The view from Homs

I asked a contact in Homs to give me a feel of the place and he wrote (I am translating from Arabic): "The armed men are primarily in Hayy Al-Khaldiyyah and in Jurat Ash-Shiyyah, and they can also appear suddenly and nervously in other quarters.  But the quarters from which they have been evicted by the army like Baba Amr and Ashirah and Bab As-Siba` are almost empty now.  My quarter is...and others where there is no opposition there is movement as in other quarters.  You may describe the mood as tense and a state of civil war, along sectarian lines.  There is some repugnance from the practices of the armed men among some former opposition people (and for example it is difficult to find opposition from the minority sects at this time).  But because people are embroiled in armed conflict and engaged in bloody actions it is difficult to find this alienation (from the deeds of the armed groups) translated especially given the media avalanche that has reached to extreme limits.  But what is clear and certain and widespread and is indubitable that the prevailing ideology among the armed movement is the Salafi ideology (populist and the organized one, like Hizb At-Tahriri and others).  As for the [upcoming parliamentary] election, supporters of the regime will elect some candidates (and most of them are worse than previous representatives).  As simple as that.  Incidentally, elections in Homs for a long time, lacks popular participation except by some groups like clans and the percentage of participation is insignificant."