In Syria, violent clashes over the last four days have resulted in nearly 100 deaths as tensions escalated between pro-government forces and members of the Druze minority sect. This conflict has already sparked fears of sectarian violence in a nation struggling to recover from decades of authoritarian rule. The latest hostilities mark the most significant violence involving government loyalists and Druze fighters since President Bashar Assad was deposed in early December after his family’s long-standing, over 50-year rule.
The atmosphere between the two factions had been simmering for weeks, with smaller conflicts erupting since March in a suburb of Damascus. The recent flare-up results from underlying tensions, and to understand the full implications, we need to explore the identities and backgrounds of the groups involved.
The Druze community is a religious minority that originated in the 10th century as an offshoot of Ismailism, linked to Shiite Islam. Of the approximate one million-strong Druze population worldwide, a significant portion resides in Syria, with communities spread across Lebanon and Israel, particularly the Golan Heights. Within Syria, they predominantly settle in the southern province of Sweida and certain suburbs of Damascus, like Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
While promises had been made to integrate the Druze into the post-Assad governmental structure, real power has remained largely in the hands of Islamist former rebels, specifically Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who helped remove Assad in December. A 23-member transitional government, announced in March, includes only one Druze representative, Amjad Badr, who serves as the Minister of Agriculture. Under Assad’s regime, public religious freedoms existed under the guise of secular nationalism, yet the political landscape has shifted considerably.
The Druze community remains split on how to navigate these changes, with some advocating for dialogue with the government while others favor more confrontational methods. This division underscores a broader unease among Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities about their roles in a system now dominated by Islamists, some with ties to extremist movements.
New President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a figure with a history of militancy and affiliations with organizations like al-Qaida, promised to protect minority rights. Despite these statements, sectarian violence, including killings, has occurred since Assad’s ousting. Under Assad, the Alawite-led rule suppressed Syria’s Sunni majority while allowing minorities certain controls, an imbalance now reversed in light of new power structures.
In past conflicts, such as a 2018 assault by Islamic State forces in southern Sweida, Druze communities faced violence, kidnappings, and being deemed heretical by extremist Islamic factions. Throughout Syria’s lengthy conflict, the Druze have maintained their militias as a line of defense.
The recent clashes erupted following the distribution of an incriminating audio clip on social media featuring a Druze cleric allegedly disparaging Prophet Muhammad. This incensed Sunni groups, prompting immediate violence beginning in Jaramana, then moving to Sakhnaya, leading to a rare Israeli military intervention. Israel, having its stakes and a Druze population, has expressed its intent to protect Syrian Druze and has issued warnings against Islamist encroachment into Druze territories.
Israel’s engagement via airstrike underscores growing regional complexities, as its primary concern has been the proximity of Islamic extremism to its borders. Historically, Israel has preemptively countered perceived threats by establishing a southern Syrian buffer and dismantling remnants of Assad’s military capabilities to hinder them from empowering groups hostile to its interests.
Despite a ceasefire reached with Interior Ministry forces and Druze gunmen now overseeing affected regions, hostilities persist sporadically. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, recent fatalities include 99 individuals, mainly concentrated in Sakhnaya and Jaramana – both regions predominantly Druze.
The conflict holds grave potential to perpetuate sectarian discord, similar to the aftermath of an attack on the Syrian coastal region earlier this year that left over 1,000 dead. This violence predominantly targeted Alawite civilians connected to the Assad family sect. While security forces have been deployed to these coastal areas to avert further violence, minor sectarian aggressions still occur.
Syria’s religious minorities, like the Druze, Alawites, and Christians, live in constant fear of persecution amidst ascendant Sunni Muslim factions. Circulating videos on social media illustrate instances of humiliation suffered by Druze at the hands of Islamist fighters, exacerbating already fraught sectarian tensions.