Druze Spiritual Leader Accuses Syrian Rulers of Genocide, Calls for Independent Region in Sweida

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Sheikh Hikmat Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, has accused Syria’s current rulers of carrying out what he described as a genocidal campaign against the Druze minority, following a massacre last year in which more than 2,000 people were killed.

In an interview with Ynetnews, Hijri said the killings, which occurred in July, involved mass executions, rape, abuse, and the burning alive of civilians, including women, children, and infants. He described the violence as a deliberate decision by Syria’s authorities and armed groups operating from Damascus.

“The only crime for which we were murdered was being Druze,” Hijri said, describing Syria’s current leadership as “an ISIS-style government” and “a direct continuation of al-Qaeda.”

According to Hijri, the Druze community faces an existential threat not only from the current rulers but from what he called a long-standing ideological current hostile to minorities. While acknowledging repression under the former Assad government, he said the present authorities are “the most brutal” and seek to eliminate all groups that do not conform to their ideology.

Hijri said Israeli airstrikes played a decisive role in halting the violence. “It is no secret that Israel was the only country in the world that intervened militarily and saved us from genocide as it was happening,” he said, adding that the strikes “truly stopped the massacre.” He noted, however, that there is no humanitarian corridor with Israel, making the delivery of aid to Druze areas extremely difficult.

Despite decades of hostility between Syria and Israel, Hijri said ties between Syrian Druze and Druze communities in Israel were never fully severed, even under strict bans imposed by the Assad government. He added that international attention has come mainly through media coverage and human rights organizations.

By contrast, Hijri voiced strong criticism of Arab states, saying none had supported the Druze community or condemned the killings. “They chose to stand with the murderer, not the victim,” he said, accusing parts of the Arab media of portraying the Druze negatively. He also alleged that some countries, including Turkey, are directly involved in supporting Syria’s current rulers.

“There is now no contact whatsoever with the Damascus regime,” Hijri said, adding that the Druze community cannot live under what he described as an al-Qaeda-rooted ideology.

Hijri said the Druze leadership is demanding full independence for the predominantly Druze province of Sweida, although he suggested a transitional phase of self-rule under external supervision could be considered. In his view, Israel could play such a role.

Concluding the interview, Hijri predicted that Syria is moving toward fragmentation. “Syria is heading toward partition and the creation of autonomous, independent regions,” he said. “That is the future, and this is how a better future for minorities and regional stability in the Middle East will be built.”