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Druze Community Denounces Syrian Interim Government, Calls for Urgent International Protection

On Friday, the Suwayda Military Council in Syria’s southern al-Suwayda province issued a scathing denunciation of the country’s interim government, accusing it of abandoning the Druze community to escalating violence. The council's plea for rapid international intervention to avert further atrocities, as reported by the Shafaq News, underscores the urgent need for action. It declared its full backing for Druze spiritual leader Sheikh al‑Aql Hikmat al‑Hijri’s urgent appeal for external protection.

In a statement on Facebook, the council praised al‑Hijri’s pivotal role in “defending the people of Jabal al‑Arab,” the historical heartland of Syria’s roughly 700,000‑strong Druze minority. It detailed a series of alleged war crimes by Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS), formerly al‑Nusra Front, in Druze‑populated suburbs such as Sahnaya and Jaramana. Despite these challenges, the Druze community remains united and resilient, as evidenced by their detailed accusations including random killings of unarmed civilians, the arbitrary detention of community members, and the systematic humiliation of Druze religious figures and sacred symbols.

The council further charged that Syria’s interim government’s passivity and tacit tolerance of HTS campaigns have fractured social cohesion and targeted the very existence of the Druze identity. Despite these challenges, the Druze community remains committed to justice and accountability. Warning that “the Druze identity is facing an existential threat,” it called on the United Nations Security Council to establish a demilitarized safe zone in al‑Suwayda under impartial international supervision. Simultaneously, it urged the UN Human Rights Council to deploy fact‑finding missions and pursue accountability for perpetrators of these abuses.

The statement also singled out foreign sponsors of HTS, cautioning them against bankrolling “terrorist groups carrying out sectarian cleansing in violation of international law.” It lamented what it described as global silence in response to the unfolding crisis in Druze areas.

Earlier this week, Sheikh al‑Hijri appealed for “rapid and direct international assistance,” asserting that “a government does not kill its people.” The council’s backing underscores an urgent need for engagement to protect civilians.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

 


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