ALEPPO, Syria — Afrin in the northwestern Aleppo countryside is now home to tens of thousands of internally displaced persons. Refugees from eastern Ghouta are the most numerous among the thousands who came from other areas in Syria and brought their customs and traditions with them to Afrin. They have their own dishes, outfits for women and men, social relations of an Islamic nature, and other customs and traditions that are quite different from those of the Kurds, Afrin’s locals.

According to statistics by the Humanitarian Response Coordinators in northern Syria, 67,728 displaced people from eastern Ghouta have reached areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the north of Syria.

The different lifestyles have created a barrier between Ghouta’s displaced persons and the Kurdish population in Afrin.

The Kurdish locals are less committed to Islamic teachings in terms of dress and social relations. For instance, Afrin’s young women wear jeans and go out without headscarves. Meanwhile, those from Ghouta wear a black abaya and a veil covering their faces, only showing their eyes. They do not mix with men at work or in school.