As-Suwayda: Druze Factions Release Alawite Officer After Unofficial Mediation

As-Suwayda: Druze Factions Release Alawite Officer After Unofficial Mediation
This event reveals the complexities of sectarian relations in Syria, where community and tribal ties sometimes transcend the authority of the ruling regime, highlighting the fragility of Assad's contr
October 21, 2024, 9:31 pm

‎السويداء \ تعبيرية

As-Suwayda governorate witnessed an exceptional event that reveals the complexities of the Syrian scene and the intertwining of sectarian and societal relations. A local Druze group released Major Ali Suleiman, director of the blood bank in the governorate, after detaining him for several months as a means of pressure to release detainees in Damascus regime prisons.

Suleiman's release came after a delegation from his family and notables of the Alawite community from Homs visited As-Suwayda. During their visit, the delegation met with Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri, the spiritual leader of the Druze Unitarian community, and Suleiman Abdul Baqi, leader of the "Mountain Freemen Gathering".

Abdul Baqi stated that Suleiman's release comes "in appreciation of the delegation's visit and as a gesture of goodwill," confirming that the detention of Assad's forces members was aimed at pressuring for the release of Druze detainees.

He also revealed a controversial stance of the Damascus regime, which informed the Druze factions during negotiations that it was not interested in the fate of its detained members, considering them among the dead.

The released officer's father explained that the regime's security agencies claimed they didn't know his son's whereabouts and warned the delegation against entering As-Suwayda, alleging they would be killed - a position that highlights the contradiction between the regime's claims and the reality on the ground.

The "Mountain Freemen Gathering" still holds other officers since last July, in response to the regime's arrest of Sheikh Baha Al-Shaer and young Murhaf Al-Hanani, indicating the continued tension between the regime and the Druze community in As-Suwayda.

The event reveals the complexities of the Syrian scene, where community and sectarian ties sometimes transcend the authority of the central regime. It also highlights the role of religious and local leaders in resolving conflicts, which could serve as a model for societal reconciliation in the post-conflict phase. At the same time, this event underscores the fragility of the Assad regime's control over its traditional areas of influence and the erosion of its legitimacy.

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