Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, the Sheikh Akl (spiritual leader) of the Druze community in Lebanon, strongly condemned recent violence in the Syrian town of Jaramana, describing it as “a deliberate attempt to provoke sectarian strife,” triggered by an incendiary audio recording deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad.
In a statement issued on Wednesday following an extraordinary meeting of the Druze Religious Council, Abi Al-Muna emphasized that the Druze Unitarian community stands firmly against any insult to Islam or its Prophet.
“We strongly condemn both the insult directed at the Prophet Muhammad and the retaliatory actions that desecrated religious sanctities,” he said, calling for restraint and an end to inflammatory rhetoric.
The Sheikh warned of “suspicious and destabilizing schemes” in the region, specifically pointing to what he described as potential Israeli efforts to inflame tensions.
He urged the Syrian government to take “firm measures” to contain extremist elements and prevent further escalation.
For its part, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt urged members of the minority community in Syria to reject "Israeli interference" following Israeli threats against Damascus authorities if they harm the Druze. "Preserving the (Druze) brothers (in Syria) involves rejecting Israeli interference," Joumblatt said following the meeting.
The unrest has already reverberated in Lebanon, where the main road in the mountain town of Aley was blocked in protest, causing significant traffic congestion.
Shortly afterward, Abi Al-Muna issued a directive prohibiting street protests and roadblocks, regardless of the reasons, citing risks to public safety and social cohesion. Following consultations with regional sheikhs, he warned against endangering innocent civilians or escalating tensions.
The statement also urged the youth to seek guidance from religious authorities before taking any action and called for avoiding the spread of inflammatory news, stressing that all responses should remain within religious and humanitarian bounds.
It is worthy to remember that on Tuesday, 16 people were killed in sectarian violence that erupted in the Syrian town of Jaramana, following the spread of a provocative audio recording allegedly offensive to the Prophet Muhammad. The recording, reportedly attributed to a Druze cleric, sparked outrage among Sunni communities and triggered armed clashes between Druze locals and Sunni militants from neighboring areas.
Comments