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Sheikh Akl Sami Abu el-Muna, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, has expressed solidarity with the people of Sweida, the Druze heartland in Syria, who have been protesting against difficult living conditions and the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the office of Abu el-Muna said that the latter contacted by telephone his counterpart in Sweida, Sheikh Hikmat al Hajri, to “commend his latest stance” and to express his “full solidarity and support for the residents of ‘Jabal al Arab’ (the name by which the province in southern Syria is known) in their rightful demands for equality, justice and a dignified life.”
Abu el-Muna denounced what he called “the unjust and unfair decisions” taken by the Syrian authorities against the people, calling on Sweida’s residents to close ranks and take a unified stance “in order for them to be heard, and to protect their cultural heritage, history and future generations.”
Also on Tuesday, Abu el-Muna held talks with a senior Hezbollah delegation led by the head of the party’s politburo, Ibrahim Amin el Sayed, during which they discussed “the situation in Lebanon” and “means to check the collapse of state institutions,” a statement said.
“The meeting was an occasion for affirming that the Druze community is open to all factions of the Lebanese society, hoping that consensus would be reached through dialogue, the only way to resolve all dilemmas and crises threatening the country and the future of its people on all levels, be it economic, social or presidential,” the statement by Sheikh Akl’s office added.
Abu el-Muna’s solidarity statement with Sweida’s demonstrations was published shortly after the visit by the delegation of the Iran-backed party, a staunch ally of the Syrian president.
Sheikh Akl’s spokesperson, Amer Zeineddine, said that discussions with Hezbollah did not tackle the situation in Sweida.
Druze MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) denied that the party was in contact with the Druze community in Syria over the protests.
“Our position in that regard was spelled out in the statement. What is happening (in Sweida) is an internal, social movement, we have nothing to do with,” Abu Faour told This is Beirut.
The PSP issued a statement on Sunday in which it expressed its support for the uprising of the Druze residents of Sweida.
“We stand behind the Syrian people’s uprising in the Mohafazat of Sweida. They are demanding a minimum of justice and seeking a dignified life, in rejection of the policy of humiliation and oppression that the Syrian regime has been imposing on Syrian people in all regions of Syria. This comes after years of bloodshed at the hands of the regime, which has pushed the population into exile,” the PSP statement said.
The Sweida protests were triggered more than four days ago by the government’s decision to end fuel subsidy. The situation escalated on Tuesday, spreading to many villages across the province.
Sources inside the province told This is Beirut that hundreds of new demonstrators coming from villages across the area converged on “al Seer” square in the center of the provincial capital of Sweida.
“The protests are like a fireball that is growing by the hour. Demonstrations engulfed more than 35 areas across the province,” said the sources who required anonymity, fearing reprisals.
The protestors vented their anger outside at least three offices of the ruling Baath Party, during which they smashed and trampled photos of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
“Long live Syria, Down with Bashar,” “Disobedience until the tyrant falls,” and “Go away Bashar,” are some of the slogans raised in front of the Baath offices. They were reminiscent of the jingles raised in 2011, at the onset of the Syrian revolution that has degenerated into 12 years of a most destructive and bloody war.
“The protests are generally building up and becoming more organized. The aim is to impose a general strike and put pressure on the government by preventing public employees from accessing their workplaces,” the source said, adding, “Anyway, employees would pay almost a day’s salary just to go to work every day.”
