2025-07-17T17:11:11+00:00
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Shafaq News
More than 350 people have died in
recent clashes in Suwayda province, underscoring the growing tensions between
Syria’s minorities and the government led by transitional President Ahmad
al-Sharaa. The violence, which erupted between Druze fighters and
government-aligned forces, reflects deeper issues of political exclusion and
mistrust among several minority groups across the country.
Senior adviser Bedran Çiya Kurd of
the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) described the
violence in a post on X as part of a broader rejection of Syria’s cultural and
religious diversity.
“These actions push Syria further
toward political and social disintegration,” he wrote, adding that the
government’s reliance on force over dialogue “has repeatedly failed and
worsened the situation.”
Kurd also warned that this approach
not only threatens the Druze but also weakens national unity and invites
outside interference.
الانتهاكات الممنهجة التي طالت المكون الدرزي في الجنوب السوري، وما سبقها من انتهاكات مشابهة في الساحل السوري، تؤكد بوضوح الرفض العميق للتعددية الثقافية والدينية من قِبل وزارة الدفاع الانتقالية والمؤسسات التابعة لها، وهو ما يؤدي إلى تقويض أسس العيش المشترك ضمن جغرافيا وطنية واحدة.…
— Bedran Çiya Kurd (@BedranCiyakurd) July 17, 2025
The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights reported that the clashes left 79 Druze fighters, 55 civilians, and
nearly 200 government personnel dead. Fifteen Syrian forces also died in
Israeli airstrikes during the fighting. While a ceasefire has been
arranged, deep-seated grievances remain unresolved.
Researcher Zana Omar, who spoke with
Shafaq News, explained that the transitional government has excluded minorities
from political participation. “The Druze community was entirely left out of the
constitutional drafting committee and holds no seats in the transitional
cabinet,” she noted.
Omar also highlighted that the
government’s policies are shaped by an ideology that views Druze, Alawites,
Christians, and Kurds as enemies. “This drives exclusion and influences
governance, security, and media messaging.”
This pattern of marginalization is
not confined to Suwayda alone. Thousands of Alawites were killed in coastal
massacres this spring, attacks reportedly carried out with tacit government
approval or neglect.
Omar emphasized that the lack of
investigations has increased fears among Alawite communities. “Exclusion here
appears to be official policy, not an exception,” she remarked.
Tensions are further heightened by
the government’s push for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to
disarm and join the army, a demand met with suspicion. The SDF, led by Mazloum
Abdi, distrusts Damascus and fears massacres similar to those in Suwayda and
the coast. One Kurdish official speaking anonymously to our agency, warned that
“there is no trust that handing over weapons won’t lead to slaughter.”
Christian communities remain on edge
following a church bombing in Damascus last month that claimed at least 65
lives. Church leaders hold the government responsible for failing to protect
worshippers and criticize officials for dismissing the attack as an isolated
incident. In a video capturing a tense exchange, an Assyrian bishop confronted
a Syrian government official who visited the bombing site, expressing
frustration: “The government talks about unity but acts with indifference when
Christian blood is spilled.”
That sense of abandonment is further
highlighted by Bedran Çiya Kurd who stressed that rebuilding trust demands a
pluralistic national framework alongside the decentralization of powers to
local administrations. “Accountability is essential for reconciliation and
political inclusion,” he added, underscoring the urgent need for tangible
reforms.
Written and edited by Shafaq News
staff.
