In analysis of the current situation in the primarily Druze province of al-Suwayda’ in southern Syria, supporters and sympathisers with the government sometimes argue that the hardline rejectionist position towards the government among the Druze is partly the result of a consensus enforced by arms, in that virtually all the armed Druze groups have rallied around Hikmat al-Hijri, thus preventing dissenting voices from speaking out.
There is some truth to this talking point, but even those inside the province who are skeptical of rejectionism and Druze separatism primarily fault the government for what went wrong and call on it to take the initiative to make serious amends and hold perpetrators of violations against Druze accountable if there is going to be any real dialogue for a lasting solution. As one source in Rijal al-Karama skeptical of the rejectionist direction put it: “What happened is no small thing…perhaps you remember the man who was sitting on the school steps and they asked him: what are you? He replied: I am Syrian. They said to him: What does Syrian mean, Muslim or Druze? See how his Syrian identity could not intercede for him so that they would spare him. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what happened.”
Moreover, outside al-Suwayda’ itself, there is widespread solidarity among Syrian Druze with their brethren in al-Suwayda’, especially in the Druze villages of the Jabal al-Shaykh area that is near the border with the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. This is in part because of the fact that these villages are still hosting Druze who fled from the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana, Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya as a result of violations committed by pro-government forces in late April and early May.
In these Druze villages of Jabal al-Shaykh, the government’s security forces do not have any notable presence. However, Druze figures from al-Suwayda’ who are pro-government and widely denounced as ‘traitors’ within al-Suwayda’- notably Layth al-Balous and Sulayman Abd al-Baqi- recently arranged for a ‘reconciliation committee’ affiliated with the government to visit the Druze village of Harfa in the Jabal al-Shaykh area, in an apparent bid to show that the Druze of Jabal al-Shaykh area supposedly stand with the government and against Hijri. This visit and the local anger in response to it are what has prompted religious and social notables of Harfa to issue the statement translated below affirming solidarity with the people of al-Suwayda’, even as it does not go so far as to endorse notions of a separate Druze state (which has gained traction in al-Suwayda’) or name Hijri, Balous or Abd al-Baqi.
As one source from the Druze village of Hadhr on the border with the Golan Heights explained even prior to the July massacres and atrocities in al-Suwayda’, Hijri’s skeptical positions towards the government had been gaining traction within the Jabal al-Shaykh area, and I myself have observed a clear growth in support for him among Druze in those areas. Here, one cannot speak of a consensus enforced by local armed groups. Rather, the growth in support for him is genuine, and without the existence of a sizeable constituency that supports him and the general rejectionist position towards the government, the notables of Harfa would not have issued the statement below.
Below is the statement translated by me:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
“And be patient, and your patience is only in God” (al-Nahl 127)
Statement issued by the social and religious commission in the village of Harfa
Contact was made with the notables of our village so they could receive a visit from some of the notables of the neighbouring villages, with the ostensible aim being to strengthen national unity, but it then became clear that the visit had malicious aims seeking to disrupt security and stability in our region through illegitimate attempts to detach our village from our firm stance and our true support for our people in al-Suwayda’. We affirm through this statement:
. Our complete and steadfast support for the stance of our people in al-Suwayda’ who are facing trials and great difficulties because of terrorism and violence.
. Our honest request for the release of all the kidnapped men, women and children who continue to be victims of criminal acts that are being committed by the terrorist organisations.
. Our urgent call to secure a safe humanitarian crossing that ensures aid can arrive, civilians can be protected and the kidnapped can be released without delay or off-putting.
. Our call to establish an independent international committee that takes up its responsibilities to reveal the facts and bring the perpetrators to justice, ensuring fairness towards the victims of terrorism and their relatives.
. We in the village of Harfa strongly reject every attempt to harm the unity of our social and national fabric and we affirm that our positions are steadfast and will not be affected by attempts to distort them or stir up strife.
Religious and Social Commission in the village of Harfa
Date: 20 September 2025 CE
Head of the religious commission in Harfa
Shaykh Wasif Sa‘id Saleh
Syrian Arab Republic
Waqf of the locality of Harfa
Charitable Awqaf of the Monotheist Muslims
Adnan Ali Tarudi Saleh
Muhammad Jadallah Saleh
Mazen Nawaf al-Halabi
Mazid Qasim al-Halabi
Jaber Faris Atmat
Munif Najib Saleh
Yazan Yahya Abu Diqa
Shadi Hussam Anmat
Zadan Husayn Abu Diqa
Nidhal Ramiz Abu Diqa
Zayn al-Din Hassan Saleh
Jamil Hasan Saleh
Nabil Sulayman al-Halabi
Anas Yahya Abu Diqa
Marwan Ali Saleh
Hamid Muhsin Atmat
Sharif Mahmud Saleh
Ata Sa‘id Saleh
Salman Jawad Abu Diqa
Ata Salim al-Halabi
Ala Nazih Abu Diqa
Ihab Yahya Abu Diqa
Bassam Atmat
Mahdi Bassam Atmat
