Daraa – Halim Muhammad

Following the leak of photos and videos from a women-only wedding hall in western rural Daraa, most wedding halls have ceased operations after being targeted by unknown assailants in the northern and western countryside of the province since early June.

This halt was not temporary; some halls went out of service, and others were shut down after their owners received threats of being targeted.

Enab Baladi documented the targeting of approximately ten wedding halls in the cities of Jasem, Da’el, Tafas, and Tal Shihab, in northern and western Daraa province.

Unknown individuals also threatened hall owners via fake social media accounts or foreign phone numbers on WhatsApp, demanding their closure.

Raneem, an administrator at a wedding hall in the city of Da’el, said the hall management received threats from unknown parties demanding its closure, which were preceded by the hall being targeted at night with direct gunfire.

She told Enab Baladi that the management decided to temporarily close the hall for the safety of its owners and contractors.

In July, unknown individuals detonated a hand grenade in a wedding hall in Tal Shihab, and targeted another hall in Tafas with an RPG weapon, causing it to go out of service. The repeated direct gunfire attacks led to the closure of three halls in Jasem and three in Da’el.

Mahmoud (30), a resident of Tafas, said he couldn’t find a booking for a wedding hall in the city for his brother’s wedding.

He added that the women’s wedding event will now be held at the bride’s home, although she preferred it to be in the hall. However, many halls are either closed, out of service, or currently not accepting reservations.

Iman (30), a photographer in western rural Daraa, told Enab Baladi that bookings have decreased at some halls in rural areas after they were targeted and their owners threatened this month.

She added that she now covers some weddings at the bride’s home, and some families are booking halls in the city of Daraa, where they remain operational.

Iman charges 150,000 Syrian pounds per wedding shoot (around ten dollars), and said she prefers shooting in a hall over a home.

Hall fees vary depending on the location and services provided, and the booking cost in some can range between $200 to $600 (approximately three to nine million Syrian pounds).

Hall owners prefer to be paid in US dollars due to the unstable Syrian pound exchange rate for years.

The exchange rate is 14,800 Syrian pounds per US dollar, according to the currency tracking site “S-P Today.”

Reasons for closure

Several residents interviewed by Enab Baladi attributed the targeting of halls to leaked photos and videos from a hall in western rural Daraa.

Sabah, a woman from Tafas, said photos leaked from a women-only event sparked anger among their relatives, leading to frequent hall attacks.

Sabah added that photography should be confined to a specialist photographer and that cameras should be prohibited inside the hall, to be handed over to the security section before guests enter.

Meanwhile, Raneem, who works at a wedding hall in western Daraa, denied any photos being leaked from the halls. She stated that it was a mere rumor aimed at justifying the hall attacks, and speculated that extremists might be behind the threats and attacks.

The importance of wedding halls for women

Photographer Iman said shooting in a hall is clearer because the place is designed for such events, with good lighting and ample space.

Sabah preferred holding the wedding in a hall due to the spaciousness and delegating event management and hospitality duties to the hall’s specialized female staff.

With halls closed, high-risk to frequent them and difficulty in hosting events at home, some families have resorted to renting closed wedding tents placed around the home, costing around $100 (about one and a half million Syrian pounds).

Daraa’s rural areas have been facing continuous security tensions for years, marked by assassinations, thefts, armed robberies, and the spread of kidnapping gangs, while the Syrian regime’s authority over the region remains absent despite it being under its control.

Local groups, remnants of former opposition factions, are active in rural Daraa.

The province sees frequent factional and tribal conflicts, occasionally leading to weeks-long military clashes.

Since early July, Jasem city has witnessed clashes between two local factions resulting in property destruction and civilian casualties, preceded by similar incidents in Tafas, Nassib, and al-Jiza.