Latest news with #sectarianviolence
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Syria's Druze fear for their future after sectarian clashes
Burned vehicles sit on a street Monday, July 21, 2025, after clashes between Bedouin clans and Druze militias in Sweida, Syria. (AP Photo/Fahd Kiwan) DAMASCUS, Syria — Before the eruption of sectarian violence in southern Syria, Saber Abou Ras taught medical sciences at a university in the city of Sweida and was somewhat hopeful of a better future for his country as it emerged from nearly 14 years of civil war. Now, like many others in the Druze-majority city in southern Syria, he carries arms and refuses to give them up to the government. He sees little hope for the united Syria he recently thought was in reach. 'We are for national unity, but not the unity of terrorist gangs,' Abou Ras, a Druze, told The Associated Press in a phone call from the battered city. Clashes broke out last week that were sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings between armed Bedouin clans and fighters with the Druze religious minority. The violence killed hundreds of people and threatened to unravel Syria's fragile postwar transition. Syrian government forces intervened to end the fighting, but effectively sided with the clans. Disturbing videos and reports soon surfaced of Druze civilians being humiliated and executed, sometimes accompanied by sectarian slurs. One showed gunmen in military uniform asking an unarmed man about his identity. When he replies that he is Syrian, the gunmen demand, 'What do you mean Syrian? Are you Sunni or Druze?' When the man says he is Druze, the men open fire, killing him. Hossam Saraya, a Syrian-American Druze from Oklahoma, was shown in another video, kneeling with his brother, father, and at least three other relatives, before a group of men in military garb sprayed them with automatic fire and celebrated. A religious sect with roots in Islam The Druze religious sect is an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. Outsiders are not allowed to convert, and most religious practices are shrouded in secrecy. There are roughly a million Druze worldwide and more than half of them live in Syria. The others live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights — which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Though a small community within Syria's population of more than 20 million, Sweida's Druze take pride in their involvement in liberating the country from Ottoman and later French colonial rule, and establishing the present-day Syrian state. During the uprising-turned-civil war that started in 2011, Druze leaders reached a fragile agreement with former President Bashar Assad that gave Sweida semi-autonomy, leaving the minority group to protect its own territory instead of serving in the Syrian military. Most Druze celebrated Assad's fall The Druze largely welcomed the fall of Assad in December in a rebel offensive that ended decades of autocratic rule by the Assad dynasty. The Druze were largely skeptical of the Islamist background of Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, especially as he once led the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. But many, including influential clerics, supported diplomatically engaging with the new leadership. Among those more hostile towards al-Sharaa is spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and a faction of Druze militias called the Sweida Military Council. There were intense divisions between them and others in the Druze community for months. Previous clashes between Druze armed groups and government forces were resolved before the violence could escalate. A security agreement was reached between the Druze and Damascus in May that was intended to bring about long-term calm. But the recent clashes and sectarian attacks in Sweida have upset that balance, and many Druze appear to have lost hope in reaching a fair settlement diplomatically. Sectarian violence after the fall of Assad Many Druze see the government's attacks as an extension of a wave of sectarian violence that broke out months ago on Syria's coast. Clashes between the new government's forces and Assad loyalists spiraled into revenge killings targeting members of the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs. A government investigation into the coastal violence found that more than 1,400 people were killed, mostly civilians, and that members of the security forces were implicated in the attacks. The difference in Sweida, as Abou Ras, the Druze medical sciences professor, sees it, is that the Druze had their own armed factions that were able to fight back. 'They talked about respecting minorities and the different components of Syria,' he said. 'But what happened at the coast was a hard lesson for Syrians, and we learned from it.' The interim president denies that Druze are being targeted After the violence in Sweida, Al-Sharaa vowed to hold perpetrators to account, and restated his promises since taking power that he will not exclude Syria's minority groups. He and other officials have insisted that they are not targeting the Druze, but armed factions that are challenging state authority, namely those led by al-Hijri. Al-Sharaa also accused Israel of trying to exacerbate divisions in the country by launching airstrikes on government forces in the province, which Israel said was in defense of the Druze. The tensions have already created new challenges to forging national unity. Other minority groups — particularly the Kurdish forces controlling Syria's northeast, who have been in negotiations with Damascus to merge with the new national army — are reconsidering surrendering their weapons after seeing the violence in Sweida. A Syrian Druze who lived abroad for over 20 years was in Syria when Assad fell and celebrated with friends and family on the streets of Sweida. He quit his job to move back and be involved with the community. He joined in with people who waved Syria's new flag that symbolized the uprising, danced, and stepped on torn portraits of Assad. He said he wanted al-Sharaa to be successful, but now he doesn't see a peaceful future for Syria's different ethnic and religious groups with him at the helm. 'In every household (in Sweida), someone has died,' he told the AP. The Associated Press could not confirm that independently as there was no official death toll. However, it was a sentiment frequently shared by Syrians from Sweida. He asked to have his name and other identifying details withheld out of fear for his and his family's safety. 'I think after the massacres that happened, there is not a single person in Sweida that wants anything to do with this government, unfortunately,' he said. 'This government butchered people, and butchered any possibility to (bring) reconciliation and harmonize the south.' ___ Kareem Chehayeb And Abdulrahman Shaheen, The Associated Press Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
The stark reality of how Israel treats its own Druze citizens
LONDON: Israel mounted a bombing campaign across Syria last week with the stated objective of protecting the Druze community of Sweida from attack by Bedouin fighters amid a recent upsurge in sectarian violence. Yet, this purported humanitarian intervention on behalf of a vulnerable religious minority has drawn attention to the disparity in Israel's treatment of its own Druze citizens, prompting accusations of double standards. For centuries, the Druze — an enigmatic religious community whose origins in the Levant date back to the 11th century — have guarded their beliefs and customs behind a veil of secrecy. Today, amid mounting regional upheaval and intensifying sectarian conflict, the fate of this small group — whose numbers are dwarfed by those of their neighbors — has become a critical test case for questions of loyalty, identity, and equal citizenship within modern nation states. Nowhere are these tensions more apparent than in Israel, where the Druze have forged a uniquely complex relationship with the Jewish majority, one marked by military partnership and shared sacrifice, yet also by persistent inequality and simmering frustration. As a result of their opposition to conversion and discouragement of intermarriage, the Druze community remained small in number and vulnerable, constantly maneuvering politically for their own survival among more powerful forces. Still, when push comes to shove, they can prove to be fearless warriors. The special relationship between the Jewish and Druze communities already existed in Mandatory Palestine. This relationship grew closer and stronger after Israel declared its independence, although it remains rather complex. One of the tenets of Druze philosophy — some might call it a survival mechanism — is loyalty to the state where they reside. In this sense, Israel is no exception. In 1956, at the request of the Druze community's leaders, Druze men became subject to the military draft upon turning 18, just like their Jewish compatriots. This created a covenant written in blood between the Jewish and Druze communities, with more than 430 having lost their lives serving in the Israeli security forces — a substantial number for a small community of 143,000, which is less than 1.6 percent of Israel's population. But despite this sacrifice and the generally positive perception of the Druze among Jewish Israelis — unlike attitudes toward other Arab communities — they are not spared discrimination. Consequently, there are forces among their youth who oppose continued military service. The recent wave of deadly sectarian clashes that rocked southern Syria exposed the country's fragility, as the new government proved either incapable or unwilling to impose law and order, leading to a failure to protect the Druze. The response by the Druze in Israel highlighted another strong tenet in the community's philosophy: mutual responsibility. In a Pew Research Center survey, nine in 10 said that they had a strong sense of belonging to the Druze community and were proud to be part of it. Roughly two-thirds expressed that they feel a special responsibility to care for Druze in need around the world. Over the last week, this manifested in community leaders exerting pressure on the Israeli government to intervene on behalf of the Druze in their clashes with Bedouin militias. Translating intentions into action, around 1,000 community members — including two members of the Knesset, Afef Abed and Hamad Amar from the right-wing parties Likud and Yisrael Beytenu, respectively — crossed the border from the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights to support their brethren on the other side, expressing outrage over what they described as the massacre of their relatives in Suwaida. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Druze community in Israel and the Golan Heights in a video statement, urging them to show restraint and avoid crossing into Syria amid the ongoing clashes. Instead, Israel took the extreme measure of striking the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus and government forces in southern Syria, with Netanyahu announcing that Israel was 'working to save our Druze brothers.' Israel's immediate reaction to the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in December of last year was to 'temporarily' take over additional territory on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights — a move that increasingly looks permanent — and to carry out hundreds of airstrikes on military targets across Syria. With this in mind, Israel's use of force again last week raises questions about whether the strikes were solely in defense of the Druze or intended to send a broader message to the government of Ahmed Al-Sharaa about the power balance between the two countries. Another factor raises suspicion over Israel's purported commitment to the Druze in Syria. Despite the total loyalty of the Druze to the state of Israel, it does not appear that the Jewish state is equally loyal to them. For all their years of sacrifice and devotion, the Druze still do not enjoy the same equal rights as the Jewish population. Although attitudes toward the Druze in Israel may be more favorable than toward Palestinian citizens, they are still far from being treated as equals. Some researchers of the Druze community in Israel suggest that they represent something of an in-between group, comprising 'individuals who simultaneously belong to social categories that are often seen as mutually exclusive, while maintaining their distinct group identity.' The Druze are ethnically Arab and share that Arab identity with the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel, but, at the same time, identify with the Jewish Israeli state. In recent years, there has been an awakening among young Druze that, despite their sacrifices, they are institutionally and socially discriminated against as individuals and as a community. In a protest last year, community leaders stated: 'The covenants of blood and life have become superficial and false slogans.' They demanded that budgets allocated to their towns and villages be equal to those of their Jewish neighbors. This discrimination is visible not only in the underinvestment in their communities, but also in the confiscation of their land for the Judaization of the Galilee and in house demolitions — not to mention having to contend with poor electricity networks, sewage systems, and roads. Many residents in the 16 Druze towns and villages of Israel find it almost impossible to obtain planning permission, leaving them under constant threat of demolition orders or hefty fines. A piece of legislation dating back to 2017, the Kaminitz Law, gives authorities the power to issue penalties — such as demolition and stop-work orders, the confiscation of building equipment and vehicles, and arrests — all without referring these cases to the judicial system. Generally, the law is seen as targeting Arab communities, where building permits are almost impossible to secure, resulting in illegal construction followed by fines and threats of demolition by the government, despite a growing population and need for additional accommodation. A request to put in place a 5-year plan to support local authorities of Druze communities has not been approved despite protests by community leaders. The final straw for many Druze in Israel was likely the 2018 Nation State Law, which made many feel that despite their loyalty and sacrifice for the country, they are not rewarded in kind. The law explicitly states that Jews have a unique right to national self-determination in Israel, and it relegated Arabic from being one of the two official languages, alongside Hebrew, to one with 'special status.' Describing Israel as 'the national home of the Jewish people' was effectively a way of defining everyone else as unequal in their political, human, and civil rights. Despite repeated promises from the Israeli government to promote a Basic Law for the Druze community, which aims to anchor the important status of the Druze community in Israel, this still has not happened. This has instilled among the community an oft-quoted sentiment: 'Druze enter the army as an Israeli and leave as an Arab.' For the Druze, there is a sense that the community has the rawest of deals — one in which they are loyal and prepared to sacrifice their lives for the country but are still treated as second-class citizens.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria has asked Turkey for defence support amid sectarian clashes, officials say
Syria's interim government has requested Turkey's support to strengthen its defence capabilities, Turkish officials said. It follows sectarian violence over the past two weeks that have increased tensions in Syria and drawn intervention by Israel. The defence ministry officials said that Syria has also sought assistance to combat 'terrorist organisations', including the so-called Islamic State group. Turkey – which has long expressed readiness to assist Syria – was working towards providing training, advisory services and technical support to help strengthen Syria's defence capacity, the officials added. Tensions escalated in southern Syria last week, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in the province of Sweida. The conflict triggered Israeli air strikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and on the Ministry of Defence headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities. Turkey, which strongly supports Syria's interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been seeking a defence agreement with Syria that could reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory. Ankara also backs an agreement reached between the interim Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into Syria's national army. Implementation of the deal has stalled, with a major sticking point being whether the SDF would remain as a cohesive unit in the new army or be dissolved completely. On Tuesday, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions to pursue autonomy, stating that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organisation because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey. The defence ministry officials said Turkey expects the SDF to follow through on its commitments under the agreement, adding that Turkey would be 'following' the situation. The situation in Syria has increased tensions between Turkey and Israel. In April, Israel struck five cities in Syria, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkey reportedly has interests in having a military presence. Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a 'protectorate' in Syria.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Syria asks Turkey for defense support after sectarian clashes, Turkish officials say
Syria's interim government has requested Turkey's support to strengthen its defense capabilities, Turkish officials said, following sectarian violence over the past two weeks that increased tensions in Syria and drew Israeli intervention. The defense ministry officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to procedures, said Wednesday that Syria has also sought assistance to combat 'terrorist organizations,' including the Islamic State group. Turkey — which has long expressed readiness to assist Syria — was working toward providing training, advisory services and technical support to help strengthen Syria's defense capacity, the officials added. Syrian officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Tensions escalated in southern Syria last week, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in Sweida province. The conflict triggered Israeli airstrikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and on the Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities. The U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria on July 19. Ankara strongly supports Syria's interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and has been seeking a defense agreement with Damascus that could reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory. In an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week, Barrack said the U.S. has 'no position' on the prospect of a defense pact between Syria and Turkey. 'It's not in the U.S.' business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do,' he said. Ankara also backs an agreement reached between the interim Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to integrate into Syria's national army. Implementation of the deal has stalled, with a major sticking point being whether the SDF would remain as a cohesive unit in the new army or be dissolved completely. On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions to pursue autonomy, stating that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. Turkey considers the SDF as a terrorist organization because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey. The Turkish officials said Turkey expects the SDF to follow through on its commitments under the agreement, adding that Turkey would be 'following' the situation. The situation in Syria has increased tensions between Turkey and Israel. In April, Israel struck five cities in Syria, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkey reportedly has interests in having a military presence. Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a 'protectorate' in Syria.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Syria has asked Turkey for defence support amid sectarian clashes, officials say
Syria's interim government has requested Turkey's support to strengthen its defence capabilities, Turkish officials said. It follows sectarian violence over the past two weeks that have increased tensions in Syria and drawn intervention by Israel. Advertisement The defence ministry officials said that Syria has also sought assistance to combat 'terrorist organisations', including the so-called Islamic State group. Turkey – which has long expressed readiness to assist Syria – was working towards providing training, advisory services and technical support to help strengthen Syria's defence capacity, the officials added. A convoy of ambulances and buses arrives at a checkpoint in a village in southern Syria on its way to Sweida (Omar Sanadiki/AP) Tensions escalated in southern Syria last week, with violent clashes erupting between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in the province of Sweida. The conflict triggered Israeli air strikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and on the Ministry of Defence headquarters in central Damascus, which Israel justified as efforts to protect Druze communities. Advertisement Turkey, which strongly supports Syria's interim government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been seeking a defence agreement with Syria that could reportedly include establishing Turkish military bases on Syrian territory. Ankara also backs an agreement reached between the interim Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into Syria's national army. Implementation of the deal has stalled, with a major sticking point being whether the SDF would remain as a cohesive unit in the new army or be dissolved completely. Bedouin fighters gather in a village in southern Syria (Omar Sanadiki/AP) On Tuesday, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan warned Kurdish and other groups in Syria against exploiting the tensions to pursue autonomy, stating that any attempt to divide Syria would be viewed as a direct threat to Turkey's national security and could prompt intervention. Advertisement Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organisation because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey. The defence ministry officials said Turkey expects the SDF to follow through on its commitments under the agreement, adding that Turkey would be 'following' the situation. The situation in Syria has increased tensions between Turkey and Israel. In April, Israel struck five cities in Syria, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkey reportedly has interests in having a military presence. Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a 'protectorate' in Syria. Advertisement
