Sectarian tensions between the Sunni and Druze communities are alarmingly resurging in Syria. From Homs to the outskirts of Damascus, to Sweida, a Druze heartland south of Syria, several violent incidents have reignited sectarian divisions in a country still deeply scarred by more than a decade of war.
Clashes in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana were sparked in the past two days by a widely circulated video at the University of Homs, in which a Druze sheikh, Marwan Kiwan, allegedly made blasphemous remarks about the Prophet Mohammad. The video provoked outrage among Sunni students, leading to protests on campus and targeted attacks against Druze students. Authorities quickly evacuated the university housing complex to prevent further escalation.
However, the authenticity of the video has been questioned. According to several sources, it may have been edited to distort the sheikh’s statements. Marwan Kiwan himself categorically denied making the alleged remarks. Yet, according to a well-informed source in Sweida, citing testimonies from Kiwan’s family, he suffers from mental health issues and may indeed have made the controversial comments.
Tensions Spread to Sweida
The events quickly resonated in the province of Sweida, which has a majority Druze population, where clashes nearly erupted between members of the Druze community and Sunni Bedouin groups. Several regional roads were blocked, paralyzing commercial and professional activities.
“The city is currently gripped by a tension that swings between fear of conflict and calls for peace,” said the same source. According to the individual interviewed by This is Beirut under condition of anonymity, local leaders have rushed to call for restraint and calm, denouncing what they believe are deliberate attempts at sowing division orchestrated by external forces.
Clashes in Jaramana Leave Several Dead
The situation took a more serious turn overnight Monday into Tuesday in Jaramana, a predominantly Druze suburb of Damascus. “Intense gunfire rocked the city overnight, bringing all activity to a halt by morning,” the same source reported. Preliminary figures indicate that at least 12 people were killed and about a dozen more were injured in clashes between Syrian security forces and Druze fighters.
On Tuesday, the spiritual authorities of the Druze community in Jaramana issued a statement strongly condemning both the blasphemous remarks and the violent attacks. In the statement, they described the video as a deliberate attempt to sow discord.
The statement also called on the authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and to assume their responsibilities. “Protecting the lives, dignity and property of citizens is a fundamental responsibility of the state,” it read.
These incidents underscore the fragility of Syria's social fabric, worn thin by years of war, mass displacement and institutional collapse. They are not unprecedented. Last March, altercations also broke out between Syrian armed forces and Druze fighters after a shootout at a checkpoint in Jaramana that resulted in the death of a security officer.
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