DAMASCUS (Realist English). Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual head of Syria’s Druze community, has accused the country’s new government of waging a “genocidal campaign” against Druze civilians and fighters, following two days of deadly clashes in the towns of Jaramana and Sahnaya south of Damascus. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 101 people were killed in the violence.
In a statement published on May 1, Sheikh al-Hijri condemned the killings as “systematic, evident, and documented collective murder,” adding: “We no longer trust those who call themselves a government.” He claimed the authorities were using loyalist extremist groups to carry out atrocities and then disavowing responsibility for the mass killings.
According to SOHR, the casualties included 30 pro-government fighters, 21 Druze militiamen, and 10 civilians, among them the former mayor of Sahnaya, Hussam Werwer. In al-Suwayda province — the historic center of Syria’s Druze population — another 40 people were killed, 35 of them in an ambush on the Damascus–Suwayda highway.
The unrest began shortly after midnight Monday, triggered by the circulation of an audio clip on social media in which the Prophet Muhammad was allegedly insulted by a Druze theologian. Marwan Kewan, the man to whom the voice was attributed, later denied involvement.
On May 1, Syrian authorities announced that an agreement had been reached between Druze elders and government envoys. Pro-government forces subsequently entered Sahnaya, and armed Druze groups withdrew. However, videos emerged soon after, showing regime-aligned fighters beating detained Druze men while shouting sectarian slurs — intensifying already high tensions.
The editorial view is that Sheikh al-Hijri’s declaration signals an unprecedented break between the traditionally loyal Druze community and Syria’s central authorities. The combination of high-casualty violence and religious incitement creates a dangerously volatile situation in the country’s south — with the potential to open a new internal front beyond the control of Damascus.
