision prohibiting dealing with personal cards issued by the Syrian government, and that all transactions in the departments and institutions of the Salvation Government and areas under its control will be carried out through the personal card issued by the Salvation Government.

A government that imposes itself harshly and offers nothing
“Saeed,” a civilian who lives in areas controlled by the Salvation Government, said in response to the issuance of new personal cards, “We only pay fees without any progress in life. We have to pay traffic taxes, cleaning taxes, roads, and royalties imposed at crossings, in markets, and at merchants.” Now we pay for an ID card (which is not recognized), but what has the government done for us (nothing…nothing).”

Saeed’s suffering is not the suffering of a single individual in a society led by a government that follows an organization classified as a terrorist, and follows a jihadi ideology that is contrary to the civil values ​​that Syrians seek. Khatoun family, a woman in the middle of her fourth year, lives in a camp in “Deir Hassan” area in the southern countryside of Idlib.” She had been living in the tent since 2018, under the roof of a tent, with utensils and personal tools lined up after she was displaced from Jabal al-Zawiya area to live in tents. She says that the imposition of personal cards by the Salvation Government is a new financial burden on us, “Things are becoming more complicated day by day.” “Thum,” the woman’s eyes filled with tears, and her young child leaned on her leg. Signs of despair and sadness appeared on the faces of these children. She stood for a moment and said, “My husband, my two children, and I live in a tent. We are now required to obtain 4 personal cards for the family, and each card costs $10, which is equivalent to 40 One dollar (1,200 Turkish liras), and this is a very large amount compared to the reality of our economic circumstances, especially since my husband does not have a job and has been looking for a job opportunity for a while, and today we live on the assistance provided to us by humanitarian organizations and foreign aid from my husband’s relatives.”

Perhaps Khatoun family’s situation is less financially burdensome than that of many of the camp’s residents, as members of one family often number more than 5 to 6 people, and many families living in the camp agree to ask, what is the benefit of these personal cards, if they are not just a door? New theft and taxes imposed on civilians, “although the government realizes that the civilians living in the camp live a difficult life far from normal, and instead of imposing new taxes, the Salvation Government should provide assistance and support to (the displaced and refugees) instead of imposing taxes that burden them.”

Camp residents refuse cards
Khatoun says that the financial amount specified to pay the price of one card prevents many camp residents from going and obtaining it. “It is more than our financial capabilities,” and she adds, “Indeed, we have decided not to go to obtain the cards, and if we are asked why we do not produce the cards, we will say that we do not have the money to obtain them.” .

So far, issuing the card has not been imposed on all areas under the control of the Salvation Government, and the residents of the camp do not know the fate of their failure to obtain the cards, but the lawyer and our source from Idlib countryside believes that according to experience with the Salvation Authority, when it imposes a decision on society, everyone will be obligated to implement it. Even if you use intimidation with society!

Journalist Qasim al-Mohammad (a pseudonym), who lives in Idlib, says that these cards are not needed by society, as the world today deals with Syrian identification documents issued by the “Damascus regime.” So why are new identification cards and material royalties imposed?

According to Qasim, the institutions and departments were dealing with all Syrians in the areas under the control of the Salvation Government, through official documents issued by the “Damascus regime,” and whoever did not have a Syrian identity would obtain a “registration certificate” sufficient to manage his affairs in the institutions. “Suddenly, this document was issued.” Cards and imposing them on society.

Qasim says that about 4 million civilians live in the areas controlled by the Salvation Government. If we set the percentage of half for obtaining an ID card, as we are talking about 2 million cards, for example, then the financial returns of this project may be estimated at about 20 million US dollars, and this amount, of course, “will go to the al-Hay’a’s treasury.” It is considered a new financing chapter for an organization led by (Abu Mohammad al-Julani), and here it is possible to understand how the organization relies on financing itself and purchasing weapons (..)!

Through Qasim’s experience with al-Hay’a, the mechanism of imposing cards on society will be followed by demanding cards at military checkpoints, and at that time whoever does not have the card will have penalties or fines imposed on him, as a pressure mechanism to issue it, in conjunction with prohibiting dealing with personal cards belonging to the Syrian government. The people will be obligated to Get this card.

The political body deliberately manages instead of making choices, and in doing so it imposes stranglehold on the people, in an attempt to impose its control over society by force and influence, by imposing taxes and royalties, arresting everyone who violates it and stands against it, and throwing them in prisons.