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- Politics
- NDTV
Syria's Druze Community, Bombed By Israel, Has A Curious 'India' Link
Yesterday, August 6, after days of deficits and shortages, a convoy of about 40 aid lorries entered Sweida, Syria's embattled southern province, thanks to the reopening of a humanitarian corridor to the region. The aid notwithstanding, the violence that has raged on in fits and starts there since April, and which flared up in July, is another low for the new regime of President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria. Within seven months of his governance, Syria saw the second massacre of minorities, and possibly the beginning of a new proxy war in the region. The massacre of the Druze minority by Islamist and government forces provided Israel with an excuse to again start bombing Damascus. This time, Israel may have the overt consent of many countries, both in the region and beyond. What is the cause of this round of violence in the ever-restive region? The immediate reason has been the protection of the Druze community in Southern Syria, in areas bordering Israel, and along the zone that Israel occupied more recently inside Syria as the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad was being toppled in December last year. But who are the Druze, and why is Israel concerned about the Druze in Syria, the citizens of a country that has been its arch-enemy throughout its modern history? The Druze are an ancient pre-Islamic Arab community, who are followers of Jethro, the father-in-law of the Jewish Prophet Moses. Like most ancient communities in the Middle East, reincarnation is central to their religious belief. In fact, so intense is this belief that in the event of any death, a family immediately waits for a birth to occur, signifying the return of the soul to the family it knew. It would then seem that the belief in reincarnation connects the Druze in a way to India and Indic beliefs. But, there is more. According to some Druze tradition, the community has a number of scriptures, some of which are lost. According to that tradition, it's believed that the day these lost scriptures are found and all the Druze holy books come together, it would be the time that would herald the Judgement Day. Many Druze believe that these lost books are to be found in India. Strangely, though, most Druze are not very knowledgeable about their religion. The lay people are denied esoteric knowledge, which is strictly restricted to the clergy. This practice, it is said, was adopted to preserve the Druze religion and to prevent its dilution with other newer traditions. The Druze do not believe in conversions; one has to be born a Druze to be one. The community does not claim any temporal power. They owe their allegiance to whichever state they are citizens of. As such, the Druze are mainly to be found in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. The Druze are concentrated in southern Syria, in the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered during the 1967 Arab-Israel war and which is claimed by Syria as well as northern Israel. In Israel, members of the Druze community have reached high positions in government (a number of Israeli diplomats who have served in India have been Druze). Though part of the Arabic-speaking population in Israel, the Druze are not involved in the Palestinian movement, seeing themselves as separate from Palestinians. In Syria, the Druze community was one of the pillars of support for the minority Alawite-dominated government. After the fall of the Assad government in December, its new ruler, Ahmed Al Shara (formerly Golani), has presided over two major massacres. Starting on March 6 and over several following days, Syria saw wide sectarian bloodshed largely in the Alawite coastal heartland. The Alawites, often regarded as heretics by Sunni Muslims, are the community that Assad belongs to; many had even feared a reprisal after he was overthrown. They are mostly concentrated in the coastal regions of the Latakia province. The violence sent more than 21,000 fleeing to neighbouring Lebanon, according to the UN, with thousands more seeking refuge at a Russian air base on the Mediterranean coast. The United Nations Human Rights Office said that "perpetrators raided houses, asking residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before proceeding to either kill or spare them accordingly", with men shot dead in front of their families in many cases. Probably to save face, al-Sharaa hastily put in place a largely Islamist-dominated government, with token positions given to women, Christians, and Alawites for "inclusivity". More recently, a second set of massacres - this time against the Druze minorities - unfolded in the community's stronghold of Suweida and neighbouring regions. After a ceasefire was called, fresh clashes broke out between the Druze and local government-backed Bedouin tribes, killing over a thousand and displacing more than 1.28 lakh people, according to UN estimates. Israel, which had continued to intermittently bomb Syria during Assad's time, in a proxy war it had fought with Iran, continued these attacks as Al Sharaa took over. For the Jewish state, both Iran and the Sunni Islamists now in charge in Syria constitute an identical threat. Israel had pushed into Southern Syria using ground troops and expanded its presence around the Golan Heights, destroying its weapons cache. It called this act an expansion of a "buffer zone", saying the presence was required to protect the Druze minority there. In March, according to Israeli media, it struck three air bases in Syria - the T4 and Palmyra air bases in the Homs province and the main airport in the Hama province, where, it is widely believed, Turkiye was hoping to station its troops. Israel is also reported to be lobbying with the US to prevent the sale of F-35 jets to Ankara and also allow Russian bases to remain in Syria. Turkiye, along with Qatar, are in the driver's seat in Syria. The Tahrir Hayat Al-Sham, like other rebel groups, were actively supported and sustained by them. While Qatar bankrolled them, Turkey helped them with military training, arms, logistics, transit, ideology, etc. Ankara is positioning itself to play a major role in the new Syria, filling a vacuum left by Iran. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has visited Syria, while its Defence Minister Yaşar Güler has already offered Damascus support in building up its military. Turkish companies are also looking forward to profiting from Syria's reconstruction, which is estimated at almost USD 500 billion. All these things point to Turkey's long-term plans to remain engaged with Damascus. Al-Shara has already made two official visits to Ankara since assuming power. Israel sees Turkey's expanding presence in Syria as an existential threat. Both Qatar and Turkey have supported and aided Hamas. While the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel have forced Qatar to roll back its support to the group, Turkey has continued to support the group. It is also the most (or only) vocal critic of Israel's retaliatory actions in Gaza, and now has the upper hand in Syria. For Turkey, Syria is important not only for its ambitious goal of being the regional energy hub but is also critical for neutralising Turkey's Kurdish threat. Since 2016, Turkey has occupied north-western Syria and has consistently been expanding its presence there. With Arab governments now hedging against the Islamists by befriending Al-Sharaa, and with US President Donald Trump's promise to remove sanctions against Syria, the Syrian threat to Israel is renewed. The Druze factor has played right into the hands of Israel, even though it was able to use the Syrian airspace to strike Iran in its recent 12-day war. Turkey has for long been calling upon Israel to withdraw from southern Syria and has consistently defended Syria's territorial integrity. The dismemberment of the country would be detrimental to Turkey's own stranglehold on its Kurdish population and the just-concluded peace deal with the 'PKK', or the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which had waged a long and brutal insurgency against the Turkish government. As news broke on June 13 about Israeli strikes on Iran, a Turkish colleague told me that it was actually Turkey that Israel was targeting. At the time of writing this, sources in the Turkish National Defence Ministry said that the Syrian government has requested official support from Turkey to strengthen its defence capacity and combat terror groups. President Erdoğan has also warned that Turkey would be forced to intervene if Israel did not stop its intervention in Syria. We do not know if Israel is done with Iran yet. But a new proxy war may just be unfolding in the volatile region - between Israel and Turkey this time. And Israel may have more covert support this time, not just from the Arab world but also from its arch-rival, Iran, which has been elbowed out from Syria, thanks to the Qatar-Turkey duo.
The National
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Several dead and dozens injured in 'arms depot' explosion in Syria
Several people have been killed and dozens injured in a huge explosion in Syria, where local TV reports said the blast occurred at an ammunition depot. Emergencies Minister Raed Al Saleh said there were 'recurring explosions' near the town of Maarat Misrin, in the north-western province of Idlib. He said the cause was unknown. Syria's Health Ministry gave a preliminary toll of four people killed and 116 injured, according to Syrian state news agency Sana. State-owned Ekhbariya TV gave a figure of six people killed. 'Syrian Civil Defence teams rushed to the site immediately after the incident and are performing their duty to evacuate victims and transport the injured," Sana quoted Mr Al Saleh as saying. Idlib explosion - in pictures Syria TV reported that 'war remnants and ammunition' had exploded at the site, leaving several people dead and injured. A correspondent said some people might have been trapped under the rubble. 'The area witnessed successive explosions as a result of the detonation of war remnants and munitions present at the site,' the broadcaster said, citing sources. Bassel Seteif, the director of a medical centre treating patients, said almost 100 people had arrived there after the blast, of whom three had died. "All the injuries are civilians, mostly women and children. The injuries varied from mild to severe," he said. "We redirected medium cases to different wards as we finish their treatment or sign them up for surgery if needed." There was no immediate indication of any link to deadly fighting in Sweida in southern Syria, where hundreds of people have been killed in clashes involving pro-government forces and local militias. Syria is struggling to recover from a nearly 14-year civil war that ended with the removal of former President Bashar Al Assad last year. The Syrian economy has been devastated by the civil war that began in 2011 after an uprising against the Bashar Al Assad regime. The UN Development Programme estimates cumulative losses, including physical damage and economic deprivation, at $923 billion as of the end of last year. The estimated cost of reconstruction has varied from $250 billion to $500 billion.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
The current strife in Syria
The recent spat in West Asia happens to be one between the Druze Shias and the Sunni Bedouins. In the recent past, and as a tradition of strategy, the Political Contest model as a theorization has ruled the roost in the context of conflict in West Asia. Israel and Iran consider themselves involved in a mortal combat where- -in Israel is pitted against the non sate actors of the order of Hamas, Houthis and Hezbollah which are propped up by Tehran since long years. In a manner, it can be contended that the non-state actors are confronting Israel with the rankling theme of Palestine being the bone of contention. Thus, the non-state actors tend to utilize the 'Spectacular effect' as a kind of attention gathering exercise where the Global INGOs and the International community of nations, along with International Organisations, can support the cause of conflict in West Asia. In the recent Israeli attacks on Southern Syria, Israel is attempting to champion the cause of the minorities in the nation. Also, as a related fact, it can be argued that Bedouins and Druze communities have been at loggerheads with each other and since the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in Damascus, the Druze Bedouin conflict has emerged in bold relief in West Asia. Bedouin fighters deploy at Mazraa village on the outskirts of Sweida city, as smoke rises from the clashes between the Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria. (Pic credit: AP) In Damascus, the Bashar Al Assad's regime went on to criminally indict the minorities and severe atrocities were committed on the rebel factions which were combating the Damascus Regime which had the backing of the Kremlin. Also, the tribal and sectarian conflict between Syrian flocks is meant to be encashed by Tel Aviv in the favour of the Druze community which happens to be a minority in Syria. Also, Druze people are numbered at around 1 million people out of which half of them stay in Syria and half of them find a perch of settlement in Isarel. The Druze community resides in Israel too, and has a representation in the Israeli defence forces too, thus causing the Israelis to intervene in the sectarian conflict raging in Syria. The Syrian conflict is a multi-layered quagmire which has raged on since the protest and rebel insurgency which has been going on the besieged nation since 2011. The other involved state and great power actors in the civil war happens to be countries of the order of Iran, United States, Russia and Turkiye. Turkey has since long harboured dreams of reviving the Ottoman Turk Empire and turning the sick man in Europe to an able bodies and potent actor in the region. Erdogan is here to stay as a long lasting and impactful actor in the Syrian conflict. Even other non state actors of the order of Islamic State were active in Syria where-in the process of Five Star Jihad was popularized in Syria and Syria emerged as a conduit for the new recruits of IS a few years back. All in all, the entire swathe of the territory was never in the commandeering of the Bashar Al Assad. Also, great power intervention like in the entire west Asia was also manifested prominently in the Syrian civil ear too which further destabilized the nation and turned it into an international playing ground. The presence of internal security and societal challenges of the order of corruption, political repression and authoritarianism were the issues due to which Bashar Al Assad was facing the insurgent movement as the ruling Regime was not able to provide justice to the citizens and the minorities were suppressed. Thus, in the present context, the sectarian fault lines in Syria are being touched upon by various forces and nations to serve their national interests and zero-sum games. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The National
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israel carried out strike on 'extremists' preparing to attack Druze in Syria
The Israeli military has carried out a warning strike against 'extremists' preparing to attack members of Syria's Druze minority in a Damascus suburb, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The strike followed an overnight attack on Druze areas of Sahnaya, a large suburb of the Syrian capital, by militants from the nearby areas of Hajar Al Aswad, Mouaddamiyeh and Balbila. Parts of the southern province of Suweida, the sect's ancestral home, also came under assault from gunmen in nearby Deraa, in the biggest threat to the ancient minority since Bashar Al Assad Hayat Tahrir Al Sham took power last year. The group led the rebel offensive that toppled president Bashar Al Assad in December and formed the current government. Mr Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Israel Katz that the Israeli military 'carried out a warning operation and attacked an extremist group that was organising to continue attacking the Druze population in the town'. 'A serious message was also conveyed to the Syrian regime – Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze,' they said. An official from HTS said Israeli drones struck Sahnaya and its surroundings several times. A car and a security position were among the targets, he said, without elaborating. Israel's military later said that troops had been instructed to hit "targets belonging to the Syrian regime" if violence against Druze communities continues. Syrian state news agency Sana confirmed that Israeli strikes had taken place in the Sahnaya area. The Israeli military also said three wounded members of the Druze community had been "evacuated from Syria" for treatment in Israel, without explaining how. A statement from Syria's Foreign Ministry rejected all forms of "foreign intervention" in its affairs. The areas around Sahnaya are controlled by former rebel brigades allied with HTS. A delegation comprised of senior members of the Druze spiritual leadership met with the government late on Wednesday, and reached a general ceasefire agreement, according to Suwayda 24, a network of citizen journalists, but the hostilities have continued. The organisation said that attacks against Druze civilians and looting of Druze property were continuing in the area and in the south of the country. The state's official news agency reported that an 'initial ceasefire' was reached. . The Interior Ministry said 16 people were killed in 'the targeting of civilians and security forces by outlaw groups' in the suburb, and that reinforcements had been sent to the area. Hussam Al Tahhan, a local police official, said that several parties had intervened to try to stop the bloodshed but failed, without naming them. Suwayda 24 said that electricity has been cut off in the province as villages and town come attack by militants firing mortar rounds from Deraa. Clashes were reported in several areas of Suwayda and at least one man was killed in an ambush on the road between Suweida city and Damascus. Insults circulated on social media against the Druze, and Druze students have been either evacuated from or forced out of university campuses across the country. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who had opened a channel with the new government as soon as Mr Al Assad was toppled, said Israel is trying to "use" the Druze to create sectarian strife in Syria but that the authorities in Damascus should start a transparent investigation into the killings. Turkey meanwhile said the violence should be ended by "dialogue and common sense". It said Israeli strikes were "harming efforts for unity and integrity in Syria". Clashes killed 12 people in another Druze-populated Damascus suburb on Tuesday. The attack on Jaramana by HTS-affiliated militias came amid anger over a video showing a Druze leader appearing to criticise the Prophet Mohammed. The government later said the video was fake. Eight of the dead in the two attacks were members of the Druze community, which Israel vowed to defend after HTS-affiliated forces attacked Jaramana in early March. Rayyan Maarouf, a researcher at the Suwayda 24 network said the dead in Sahnaya included a Druze fighter who was defending the area and a Druze civilian, as well as 10 members of the attacking forces drawn from militant brigades based in towns on the outskirts of Damascus. Mr Maarouf said that although Syria's Druze are not pro-Israel, the Israeli intervention could deter pro-government forces from further attacks. President Ahmad Al Shara is seeking to consolidate the new government's control over the country in the face of resistance from minorities. At least 1,300 members of the Alawite sect, mainly civilians, were killed in their coastal heartland on March 8 and March 9 as state security forces and allied militias responded to attacks by Assad loyalists. Druze representatives agreed to integrate the sect's militias into the state forces in a deal signed on March 10. Another deal with the country's more powerful Kurds stalled after their representatives called for decentralisation of power. 'This is not the way to apply political pressure. It could result in massacres,' Mr Maarouf told The National by phone from Suweida city, pointing to the continued killing of Alawites. The minority sect, to which the former president belongs, dominated Sunni-majority Syria during more than five decades of Assad family rule. The Sunni political ascendancy after the overthrow of Mr Al Assad has changed Middle Eastern power dynamics to the disadvantage of Shiite-majority Iran and Russia, the main backers of the former regime. The Druze are a transnational minority of about one million people, present mainly in Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. In Syria they are concentrated on the southern outskirts of Damascus and the southern province of Suweida, near the border with Jordan. The sect's main focus has been survival amid rise of religious forces in the region, although those in Syria staged a civil disobedience movement against Mr Al Assad for more than a year before the rebel offensive forced him to flee the country. 'The Druze could use even intervention from devils now,' Mr Maarouf said. 'They are afraid that what occurred on the coast will happen to them. It is very regrettable that the government is supporting an assault on a whole sect.' A member of the inner circle of Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syrian Druze, declined to comment on the attacks in Sahnaya and Jaramana but said the government could easily have prevented militants from gathering around the two suburbs. Sheikh Hikmat has criticised the new government as being led by 'extremists' and has opened channels with Israel in a quest for protection. Over the past month, the government has recruited hundreds of Druze from Suweida to its new security troops. Druze militias loyal to Sheikh Hikmat have responded by raising their presence in the streets of Suweida, and patrolling the province's borders, residents said.
The National
21-04-2025
- Business
- The National
First flight from Syria arrives in UAE as commercial services resume
A landmark passenger flight from Syria arrived in the UAE on Sunday, heralding the long-awaited resumption of direct air travel between the countries. The Airbus A320-212 from Syria's national airline Syrian Air left the capital city of Damascus just after 7am, according to online flight tracker, FlightRadar 24. Dubai Airports reported the plane landed in Dubai at 12.39pm. It was announced last week that Syrian Air would resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah from Sunday. The airline said it was working 'to add more flights as soon as possible, once we receive the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities'. The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority announced the resumption of flights between the Emirates and Syria on April 14. It came after Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara visited the UAE for the first time since taking office last Sunday, during which he held high-level talks with President Sheikh Mohamed. Mr Al Shara, who led the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham rebel group that ousted President Bashar Al Assad, is looking to improve relations with Arab neighbours and the Gulf states following a 13-year civil war in Syria. Sheikh Mohamed told of the need to confront 'the challenges of the transitional phase and rebuild Syria in a way that meets the aspirations of its people for a future of security, stability and prosperity', state news agency Wam reported. The security and stability of Syria are important to the entire Middle East, Sheikh Mohamed said, stressing that the UAE would 'spare no effort in providing all possible support to Syria'. Samih Arabi, director general of Syrian Air, who was on board the inaugural flight from Damascus to Dubai, said the resumption of flights highlighted the airline's commitment to reconnecting Syria with key international travel markets, particularly those with large Syrian communities such as the UAE. He underlined the significance of the step in helping to reunite Syrian citizens living in the Emirates with family members back home. Countries had suspended flights to and from Syria during the civil war, but some airlines restarted services since former president Bashar Al Assad was ousted last year. 'Resuming our flights to the United Arab Emirates marks an important moment for Syrian Air and for the many Syrians who call the UAE home," Mr Arabi said. "This route is not just about restoring connectivity, it's about bringing people closer to their loved ones, easing travel for families, and strengthening the bonds between our two nations.'
