By Uzay Bulut, European Conservative. (photo: Photo by Viktor Solomonik/Unsplash)
n the wake of the terrorist attack that claimed 25 lives at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Syrian capital of Damascus on June 22nd, reports confirm that the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) forces and affiliated groups are escalating their campaign of persecution and violence against Christians, Druze, and other ethnoreligious minorities.
Currently, the Druze towns are being attacked by Islamists, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, or Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the former head of the Syrian al-Qaeda, who conquered Damascus last December.
The violence erupted in the predominantly Druze city in the province of Suwayda (also known as Sweida) on July 12, two days after a Druze merchant was reportedly abducted on the highway to Damascus. Suwayda is known for its Druze majority but also has a significant Christian population, primarily Greek Orthodox and some Catholic Christians.
It is the latest outbreak of deadly jihadist violence in the country since al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS forces—with the help of Turkey—overthrew Syria’s Assad regime.
Since then, Islamic violence conducted against the Druze, Alawites and Christians by HTS military units and affiliated militias has resulted in the deaths or enforced disappearances of hundreds of members of those minorities. Many were arrested and tortured. Several Alawite women have reportedly been abducted and abused as sex slaves by Sunni Muslims.
Islamists in Syria have since murdered or kidnapped Druze civilians, humiliated their spiritual leaders by cutting their beards and mustaches, and thrown their turbans on the ground like ISIS (Islamic State). A Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Marhaj Shaheen (80 years old), was subject to abuse at the hands of Islamists, who cut his beard on camera.
In May, Druze citizens living in Syria sent a plea to the international community calling for help against attacks on the Druze community. The plea came shortly after the reported murder of Hussam Warwar, the mayor of the Druze community of Sahnaya, and his son.