Al-Suwayda chief says Druze integral part of Syria, rejects separatism
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The chief of the Druze sect in Syria says the country's Druze are part of the national process, and he rejects separatism, adding they will fall in line with the Syrian government's directives.
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Druze men sit with Syrian flags during a rally marking Syria's Independence Day, in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syria, April 17, 2023 (AP)
The head of the Druze sect, Sheikh Yousef Al-Jarbou, met on Tuesday with numerous high-ranking officials and dignitaries, including the governor of the Damascus countryside, Safwan Abu Saadi.
"We are an integral part of Syria, and we will never accept separatism," he said, stressing that "the people of Al-Suwayda will only be within national lines, and that is the strategic choice."
وجوه عائلات السويداء قالوا كلمتهم اليوم وعلى رأسهم سماحة شيخ عقل طائفة الموحدين الدروز الشيخ يوسف جربوع في اجتماع ظهر اليوم بمضافة مدينة السويداء..
— Nahla (@Nahlaabotakk) August 29, 2023
▪︎ثوابتنا الوطنية لا نقبل المساس بها
وتاريخنا المشرف ينادينا،
▪︎علمنا هو علم سورية الوطن الجمهورية العربية السورية. pic.twitter.com/8B0mlcK15s
"There were many wrong claims during the movements taking place in Al-Suwayda," he underlined. "The Syrian flag is the sole official flag in the province."
"We will not deviate from the decisions of our leadership and our state, which represents the Syrian people," Al-Jarbou stressed. "The Druze flag represents the Druze community. We are proud of it, and there is no need to politicize it."
Al-Suwayda has recently witnessed protests against the burdens that the decision to lift subsidies entailed. The opposition Coordination Committee declared "support for the popular peaceful protests".
The lifting of partial subsidies on the prices of oil products in Syria has placed great burdens on living, despite the decision to raise wages by 100%.
Liberated Syrian prisoner Sidqi Al-Maqt warned in an interview with Al Mayadeen of conspiracy plots targeting the Al-Suwayda.
He stressed that "addressing the legitimate demands is through dialogue with the state, and constructive treatment, and not through chaos and dependence on the outside and destruction."
Al-Maqt warned of a revival of what happened in 2011: he called on the residents to renounce the groups attempting to infiltrate the protests and encouraged them to engage in dialogue with the state.
The governor of Al-Suwayda, Bassam Parsik, said Thursday that the demands of the people of the governorate are of high seriousness and that they would be accordingly attended to by the government.
Parsik also reported that the meetings he had held recently showed optimistic prospects. He also denied circulating allegations about the potential of using force against residents, describing it as "completely baseless" and calling on the people not to be drawn into what is being said on some social media pages and websites during this delicate period.
