Rukneddine is the name of a district (neighborhood) in Damascus. Originally named after an officer under the command of Saladin, it is the birthplace of renowned Islamic scholar and former Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro, who served at the Abu Nur Mosque in the district and was buried there in 2004. The district is also the centre of the historic Kurdish quarter of the city—Kuftaro himself was of Kurdish descent. On 21 March 1986, Kurds seeking to celebrate the Kurdish-Iranian New Year (Newroz) clashed with state security forces intending to prevent any festivities from occurring.