Latest news with #DruzeofSweida
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Sweida clashes: A historic rupture in Sunni-Druze relations in Lebanon and Syria
A meeting of former prime ministers at Walid Joumblatt's residence. A Sunni-Druze gathering in the Bekaa. A rare joint statement by Lebanon's Grand Mufti and the Druze Sheikh Akl, Sami Abi al-Mona. Since sectarian clashes erupted in Syria's southern province of Sweida on July 19, Sunni and Druze leaders in Lebanon have made visible efforts to project unity and prevent the violence from crossing the on the ground, the situation is more complicated, especially because the possibility of a Druze-Sunni clash inside Lebanon is politically the two communities have rarely found themselves on opposing sides in Lebanon's power struggles. Today, however, solidarity with their communities in Syria risks upending that one side, Druze figures in Lebanon have expressed support for the Druze of Sweida,...
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Sweida clashes: Concern in Lebanon, and new calls for calm
As the security situation deteriorated sharply this week in Syria's southern province of Sweida — where fighting between the Druze population on one side and Sunni tribes and government forces on the other has killed over 940 people — sporadic clashes in Lebanon have raised fears that the violence could spill across the border. Over the past few days, leaders across Lebanon have issued calls for calm to prevent sectarian clashes between Druze and Sunnis. The country's highest religious authorities — the Sunni Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdellatif Derian, and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi al-Mona — spoke by phone Friday in a joint appeal for restraint. Appeals continued Saturday, coinciding with the start of a cease-fire in Syria. Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi, a prominent Sunni political figure, told reporters that 'the relationship with the Druze is good,' adding that 'there is no risk of instability spilling into Lebanon thanks to the wisdom shown by the leadership of both communities.' 'Sunnis feel pride in the Syrian revolution's victory, but they take no pride in a conflict with the Druze community,' Rifi said. Asked about Tripoli, where some factions have expressed radical views on the Syrian conflict, Rifi emphasized that 'the dominant voice in the city is one of moderation and wisdom,' noting a history of generally positive relations between Sunnis and Druze, despite periods of tension. But not all were as optimistic. MP Wael Abou Faour, a close ally of Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, said he was 'concerned that the events in Sweida will negatively affect Lebanon.' He added that Joumblatt 'is making contacts both domestically and abroad to prevent any missteps or internal tensions, including road closures and sectarian incidents that have occurred in recent days.' Solidarity rallies with the Druze of Sweida were held Wednesday in the Bekaa Valley and other parts of Lebanon, while in Tripoli's al-Nour Square, dozens gathered in support of the Damascus regime and in protest of Israeli airstrikes. In the Bekaa village of Marj, tensions briefly flared when a group confronted a young man wearing traditional Druze garb. Abou Faour noted that Joumblatt had long cautioned the Druze of Sweida to remain within the Syrian state framework and to maintain dialogue with other national factions. 'Unfortunately,' he said, 'what he warned against has come to pass.' Another Druze figure, Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan, welcomed the cease-fire in a post on X. 'We salute the announcement of a cease-fire in Syria, especially in Sweida, among all factions of the brotherly Syrian people,' he wrote. 'Syria must remain united, as it has throughout history, and continue to serve as a compass for Arab positions.' Joumblatt's roadmap On Friday evening, Joumblatt, his son Taymour — the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party — and all current and former MPs and ministers in their parliamentary bloc convened at the residence of Sheikh Abi al-Mona. According to the Al-Anbaa news outlet, Joumblatt presented a detailed roadmap aimed at resolving the crisis in Sweida, which he intends to discuss with both the Syrian government and prominent Druze figures in Syria. The plan calls for an immediate cease-fire — achieved the next morning — and serious dialogue between the Syrian state and local stakeholders in Sweida. It also includes a condemnation of Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon, the creation of an investigative commission to probe the crimes and abuses committed in Sweida, an end to provocative campaigns within Lebanon, and a rejection of road closures. Joumblatt's roadmap also urges the Syrian government to take direct action with Bedouin communities in the Sweida area to de-escalate tensions and restore stability.
Ya Libnan
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Syria's Druze call for international protection. They no longer trust Sharaa
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, leader of the Druze in Syria declared that the Druze no longer trust the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa and requested international protection in their areas. The Druze and other miorities reportedly face existential threat by the extremists Islamist regime What happened in Jaramana and Ashrafieh in Sahnaya prompted the Druze of Sweida, led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, to declare that they no longer trust the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa and called for international protection in their areas. Meanwhile, the Syrian National Assembly warned that Syrians have never felt more fearful for their lives and existence than they do today, especially after the massacres committed on the coast and in Jaramana and Sahnaya. The United States condemned the violence taking place in southern Syria against members of the Druze community, deeming it reprehensible and unacceptable. It called on the transitional authorities to cease fighting, hold perpetrators of violence and harm against civilians accountable for their actions, and ensure the safety of all Syrians. As for Israel, which is working to sow discord among the Syrian people, exploiting sectarian strife and the bloodshed that erupted during the revolution against the former regime from 2011 until its fall on December 8, 2024, its Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, threatened Syrian regime leader Ahmad al-Sharaa with a forceful response if the attacks on Syria's Druze did not cease. Tel Aviv followed up its threat with action, as its warplanes carried out an airstrike yesterday morning near the presidential palace in Damascus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered himself to have sent a message to al-Sharaa. 'What Israel is doing is not out of love for the Druze or the Alawites, but rather to serve its own interests and ambitions by establishing the David's Corridor, which is based on occupying an area in southern Syria that could extend to al-Tanf and then to Iraq' , A Lebanese Druze MP was quoted as saying Al-Tanf is a U.S. military base in a part of the Reef Damascus Governorate , Syria, which is controlled by the Syrian Free Army . It is located 24 km (15 mi) west of the al-Walid border crossing in the Syrian Desert . The surrounding deconfliction zone is located along the Iraq–Syria border and the Jordan–Syria border . The Lebanese Druze MP added that 'the Druze in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine are Arabs and have been more closely aligned with the Sunnis throughout the ages,' saying, 'There are those who are trying to drag them into conflicts with their surroundings.' But the regime in Syria is proving to be a copy of al-Qaeda or ISIS that the Sunnis consider the enemy of Islam. According to a report by Nidal Hamadeh, a prominent journalist in Lebanon, Sharaa told slain ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a 55-page document that he intends to expel all the minorities from Syria. Sharaa, who started out as the leader of the Al-Qaeda -backed Nusra Front, later switched to ISIS. In addition to the Druze, there are 7 other minority groups in Syria, namely the Kurds, Alawites, Christians, Armenians, Assyrians, Shites and Palestinians According to recent reports from the Druze stronghold of Jebel Al Arab, Sharaa's security forces have already started stealing Druze properties by disrupting or removing border demarcations . With a population estimated between 700,000 and 750,000, Syria's Druze represent the largest Druze community in the world. Most are concentrated in the southern province of Sweida, while others live near Damascus, in towns like Jaramana and Sahnaya, in Jabel al Summaq, in north-western Syria and along the Jordanian border. The Druze community in Syria played an important role in the formation of the modern state of Syria, and even though they are a minority they play an important role in the Syrian political scene. Druze leader Sultan Pasha al-Atrash who led the Great Syrian Revolt in 1925 against French colonial rule, paving the way for Syria's independence The Druze always played a far more important role in Syrian politics than its comparatively small population would suggest. With a community of little more than 100,000 in 1949 or roughly three percent of the Syrian population, the Druze of Syria's southwestern mountain of Jabal Al Arab (or Jabal el Druze) constituted a potent force in Syrian politics and played a leading role in the nationalist struggle against the French. Under the military leadership of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash , the Druze provided much of the military force behind the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925–27. In 1945, Amir Hassan al-Atrash, the paramount political leader of the Jabal Druze State , led the Druze military units in a successful revolt against the French, making the Jebel al-Druze the first and only region in Syria to liberate itself from French rule without British assistance. Syria achieved independence from the French in 1946 For much of the 20th century, the Druze were firmly embedded in Syria's state institutions. Their alignment with the Ba'ath regime was not simply pragmatic, it evolved from a deeper narrative of Arab unity and shared resistance. The legacy of Sultan Al-Atrash, still shapes the community's collective identity. His prominence as a national figure of defiance bolstered Druze's integration into the military and civil service, offering both stability and recognition. However, that stability began to unravel with the onset of the 2011 uprising. As violence escalated and state authority collapsed. Amid the chaos, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri emerged as a leader of growing influence. Known for his spiritual leadership, al-Hijri , a lawyer offered a voice that resonated across ideological and tribal divides. His sermons, marked by restraint and clarity, helped unify a community that had long avoided confrontation. In the absence of a credible state presence, al-Hijri's prominence continued to rise quietly but steadily. Following the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, al-Hijri called for a comprehensive national dialogue under international supervision to establish a transitional government representing all segments of the Syrian society. Roughly 150,000 Druze live in Israel, primarily in Galilee, Mount Carmel, and the occupied Golan Heights. Since a 1956 agreement, Druze men—unlike other Arab citizens—have been subject to mandatory military service. But growing voices within the community are now questioning the sincerity of Israel towards them The 2018 Nation-State Law, defining Israel exclusively as the nation-state of the Jewish people, deepened these doubts. By omitting any reference to equality for non-Jewish citizens, the law sparked unease across Druze-majority towns. The move was widely viewed as a constitutional demotion of their status. That unease gave way to large-scale protests in 2024 and 2025, particularly in Daliyat al-Karmel and Beit Jann, where civil society groups, veterans, and young activists organized rallies demanding full recognition. Ali Hussein a Lebanese political analyst was quoted as as saying : ' Israel mastered the art and science of Divide and Rule. It is well known that Israel created its top 2 enemies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah was created to help Israel against the PLO and Hamas to help Israel fight against the PLO. Both groups were later adopted by Iran ' Syria's Druze believe they are more Syrian than any of the communities and want to remain part of a free, unified, non-sectarian Syria Lebanon Files , Ya Libnan
