Sherzad Mamsani, EastMed Strategic Studies Analyst
Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel, March 29. 2025
On February 26, 2018, Osama Al-Rifai, the Mufti of the Syrian armed factions and head of the Fatwa Committee, was appointed as the Grand Mufti of Syria. Shortly after, he issued a jihadist fatwa against Kurdish fighters, coinciding with the Turkish offensive on the city of Afrin.
Al-Rifai’s fatwa was based on accusations that Kurdish fighters sought secession, aimed to divide Islamic lands, and were involved in political affairs with the United States and the Syrian regime. The fatwa was issued in Istanbul and was signed by 13 other members of the Syrian Fatwa Committee.
This fatwa is one of the most dangerous ever issued against the Kurds and their liberation movement, surpassing in severity even the jihadist fatwa previously issued by Khomeini against the Kurds. While Khomeini’s fatwa did not call for the killing of prisoners or the wounded or the confiscation of civilian property, Al-Rifai’s fatwa explicitly included such directives.
For example, the second clause of the fatwa declared fighting against Kurdish fighters as “jihad in the way of Allah.” The fourth clause called for the execution of war prisoners, while the fifth sanctioned the killing of wounded Kurdish fighters. Regarding female fighters, they were classified as war captives, with some deemed permissible for execution. The sixth clause called for the confiscation of Kurdish fighters’ wealth, while the seventh and most dangerous clause provided religious justification for the Turkish attack on Afrin, encouraging Syrian fighters to join the battle alongside the Turkish army.
For 36 days, Kurdish fighters successfully resisted the Turkish invasion of Afrin, putting Turkey—NATO’s second-largest army—in an embarrassing position due to its failure to secure a swift victory. As international pressure and protests against the war intensified, Turkey found itself in a political and military predicament, forcing it to adjust its tactics.
As the battles continued, Turkey, according to international law, was required to avoid committing war crimes and genocide against civilians directly. Thus, it relied on Syrian armed militias to carry out such operations. This is where Al-Rifai’s fatwa played a crucial role, granting these fighters a religious pretext to commit acts of violence—including executing prisoners, killing women, looting, kidnapping, and theft.
Following the fatwa’s issuance, extremist militias joined the battle and committed severe violations. As the situation deteriorated, Kurdish fighters withdrew to Tell Rifaat on March 18, 2018, leaving Afrin under the control of Turkish-backed armed groups.
Since then, Afrin has become a hub of chaos and crime, marked by widespread killings, kidnappings, and the confiscation of Kurdish properties. On the fourth anniversary of the occupation, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights released a report revealing the displacement of 310,000 Kurds, the abduction of 7,200 people, the imprisonment of 2,300 others, and the killing of 639 Kurdish civilians. Additionally, 4,500 Arab families were resettled in the homes of displaced Kurds.
According to human rights reports, hundreds of Kurdish women were subjected to rape, and historical landmarks linked to the Hurrians, the ancestors of the Kurds, were destroyed, alongside the destruction of tens of thousands of olive trees.
All these events confirm that Turkey and Qatar, since the rise of ISIS, have been its primary sponsors. Now, they are seeking to establish a terrorist state that protects their interests and exports their internal crises abroad. This indicates that the Turks dream of reviving a new “Ottoman-Qatari” empire, posing a threat that extends beyond the region. If the international community fails to support the Kurds in establishing an independent state, this Turkish-Qatari terrorist virus could spread into Europe, especially the border states of the European Union.
The danger is not limited to Europe but extends to Israel. Turkey and Qatar aim to establish an extremist Islamic state akin to Iran after Khomeini’s revolution, which devastated the Middle East under the banner of “Shiite Safavid Muslim Brotherhood.” At the same time, “Jolani” has a million supporters in Europe, while the Turks have millions of followers under the umbrella of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Gray Wolves” organization, further amplifying the threat of global extremism.
Although Turkey and Syrian fighters bear responsibility for these crimes, the primary role in legitimizing them religiously falls on Osama Al-Rifai, who exploited his religious position to issue a fatwa that fueled violence and terrorism against the Kurds.
The Kurds, as a people who have suffered these atrocities, must hold this Mufti accountable—not only in his lifetime but even after his death—for all the crimes committed against them.