This is Beirut

Teymour Joumblatt Condemns Violence in Sweida, Calls for National Dialogue

This is Beirut, 29/08 19:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

taymour jumblatt PSP Sweida Druze Israel Syria

Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader and Lebanese MP Teymour Joumblatt spoke out on Friday with deep sorrow and frustration over the recent violence in Sweida, Syria. He called for peace and unity in the wake of the tragedy. “We are going through a very sensitive time, filled with sadness and anger over what has happened in Sweida,” ...

Sectarian Violence in Syria's Druze Heartland Killed Nearly 2,000

This is Beirut, 29/08 13:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Syria Sweida Druze Bedouin

A Syria monitor said Friday that the death toll from sectarian violence in Sweida province in July has climbed to nearly 2,000, after dozens more bodies were identified. The week of bloodshed erupted on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, but rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces and fighters from other parts ...

Syrian Religious Leader Demands 'Separate' Region for Druze

This is Beirut, 25/08 18:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Druze Hikmat al-Hijri Sweida

A prominent Druze leader in southern Syria demanded on Monday the creation of a separate region for his minority community, as he seeks to unite local armed factions following sectarian violence last month. The week of bloodshed in Sweida province began on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin but rapidly escalated, ...

UN Experts Denounce Attacks on Syria's Druze

This is Beirut, 21/08 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel United Nations Druze Syria Sweida

A panel of UN experts denounced Thursday what they described as an outbreak of massacres, sexual violence and kidnappings targeting the Druze minority in southern Syria in the past month. Fighting erupted in the Sweida region on July 13. Clashes between local Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces and ...

Sheikh Akl of the Druze Defends Walid Joumblatt’s Positions

This is Beirut, 17/08 19:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

lebanon walid jumblatt druze

The spiritual leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Sheikh Akl Samy Abi el-Mona, has rejected accusations against Walid Joumblatt, saying that his positions “are the antithesis of betraying history and identity.” In a statement issued after consulting with leading religious dignitaries, the sheikh denounced “the project aimed at uprooting ...

PSP Calls for International Probe into Sweida's Violence

This is Beirut, 15/08 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Sweida Aid Druze PSP Walid Jumblatt

The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) called on Friday for an international investigation into the recent violence in Sweida, the Druze heartland of southern Syria, where hundreds were killed. Rejecting what it described as “rumors and claims” about its stance, the PSP reiterated its demands for justice, urgent relief for the embattled city ...

Walid Joumblatt Calls for National Unity and Neutrality

This is Beirut, 10/08 17:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Druze Jumblatt Unity Peace

During a tour of Baalchmay and Aley alongside political and religious leaders, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt addressed the regional situation, warning of a “great conspiracy” whose outcome remains uncertain. Joumblatt stressed that in light of the painful events unfolding in the region, Lebanon’s role is limited. ...

Syria Forms Committee to Investigate Violence in Druze Heartland

This is Beirut, 31/07 22:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Sweida Syria Druze Commmittee

Syria's justice ministry announced on Thursday the formation of a committee to investigate deadly violence in the southern Druze-majority province of Sweida. The week-long clashes which began on July 13 killed more than 1,400 people, many of them Druze civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. In a decree issued ...

From Sweida to Hasbaya: The Druze Soul Under Strain

Katia Kahil, 31/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

druze Sweida Lebanon Syria

While Syria’s Sweida province remains on edge following July’s deadly clashes, the reverberations are deeply felt across the border in Hasbaya. In this part of southern Lebanon—as elsewhere in the Druze world—identity transcends borders. The people of Hasbaya have lived this tragedy as their own, with Druze Sheikh al-Aql, Sami Abi ...

New Aid Convoy Enters South Syria Druze-Majority Province

This is Beirut, 28/07 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus United Nations Druze Aid

A new humanitarian aid convoy reached southern Syria's Druze heartland on Monday, official media said, as the United Nations warned the humanitarian situation in Sweida province was critical after deadly violence. Clashes in Druze-majority Sweida province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze ...

The Druze of Syria: A Minority Seeking Stability in the Post-Assad Transition

Natasha Metni Torbey, 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Druze Minority

Since July 13, deadly clashes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida have left more than 1,300 people dead, including at least 630 local residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence erupted after the abduction of a merchant from the Druze community, triggering a wave of bloodshed that underscores the region’s ...

Sami Abi el-Mona Calls for Urgent Humanitarian Mobilization in Sweida

This is Beirut, 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Sweida Druze Syria Sami Abi al-Mona

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona called on Thursday for urgent humanitarian action to support the people of Sweida, who have been deeply affected by recent violent clashes. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Abi al-Mona described a dire situation in the Syrian governorate, pointing to significant civilian casualties and ...

Druze