Latest news with #Wahhab
Memri
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Memri
Lebanese Druze Leader Wiam Wahhab: This Is A War For The Survival Of The Druze; If You Attack Us, We Will Kill You And Your Children, None Of You Will Remain Unharmed; I Understand Now Why Lebanese Ch
Lebanese Druze leader and former MP and Cabinet Minister Wiam Wahhab said on LebanonOn on YouTube on July 23, 2025, that this is a war for the survival of the Druze in Syria. Addressing Ahmed Al-Sharaa, he said that if Al-Sharaa believes he can uproot the Druze from Syria, they will uproot him instead. He warned that if Al-Sharaa starts a "game of blood," the Druze will kill him and his children. Wahhab said that the Druze have not called to kill anyone, accused anyone of heresy, or attacked anyone. He added that he now understands the Lebanese Christians who allied with Israel to defend the Christians in Lebanon. Wiam Wahhab: "This is a war for the survival of the Druze in Syria. If Ahmed Al-Sharaa believes that he can uproot the Druze from Syria, he is delusional. We will uproot him from Syria. [...] "If we start a game of blood, we will not leave any of your children to tell that you ever existed. Not just you – you will be killed along with all your children, if you start a game of blood. Take note! Take note! I say to anyone who incites [against us] in the mosques and in the media: We have not called to kill anyone, have not accused anyone of heresy, and have not attacked anyone. We have been sitting in our homes and our villages for hundreds of years. You brought the most despicable people to attack and kill us. [...] "We will not play a game of blood. We will not start anything, but if you murder even one of our chickens, none of you will remain unharmed." Reporter: "In Lebanon and Syria?" Wahhab: "Yes, in Lebanon and Syria." [...] Reporter: "After everything that happened, do you understand and justify the Christian right wing [in Lebanon], that allied itself with Israel, at one point, to protect the Christians in Lebanon?" Wahhab: "Unfortunately, yes. Sadly, I do understand them now. Sadly, I do."
L'Orient-Le Jour
23-07-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Legal action against Wahhab after his party called for armed resistance in Syria
A week after announcing on X the creation of a group called 'Tawhid Army,' Druze party leader Wiam Wahhab, who called for the establishment of an 'independent resistance' to confront clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze in Sweida (Syria), was targeted on Monday by a request to open a judicial investigation. The legal action, denouncing crimes that 'threaten national security and civil peace,' was filed with the Court of Cassation by lawyer Nohad Salma and Kifah al-Kassar, a member of the Islamic Sharia Council, chaired by Lebanon's Grand Mufti Abdellatif Derian. 'Everyone, in Sweida and surrounding villages, must expel the armed men from the city,' the leader of the Tawhid party added in his comment. 'Stand firm and [these men] will be driven out.' Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, Salma said that the judicial inquiry is based in particular on Article 317 of the Penal Code, which provides for prison sentences for 'anyone who, through an action, a written text or a speech, stirs up sectarian and confessional divisions and incites conflicts among the components of the nation.' The legal action also refers to Article 219 of the same code, which deems 'an accomplice in a crime or offense to anyone who has given instructions to commit the offense or has reinforced the perpetrator's determination by any means whatsoever.' Salma further accuses Wahhab of 'awakening identity impulses, exacerbating instinctive beliefs' and attempting to 'revive the logic of militias.' 'We are in a state, not a mini-state or a farm,' he insisted, asserting that 'if components of other Lebanese communities behaved like the Druze leader, the entire structure of the state would collapse.' For the plaintiff lawyer, the announcement of the 'Tawhid Army' constitutes an attempt to 'undermine relations between Lebanon and Syria,' notably in reference to remarks deemed insulting to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, whom Wahhab called a 'barber,' alluding to videos showing Druze sheikhs being forcibly shaved by fighters from groups opposed to the Druze in Sweida. A few months ago, the leader of the Tawhid party had expressed, during a television interview, his willingness to normalize relations with Israel, declaring himself ready to 'deal with the devil' to ensure the protection of the Druze community. For the plaintiffs, these remarks amount to 'collaboration with the enemy … and an act of treason.' Salma told our publication that the complaint has been filed with the registry of the Court of Cassation, expressing hope that Attorney General Jamal Hajjar will act on it. L'Orient-Le Jour tried, without success, to contact Wahhab through two phone numbers provided to the newspaper. This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour by Sahar Ghoussoub.
Memri
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Lebanese Druze Leader Wiam Wahhab in Fiery Interview: Israeli Strikes in Syria to Defend the Druze Are Justified; Sunnis Curse Us, Call Us Heretics, Want to Slaughter Us and Our Children
In a heated interview with Al-‑Jadeed TV (Lebanon) on July 18, 2025, former Lebanese Cabinet Minister and Druze leader Wiam Wahhab lashed out at his host after being challenged over his support for Israel's strikes in Syria, which he defended as necessary to protect the Druze. Wahhab said that the images of Druze Sheikh Shahin, whose moustache was shaved by force by Bedouin militant tribesmen, will not leave him and that this justifies Israeli bombings. He stated that all the Arabs are making peace with Israel, while he is criticized for supporting Israel's attack on Syria. Shouting, he accused Sunnis of cursing the Druze, branding them heretics, and threatening to slaughter them and their children. Raising his voice further, he lashed out at Sunnis with derogatory names, saying they should go to Palestine and that he would follow right behind them, adding that they were 'pushovers' who are 'all under Netanyahu's boot.'
L'Orient-Le Jour
19-07-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Call for armed struggle in Syria: Wi'am Wahab, a lover of controversy
Known for his fiery rhetoric and headline-grabbing appearances, former minister Wiam Wahhab was back in the spotlight this week with a controversial post on X calling for the creation of a 'Tawhid Army.' The proposed militia would aim to support the Druze community in Sweida, Syria, amid days of deadly sectarian clashes. Wahhab even invited Hezbollah to join the force, despite the party facing mounting calls to disarm following its war with Israel.A former ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Wahhab has always loved controversy. In 2011, he sparked outrage among Sunnis and Druze when he compared Saudi women in abayas to 'black garbage bags,' prompting protests in cities including Tripoli. In 2018, after losing a parliamentary race to Druze MP Marwan Hamadeh — an ally of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt — he told a...
Memri
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Lebanese Druze Leader Wiam Wahhab: Who Else Will Protect Us Druze Besides the Israelis? We Supported the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine, Only to Be Slaughtered by Them in Syria
Lebanese Druze leader Wiam Wahhab discussed Israel's intervention on behalf of the Druze in Syria, during an interview with Roula Nasr on March 12, 2025. He argued that no one else would protect the Druze but the Israelis, questioning whether they are expected to be slaughtered. Wahhab expressed support for Arab nations and Sunnis but criticized countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Al-Azhar University for not protecting the Druze despite their previous support. He also stressed that Hizbullah cannot continue supporting the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, particularly Hamas, without assurances that Sunnis will not persecute Shiites and Druze. Wahhab pointed out Hizbullah's sacrifices for the Sunni cause in Palestine, only to have the Sunnis turn against them later in Syria, and questioned whether the Shiites and Druze are expected to liberate Palestine, only to face persecution afterward. He further criticized Hizbullah's alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, emphasizing that the only significant movement in the Sunni world is the Muslim Brotherhood, with groups like HTS being rooted in it. Wahhab argued that with many moderate Sunni countries, it remains unclear why Hizbullah continues to align with the Brotherhood or Iran.
