Syria's Assad goes on unusual visit to Hama for Eid prayers

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday made an unusual visit to the central city of Hama in order to perform the prayers of the Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency reported that Bashar al-Assad prayed at al-Nouri Mosque in Hama among clerics.

Sheikh Nahjem Eddin al-Ali, who led the prayers, said during the Eid sermon that the presence of the President in Hama was a sign that "Syrians are steps away from victory and the return of security and peace to Syria," reports Efe.

"One of the most important goals of the war against Syria was to tear the social structures and ties down by striking the confidence of the Syrian man in himself and in his social environment, but the crisis instead strengthened the ties among the Syrians," added al-Ali, who concluded by praying to God to protect Syria.

Al-Assad usually performs Eid prayers in Damascus. Since the war in the Arab country started in March 2011, his trips to other cities have become very rare.

On the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, the Syrian authorities have released 225 detainees from the Adra prison in the northern part of Damascus, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

--IANS

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