Ya Libnan
Yalibnan, May 5, 2025
“Most of the world’s 1.2 million Druze live in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, while diaspora communities in the Americas and Australia remain closely linked to their ancestral homelands through enduring transnational ties.”
Syria’s Druze community is facing one of the most violent internal eruptions in years, with over 40 lives lost in a crisis that has rapidly expanded beyond its origins, drawing in regional actors and unleashing widespread instability from Damascus to Hama.
It began on April 29 in Jaramana, where a fake audio recording went viral. The clip, falsely attributed to a respected Druze sheikh, contained offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. Though Syrian authorities moved swiftly to debunk it, the damage had already been done. Outrage ignited in the streets, and what began as demonstrations soon spiraled into armed clashes between Druze locals and pro-government forces.
The fighting spread quickly to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. Gun battles broke out in densely populated neighborhoods, turning residential blocks into combat zones. Families fled as bullets tore through homes and alleyways. Emergency responders struggled to access the wounded, and civilians were caught in the crossfire.
By the following day, the violence had intensified. A convoy of armed Druze from Suwayda attempting to reach the besieged suburbs was ambushed en route. At least 23 were killed. Survivors recounted that some of the fighters were executed after surrendering, an act that has sent shockwaves through the community, fueling fears of sectarian targeting and deepening a sense of collective trauma.
However, this escalation did not emerge in a vacuum. Tensions had already been building since early March when Syrian security forces carried out sweeping arrests in Druze neighborhoods around Damascus.
These arrests sparked immediate backlash. Residents protested, demanding an end to harsh government policies while also calling for greater local autonomy. In response, security forces opened fire, killing at least four civilians and injuring dozens more, according to local monitoring groups. …SOURCE