May 31, 2018, the so-called Sawa'id al-Khair /Goodwill Corps[1] affiliated to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)[2] decreed a series of laws that significantly restrict the personal freedom of civilians in Idlib city and threatened to hold accountable those violators. The law will begin to run five days after the date of its promulgation, as published by Sawa'id al-Khair apparatus on its official channel in Telegram Application. STJ released a special detailed report in mid-March 2018 on the emergence of Sawa'id al-Khair/Goodwill Corps and shed light on suffering of the locals due to the tightening and restrictions on public aspects of life in Idlib province.
The series of laws proclaimed carried the name "Public Decency Law", which Sawa'id al-Khair considered it to be a legitimate system that binds the people and holds accountable those violators. Moreover, each institution manager is directly responsible for the implementation of the law, which includes 40 articles concerning women, shops, hawkers and playgrounds. The most notably articles are:
"Institutions operating in the civil domain are bind to have a registration in which they undertake the legitimate discipline of their activities, prevent men from shaving the beard or shaving the cumulus model (Qaza')[3] or any hair cut that resembles the "infidels", prevent playing music or songs, and prevent mixing of males and females in all medical, administrative, educational institutions among other. Furthermore, the law also binds institutions to give their cadres an opportunity to perform the collective prayer…"
Sawa'id al-Khair decreed some distinguishing laws concerning women, in which it forces them to wear "Sharia dress with special characteristic" and imposes female students at schools, institutes and colleges to wear the sharia veil (khimar), something to wear on the head and face, as a uniform dress for educational institutions, forbids makeup, and forbids women from being alone with a "non-mahram" man, one who is not his wife or close relative, whether in public transport services (taxis) or in gardens or shops.
Likewise, the Public Decency Law imposes closing down the shops for Friday prayers, prevents the sale of illegitimate gowns (long coat or manto), forbids men from selling women's underwear or their short clothes, as well as forbids their display on the mannequins and obliterates their advertisement photos.
Copy of the statement released by Sawa'id al-Khair/ Goodwill Corps on May 31 which includes items of the Public Decency Law.
Photo credit: the official Telegram Channel of Sawa'id al-Khair.
on July 4, 2018, STJ conducted an interview with a university female student in Idlib City, who preferred not to disclose her identity for security purposes, said the general atmosphere at the university is strained after the promulgation of the "law" and that some of her female colleagues decided to stop attending university lectures and only to do the exams. The student added that the professors and lecturers give lectures while leaving the doors open because of the law since there is no legitimate (mahram) for female students. She continued,
"These decisions devalue women and underestimate their rights; many of them cannot wear the veil (khimar) for health reasons. It would be better for Sawa'id al-Khair to end the theft operations we are exposed to in the streets instead of issuing rules that restrict our freedom which are in vain."
On the other hand, Basil Hawa, the media activist who is in the city said to STJ on June 7, 2018, that the law imposes very considerable restrictions on shopkeepers, and this led to much concern and tension among the people of a potential armed clash between elements of Sawa'id al-Khair and those who reject the law. He said HTS along with Sawa'id al-Khair have imposed this law after the recent fighting against other military factions in an attempt to regain its status and the look of the strong and triumphal faction in the eyes of civilians.
Another source- close to HTS- in Idlib city refused to disclose its identity for security reasons, said in an interview with STJ that there are internal disputes among emirs (princes) of HTS and emirs (princes) and judiciaries of Goodwill Corps, and that HTS is not satisfied with the Public Decency Law proclaimed by Goodwill Corps, therefore, HTS will soon dissolve Goodwill Corps. The source demonstrated that Goodwill Corps has no adequate human elements in order to implement the law and control markets, since most of its personnel are only judiciaries and preachers.
STJ had previously prepared a report talking about "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/HTS Impose Control over Service and Civil Institutions in Saraqib City, Idlib Countryside." There was another report documenting "Seizure of Public and Private Properties in Jisr al-Shughur- Idlib Countryside" by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
[1] On August 10, 2017, HTS established Sawa’id al-Khair/ Goodwill Corps or the Committee of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Idlib city. The committee includes men and women from Saudi Arabia, in addition to Syrians, wandering through Idlib streets with the support of security brigades affiliated to HTS/formerly al-Nusra Front. It is responsible for several things like monitoring the women’s veil and Islamic dress, preventing smoke in public places and confiscating it from traders. Moreover, it prevents the sale and purchase of music instruments and everything related to it, as well as prevents mixing between males and females in Public and private places; in case of contravention of these instructions, this security arm warns the offenders either to close their shops or they will be imprisoned.
[2] On January 28, 2017, several jihadist factions in northern Syria announced integration under the name Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), they were and Fatah al-sham Front/ formerly al-Nusra Front, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Liwaa al-Haq, Jabhat Ansar al-Din, Jaysh al-Sunnah, Ansar al-Sham al-Islamiyya Movement. However, against the backdrop of the recent confrontations between Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the north of Syria on July 15, 2017, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement announced its separation from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on July 20, 2017.
[3] It is to cut the hair but leave some of it; a disapproval type of shave in Islam according to local sources.