Sheikh al-Hijri: We Demand International Protection for a People Facing Massacres

Welat TV – Erbil

The spiritual leader of the Druze Muslim community in Syria, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, has called on the international community to uphold peace in Syria, emphasizing that "requesting international protection is a legitimate right for a people facing massacres."

In a statement issued on Thursday, May 1, 2025, regarding the recent events in Jaramana, Sahnaya, and Sweida, Sheikh al-Hijri said: "We urge the international community to stop ignoring and obscuring the situation, and to take immediate action to maintain peace." He added, "This war and the massacres we never wished for have come as instruments of terror and domination."

Al-Hijri described the assaults on Jaramana and Sahnaya, both located near Damascus, as “an unjustified campaign of extermination” against “peaceful civilians in their homes.” Regarding the response of the Syrian Interim Government, he stated: "Governments do not murder their people through extremist militias," adding, "We no longer have faith in a body that claims to be a government."

Clashes erupted on the night of Monday to Tuesday in Jaramana, a majority-Druze suburb of Damascus, following the circulation of an alleged audio recording attributed to a Druze individual containing offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.

The violence resulted in the deaths of 17 people and later spread to Sahnaya—home to both Druze and Christian communities—where 22 more were killed. Meetings held on April 30 between Druze representatives and government officials led to a ceasefire agreement in Jaramana and Ashrafiya Sahnaya.

The Syrian Interim Authorities announced the deployment of their forces to Sahnaya to maintain order, blaming "outlaw groups" for inciting the clashes.

Read more:

France Calls on Syrian and International Parties to End “Sectarian Violence”

Rural Damascus: Armed Attacks in Ashrafiya Sahnaya Spark Calls for Civilian Protection