As Western diplomats explore building ties with the rebels who have seized power in Syria, a religious minority is making its own diplomatic push to ensure the protection of its members as the country rebuilds.
Druse, a representative of the group, recently traveled to Washington to meet with lawmakers, members of the Biden and Trump administrations, and diplomats.
“We are very worried about the future,” Sheikh Muvaffaq Tarif said in an interview in Washington, urging US officials to prioritize the protection of Syria's 1.2 million Druze as part of their relationship with the country's new government.
In December, after a long civil war, a coalition of Syrian rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and installed an interim government. The uprising ended the brutal regime, but remained a problem for Western nations: The Islamist group that led the uprising once had ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and was eventually officially designated a terrorist organization.
Rebel leaders have sworn allegiance to their old alliances and vowed to build a tolerant Syria. Western officials, eager to begin reconstruction, have said they are open to working with the Islamist group currently in power. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
But members of Syria's minority groups, such as the Druze, an offshoot of Shiite Islam also found in Lebanon, Israel and Jordan, are skeptical. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, the spiritual leader of the Druze in Syria expressed caution In a recent interview with German television regarding the promises of tolerance offered by Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Shara.
His counterpart in Israel, Sheikh Tarif, suggested Mr al-Shara was not moving fast enough.
“He speaks beautifully,” said Sheikh Tarif. “What I'm hearing is that the West is excited and they like what he's saying. But there is a lot of fear among minorities. We want the statements to be confirmed by actions.”
There is Mr. Al-Shara he was trying to get away from his group's jihadist roots, promising to draft a new constitution, expressing relatively moderate political positions and trying to appease Syria's minorities. An example was a Druze woman in Sweida district in the south recently appointed governor.
But some observers say Mr. al-Shara may be merely posturing to open the flow of foreign aid. Already, his new government has taken some steps radical changes to textbooks – Raised concerns within Syria about his commitment to religious diversity.
Sheikh Tarif said that in his meetings with Western officials, he is insisting on much-needed economic aid to Syria and the lifting of sanctions against the country, but only on the condition that the new government can prove that it lives up to its commitments. He also said he was trying to position the Druze community in Syria and throughout the Middle East as key partners for Western powers aiming to influence outcomes in the country and the region.
For centuries, the Druze have been politically integrated in the countries where they live, and even though they have kept their religious practices distinct, they have partially survived in the Middle East. They played an important historical role in Syria Rebellion against French rule In 1925, it began to be seen as the nation's first nationalist uprising.
“The Druze paid a high price for the independence of Syria,” said Sheikh Tarif.
When the uprising against the Assad regime began in 2011, some Druze joined rebel groups, though public support was mixed, fearing that jihadist groups fighting against the regime would show hostility to their beliefs. Druze fighters took part in the rebel attack that ousted Mr. Al-Assad.
The roughly 150,000-strong Druze community in Israel, led by Mr. Tarif, has protested the far-right government's passage of the law in recent years. marginalizes minorities. “There's a lot to improve,” he said. But Mr. Tarif rejected criticism of the Israeli army's recent moves to capture areas near the Syrian border, saying Israel was acting to ensure its own security.
He noted that Druze commanders and soldiers lost their lives fighting as members of the Israeli army in the clashes that arose as a result of Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and recalled that 12 young Druze died in the summer of last year. The Golan Heights, which is controlled by Israel, was killed by a rocket fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
Sheikh Tarif, considering that they are in several nations, the Druze see themselves as a potential bridge. “We can show how to live in peace,” he said.