The project gained popularity but encountered restrictions by 2008, when the Syrian government began limiting the activities of various religious and social organizations as it reasserted political control.

[6] On 27 August 2011, Syrian security forces and militia reportedly attacked the mosque during the tahajjud prayer of the Laylat al-Qadr, injuring al-Rifai and numerous worshippers.

This appointment was part of Turkey's attempt to create an umbrella organization aimed at consolidating religious leaders in support of the opposition against the Bashar al-Assad government.

[8][5] Al-Rifai, along with his associates in the Muslim Brotherhood and Sufi networks, has been active in both Turkey and areas of northern Syria under the control of Turkish armed forces, reportedly promoting a religious narrative consistent with the political views of the Erdoğan administration.

During a sermon in Azaz, he alleged that United Nations workers and other organizations were promoting women's liberation ideas that he viewed as disruptive to Syrian family structures.