by Raymond Ibrahim, The Stream
One of the strangest things about me is that when what appears to be “breaking news” in my field of Islamic studies emerges, I usually have very little to say.
Why? Because it’s not news — at least not to me. It’s the same old story I explained two decades ago, and have since repeated countless times.
And yet, absolutely nothing changes.
Take what’s happening in Syria.
Massacre of the Minorities
Over the past week, Syria’s Druze minority has been subjected to a wave of jihadist-inspired terror that has left over a thousand people dead, entire villages emptied, and many Druze wondering if they are witnessing the final extermination of their people.
The violence began in earnest when Sunni Bedouin tribes — fully backed by units of the Syrian military — stormed multiple Druze villages in Sweida province. What followed were atrocities that mirrored the barbarism of ISIS. In al-Mazraa, armed tribesmen shouting “Allahu Akbar!” set fire to homes with families still inside. In Sahwat al-Khudr, several Druze were beheaded, their corpses mutilated and displayed in the town square. Video footage circulated on pro-regime Telegram channels shows the attackers chanting Koranic verses justifying the slaughter of non-Sunnis.
More than 262 civilians, including women and children — and one American who was visiting his family — were butchered, some by gunfire, others burned alive or summarily executed. In Suwara al-Kubra, several Druze girls were abducted, raped, and dumped — one with her tongue cut out and a verse from the Koran scrawled in blood across her chest.