By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi – MEF –
Druze Spiritual Leaders Condemn Syrian Government’s Treacherous Siege and Assault on al-Suwayda’, Demanding Withdrawal and Accountability.
Although observers supportive of the Syrian government have continued to frame the recent events in al-Suwayda’ as being driven by Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the three mashaykh al-‘aql: the most senior Druze spiritual leaders in Syria), the reality is that the other two mashaykh al-‘aql- Hamoud al-Hanawi and Yusuf Jerbo, both of whom were more open to engagement with the government prior to these events- have now made clear their position in new statements. These statements illustrate that they are in alignment with Hijri on several basic points, illustrating the degree to which the government has now alienated the wider Druze community in al-Suwayda’:
(i) Both frame the actions of the government and its forces as treacherous, extremist behaviour that constituted a wider attack on the Druze community. Jerbo goes so far as to compare the government forces to the ‘Tatars’ (the common Arabic term for the Mongols, who became notorious in Arabic historical writing for their invasion of the Middle East and the reported havoc they wreaked therein). The government is therefore portrayed as an entity that cannot be trusted.
(ii) They both frame the actions of local Druze fighters as justified self-defence protecting the community’s very existence, and call for a unified position to defend Jabal al-Arab (al-Suwayda’).
(iii) Although less explicit than Hijri, both are thankful for Israel’s military intervention that proved important in stopping the initial assault by government forces and forcing them to pull back. This is evident in the particular thanks they extend to Israeli Druze spiritual leader Muwaffaq Tarif, who has lobbied the Israeli government to intervene for the Syrian Druze.
(iv) Both characterise the government’s current policies as siege tactics against al-Suwayda’. It is also evident that as a minimum, they will accept nothing less than the ending of all restrictions on entry of goods into al-Suwayda’ and the withdrawal of all government forces and pro-government tribal militias from the northern and western countrysides of al-Suwayda’.
Thus, while government supporters may continue to frame Hijri as a supposed ‘separatist’ and ‘Assadist’ villain standing in the way of a lasting resolution, the reality is that all the senior Druze spiritual leadership has turned against the government for its actions that have proven disastrous. If the government wants to revive any realistic prospect for imposing state control in al-Suwayda’, it must seriously rethink its approach and hold itself accountable for crimes and mistakes.
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