18-07-2025
Walid Jumblatt urges an end to incitement in Lebanon, calls for ceasefire in Syria's Sweida
Sheikh Akl of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, voiced strong solidarity with civilians in Syria's Sweida province and blamed the Syrian state for failing to contain the spiraling violence there.
His remarks were made during an extraordinary session of the Druze Community Council's General Assembly, held at the House of the Druze Community in Beirut's Verdun.
Abi Al-Muna said the fears of a minority demand the justice of the majority, urging Damascus to assume full responsibility for restoring order. He rejected any separatist tendencies in either Syria or Lebanon, calling instead for unity and state authority.
"If words of condemnation are not enough to express our anger and pain at scenes of brutality, then let us first awaken our own consciences—before we appeal to the world—to pull back from a dangerous slide and return to reason and wisdom," he said.
He also dismissed appeals in some circles for Israeli "protection" of Sweida, saying such calls undermine Druze history and identity.
Former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt echoed the appeal for restraint, urging an end to incitement in Lebanon and road blockages in reaction to events across the border.
He proposed a ceasefire in Sweida as a first step toward dialogue, stressing that Jabal al-Druze is an integral part of Syria.
"We are a faith of reason and wisdom," Jumblatt said, urging political actors to think before reacting and to avoid escalating cycles of accusation. He called for the formation of an investigative committee to examine the violence in Sweida, including incidents affecting Bedouin communities as well as Druze residents.
