Last week, it killed more than 1,000 people and expelled almost 130,000 people after a violent clash between Deleuze and Bedouin militias in Syria’s South Sweida region.
Despite the violence, Hekmat Al-Hijri, one of the three Druze religious leaders, said in an interview with Euronows that the group was formed by “peaceful people who have never attacked anyone in the past” in three basic doctrines.
“The use of reason, non-attack, and truthfulness” is something that enriches itself, explained Al Hijiri.
But throughout their 1,000-year history, Druze has not been a conflicting stranger.
Religion of unity
Explaining the history of one of the most complex religious groups in the Middle East is not an easy feat for insiders. As one Druze religious leader told Euroneus, “We must return to the days of the Prophets Shuaib and Moses.”
Founded in Egypt as a derivative of Ismailiri Islam in the early 11th century, it is itself a derivative of Shiaislam – first preached in Cairo in 1017 and is reportedly ended in a riot in the Egyptian capital.
Many of the basic ideologies were based on the character of Al Hakim, the leader of Fatimid. While Al Hakim was respected by others as the sacred supreme leader, he was also referred to by some as the “crazy caliph.”
The controversial figure accused of persecuting Sunni Muslims, Christians and Jews disappeared mysteriously in 1021.
What followed for the newly established Druze minority was characterized by discrimination and persecution.
They were driven out of Egypt, primarily by Al-Hakim’s successors, and settled in fake mountainous regions that are fighting for parts of modern-day Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
While many of Druze Dogma remain in secret, a Druze resident of Sweida, who came from Sheikh’s family but remained anonymous for reasons of safety, says the group will follow the religion of “unitedness.”
In short, “it is “not mandatory, not faith, but voluntary,” not part of other religions, including Islam. In Druze’s worldview, this means that groups can “match themselves to various sects, religions and ethnicities.”
Since 1043, the religion of Druze has been closed to new converts. Today, Druze has only one million people worldwide, with over two-thirds of whom live in Syria.
I struggle for freedom
Throughout the history of the millennium, Druze has frequently formed alliances of a wider power. During the Crusades, Druze soldiers supported Ayubid and subsequent Mamurk forces by resisting the advance of the Crusades on the Lebanese coast.
They also maintained a relatively high level of autonomy over the centuries of Ottoman rule and challenged their authority in the 1600s after forming a union with the Maronite Christians.
Recently, when the region was carved into modern nations by European powers, when the region was carved into modern nations where porous boundaries often remain undefined today, Sheikh al-Hijri says, “Druze is “one of the people who found Lebanon.”
In Syrian neighbours, they are powerful political forces led by the Janblatt dynasty, whose generation runs the progressive socialist parties of the majority of the Druze.
In Syria, it was another story, stained with “extreme alienation and abominable sectarian treatment,” Sheikh argues.
Not only did Israel split the community when it annexed the Goran Heights of the Druze majority in the six-day war in 1967, but four years later, the Al-Assad-led Baate party came to power after Druze leaders and activists said the Euroneus was the beginning of 50 years of discrimination.
“The al-Assad regime alienated interference to the extent that it was forbidden from drilling water wells or building factories, and they were forbidden from achieving the ranks of the senior forces,” Al-Hijiri maintains.
This said not everyone portrays the relationship between Druze and Hafez Al-Assad and his recently abdicated son Bashar in a very difficult way. In a country where around 20% of its 24 million population comes from religious minorities, some view the old regime as quasing religious tensions.
There was even accusation of al-Assad – which itself originated from the Alawians, another Shia derivative group – gave priority treatment to the non-Sunni groups.
As a prominent member of Suwayda’s Druze community, he told Euronows:
However, Druze artist and activist Tamara Abu Al-Wan has asserted that many, if not many, of the minority, are enthusiastically opposed to al-Assad.
“Personally, I’ve been involved in the revolution for 14 years. My father lost his job because he was an opposition to the government. We were all opposed. We supported each other, took our lives, and helped areas outside the control of the government.
Under the orders of Abu Al-Wan, who is under the command of the former Muslim militia of Nomid Al-Jollani, which originated from the Arabic name, Abu Al-Wan told Euroneuz, “I was very happy. I believed that for 14 years all martyrs had shed blood.”
“But it turns out that it’s just the beginning of something even worse.”
The plot becomes thicker
New authorities in Damascus have sighed with cautionary relief, largely by the international community.
Alshara met with leaders of Western countries, including the UK, the EU and the US. Donald Trump even called the new president “handsome.”
It was then lifting many crippling sanctions imposed on the Assad regime for crimes against Syrians. Today, 90% of the population still lives under the poverty line, and the economy is hanging from thread.
While many have praised Alshara for providing stability to a country destroyed by more than a decade of war, Syria withstanded multiple eruptions of ethnic violence, especially in early March, when Alawian communities were massacred in coastal areas.
Alshara at the time called for calm and promised an independent investigation into claims that powerful government-related commentators launched what they called “violent orgy,” but many believe the president was conspiring.
“They asked (Arawians) to hand over their weapons,” a Sweeda resident said during an interview. “When the weapons were handed over and the coastal areas of Syria were isolated… they attacked and committed a terrible massacre against humanity.”
“The whole village was killed and eradicated. Houses and houses were burned.”
Sheikh Hikmat agreed, adding, “They use local groups to stir up a fight, then they commit mass murders against the enemy.”
Spiritual leaders claim to foresee recent violence several months in advance. “They spent seven months running a systematic media campaign,” recalls Sheikh Hikmat, who said it was in ethnic tensions.
“In the weeks when Sweida was occupying more than 25% of news coverage in the Arab world, it clearly pointed to a planned plan for Druze when there were no obvious conflicts or clashes.”
Do you trust the erosioned Alshara?
In late April, tensions spill over violence, resulting in nearly 100 deaths among Druze fighters.
More than 30 government fighters were also killed, and the Israeli Defense Forces launched airstrikes, including near the President’s Palace. This turned out to be a prelude to something that goes on.
On July 13, the battle broke out again in southern Syria, accusing both the Bedouin and Druze militia of committing war crimes, including wholesale genocides.
The international community quickly condemned the violence, and the EU said it was “applause” and assigned no responsibility to one or the other.
However, new interim Western supporters in Syria “welcome” the ceasefire announced by Alshara last Thursday.
For Tamara Abu Alwan, his words fall. “He has lost his respect for the Syrian people,” she told Euroneus.
“I lost my loved ones and friends because I have nothing, so that their criminals take over the government they deserve.
In a speech to the nation, Alshara also denounced Israel’s Syrian neighbours for launching airstrikes and “trying to entangle our people in a war that would only serve to fragment our homeland and destruction.”
There was little international support for Israel’s latest attacks in the heart of Damascus. However, stating that “99%” of the Druze population was behind him, Al-Hijiri jumped to Israel’s defense.
“Israel was one of the countries that tried to establish ties with the Damascus regime and gave them a chance. But when the regime attacked the Druze and ignored multiple warnings, they hit Damascus,” Alhijiri said.
“We welcome this action, which could help to stop the savage, wild bar campaign against us.”
Personally, some of the druzes that Euronev spoke of were more silent about Israel’s actions.
“I heard about these attacks in the Damascus area,” one person said. “At the same time, we were trying to escape the massacre. We were trying to get out of this country.”
