Latest news with #TalalArslan
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
After Sweida, are Joumblatt and Arslan aligning for the 2026 parliamentary elections?
Since the beginning of the latest round of sectarian clashes in the predominantly Druze province Sweida in southern Syria, in July, the two main Druze leaders in Lebanon, Walid Joumblatt and his historic rival, Talal Arslan, have met no less than six times. The most recent meeting was held on Monday in Baaleshmay in Aley, during a tour with the community's is not the first time the two rivals have attempted to bring their view closer. However, this time, the approach takes on significant importance due to its tense context. As the Druze in Syria increasingly distance themselves from the new regime in Damascus, Joumblatt – who does not hide his support for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – finds his position weakened, even not on the same page with his own base. Read our latest investigation 'Hide these Druze we dare...
L'Orient-Le Jour
11-08-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Druze leaders in Lebanon condemn execution in National Hospital of Sweida after video circulated
Druze leaders in Lebanon, including the Progressive Socialist Party, headed by MP Taymour Jumblatt, former minister and MP, Talal Arslan, and Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Mouna condemned the attack on the National Hospital in Sweida, southern Syria, in separate statements on Monday. A widely circulated video of a field execution inside the National Hospital in Sweida, southern Syria, carried out allegedly by government forces in mid-July has sparked widespread outrage on social media platforms. The video recorded by surveillance cameras at the National Hospital during clashes in mid-July, but circulated on social media platforms Sunday, shows individuals dressed in Syrian army and general security uniforms rounding up several members of the hospital's medical staff and forcing them to kneel. As the staff members were gathered, a young man is seen attempting to sit before one of the officers calls out to him, drags him, and another punches him in the face. The young man then tries to fight back, attempting to knock one of the officers down, but the others quickly intervene and restrain him. One of them then shoots him at point-blank range, killing him. Another officer then drags his body away in front of the rest of the staff. 'Barbaric act' The media office of Sheikh Akl said in a statement that the video "leaves no room for doubt that the heinous, inhumane, immoral and barbaric act committed by security personnel against a member of the hospital's medical staff requires an urgent and thorough investigation. Responsibilities must be clearly identified, and legal accountability enforced against those who committed this atrocity, as well as others responsible for the crimes and brutalities that occurred in the city and those behind them." The media office called on "relevant international bodies, human rights organizations, and specialized international institutions to examine the files related to the violations and assaults documented by images and videos against unarmed civilians, including elders, women, and children, and to take the necessary actions accordingly." It also praised the "U.N. Security Council's resolution regarding the accountability of all those responsible for acts of violence against civilians in Sweida and the need to bring them to justice." The PSP said in a statement that "these actions are, at the very least, devoid of humanity and morality." The party said that it was the first to call for the formation of a serious investigative committee into the assaults that took place in the Sweida Governorate, and for genuine accountability of those responsible — regardless of their affiliations." 'Repulsive and disgusting scenes' Arslan commented on the video on X Monday, saying that the "repulsive and disgusting scenes that reflect the extent of savagery and brutality carried out by individuals claiming to represent the General Security forces. This crime adds to the ongoing series of horrific atrocities they continue to commit against the people of Syria, regardless of their sectarian or ethnic background." "These perpetrators must be held accountable before the eyes of the entire world. If Syria is to remain unified in its diversity, they must be executed in Marjeh Square in Damascus — in front of the public and under the gaze of the Syrian, Arab, Islamic, and international communities — so they may serve as an example." In response, the Syrian Interior Ministry issued a statement saying: "The Ministry of Interior is following up on the distressing video circulating on social media, which is said to have been filmed inside the National Hospital in Sweida some time ago." The ministry added: "We strongly condemn this act in the harshest terms and affirm that the perpetrators will be held accountable and referred to the judiciary to receive their fair punishment, regardless of their affiliations." The ministry concluded its statement by saying: "Under the direction of the Minister of Interior, Major General Abdul Qader Al-Tahan, Assistant Minister for Security Affairs, has been assigned to directly oversee the investigation to ensure the perpetrators are identified and apprehended as swiftly as possible." The week of bloodshed began on July 13 with clashes between local Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, but the violence rapidly escalated as it drew in outside forces, eventually killing some 1,400 people, many of them Druze civilians, according to a war monitor. Syrian authorities have said their forces intervened to stop the clashes, but witnesses, Druze factions and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have accused them of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses against the Druze, including summary executions. Brutal videos have previously circulated on social media, with some appearing to show civilians killed at the hands of armed men in military or security forces uniforms.
Ya Libnan
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Arslan urges the Arab nations to end their silence over the crimes against Syria's Druze
The head of the Lebanese Democratic Party, Talal Arslan, said: 'What is happening in Sweida at the hands of takfiri forces that have no religion, no covenant is unacceptable, condemned, denounced, and reprehensible. Silence on this matter is a grave injustice. Humanitarian corridors are being opened in a trickle, and kidnapped people are being mistreated and their fates are unknown. Even more dangerous is the kidnapping of women and the abuse of people, which is intolerable.' Arslan addressed the question to the Arab countries: 'How long will they remain silent and turn a blind eye to a sect that has offered so much since its inception, and has been the protector of Arab and Islamic borders since its inception, and the bearer of the sword of Arabism and Islam? We do not need a 'certificate of conscience' from anyone in our Arab and Islamic affiliation. Those who aspire to the unity of Syria—its land, people, and institutions—cannot remain silent about the crimes that have occurred and are occurring in some villages and towns in Jabal al-Arab.' 'All of Syria is in danger, tossed about by regional and international interests, and the Syrian people, with all their sectarian, denominational, and ethnic diversity, are paying the price. Delaying an end to these crimes does not bode well. Rather, it widens the chasm, makes repairing what happened more costly, and pushes Syria into a long, dark tunnel of chaos, chaos, and chaos. The result will only be more fragmentation, division, and bloodshed,' he added.
L'Orient-Le Jour
08-08-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Interfaith meeting in Aley brings together district's diverse religious leaders
BEIRUT — A significant multi-confessional meeting was held in Aley district's Bater village on Friday at the invitation of sheikh Kamel Daher of the Zreigate Arab tribe, in an occasion meant to mark the strength of the relationships between the region's diverse residents. Attendees included Mount Lebanon Governor Mohammed Mekkaoui, Druze Sheikh Aql Sami Abi al-Mona; Druze leaders Teymour Joumblatt and Talal Arslan; as well as representatives from the Lebanese Forces; representative Youssef Deaibes from the Interior Ministry; a representative of the mufti of the Republic, Abdellatif Deriane; as well as mayors from various Aley municipalities; and local, security and religious figures. Daher emphasized unity between the region's residents, particularly among members of the Arab tribes, Druze, Sunnis and Christians. "We were and will remain one and the same family, whatever the difficulties," he said during the meeting. "And our homes will remain open to all Lebanese." In light of last month's deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters, and then later Syrian state forces, in southern Syria, Daher praised the "wisdom of political and religious dignitaries, especially Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, Dar al-Fatwa [the highest Sunni authority], and Druze Sheikh Aql, in facing the painful events in Sweida, Syria." Sunni and Druze authorities in Lebanon have ardently emphasized cooperation and unity, nervous that the sectarian violence — in which more than 1,300 people were killed — might spill over into Lebanon. But on the ground, the community's positions with regards to the brutal fighting in Sweida are much more complicated. Within the Lebanese Druze community, the political rivalry between the two Druze leaders Walid Joumblatt and Talal Arslan — enemy cousins whose family names are steeped in history —h as worsened since the May 2018 parliamentary elections, after which Emir Arslan, allied with the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah, received a ministerial portfolio, much to the dismay of the PSP leader, who hoped to appoint all three Druze ministers in the government himself. These tensions were compounded in 2021 by those between the Arab tribes, known for their closeness to former Sunni leader Saad Hariri, and Hezbollah.
LBCI
16-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Tensions rise among Lebanese Druze amid ongoing clashes in Sweida
Report by Mirna Daou, English adaptation by Mariella Succar Anger is mounting within Lebanon's Druze community as videos continue to circulate of abuses against their relatives in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. In recent days, protests have spread through Druze-majority areas in Lebanon. In some towns, prayers were held for individuals killed in the fighting. The Saoufar-Aley highway was partially blocked, and demonstrations swept across various mountain regions. Several municipalities imposed nighttime curfews on Syrian nationals amid fears of potential clashes. Footage also emerged showing attacks on Syrians in some areas. A major gathering was held at the Sharif religious site in Charoun, a location of symbolic significance to the Druze community. The anger seen on the streets also reached the leadership. Sheikh Akl of the Druze sect appeared on LBCI, calling for urgent Arab and Islamic intervention to support the people of Sweida and holding the Syrian government responsible for failing to rein in what he called extremists operating behind the cover of the Syrian army. Progressive Socialist Party leader Taymur Jumblatt also called on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to convene a national conference. Jumblatt denounced Israel's claim that its airstrikes on Syria's Ministry of Defense in Damascus were aimed at protecting Druze civilians, warning that similar claims were used to justify past conflicts, including Lebanon's civil war. Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan accused the Syrian government of being directly involved in the unrest and joined calls for Arab intervention. Meanwhile, former minister Wiam Wahhab proposed the formation of a Druze defense force in solidarity with Sweida's Druze population. Religious authorities across sects also issued statements on the situation. As calls for a ceasefire stall, tensions among Lebanon's Druze remain high, with all eyes fixed on the unfolding developments in Sweida.
