https://arab.news/pnd9m
- Intervention came a day after clashes near the Syrian capital Damascus left a reported 13 people dead
- Fighting was prompted after an audio clip supposedly of a senior Druze figure insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated, promoting violence on Jaramana
BEIRUT: The Druze community in Lebanon, represented by its political and spiritual leaders, unanimously agreed in an urgent meeting on Wednesday in Beirut on the 鈥渘ecessity of quelling sedition in Syria in light of the bloody events that unfolded in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.鈥�
They condemned 鈥渆very insult made against the Prophet鈥� and called for calm, dialogue, and for the Syrian administration to conduct a transparent investigation into what happened.
The intervention came a day after clashes near the Syrian capital Damascus left a reported 13 people dead. The fighting was prompted after an audio clip supposedly of a senior Druze figure insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated, promoting violence on the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana.
Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, announced during the meeting his willingness to travel to the Syrian Arab Republic and meet President Ahmed Al-Sharaa 鈥渢o engage in dialogue for the sake of preserving brotherhood.鈥�
Jumblatt emphasized his rejection of 鈥淚sraeli intervention through the use of Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif鈥檚 followers to entangle the Druze of Lebanon and Syria in a conflict against all Muslims,鈥� stressing his disapproval of 鈥渢he repeated visits made by Druze delegations to Israel seeking its support, which have not been successful.鈥�
He expressed his concern regarding 鈥渢he involvement of figures from the former Syrian regime in inciting discord.鈥�
Jumblatt said there are 鈥渉undreds like Ibrahim Huweija,鈥� referring to the Syrian officer who was arrested in Syria last March and is accused of assassinating the Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt in the 1970s.
On Wednesday morning, Jumblatt engaged in extensive communications that 鈥渋ncluded the new Syrian administration, Turkiye, 萝莉视频, Qatar, and Jordan,鈥� as stated in a release from the Progressive Socialist Party.
He urged 鈥渢he relevant parties to work toward establishing a ceasefire in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area to halt the bloodshed.鈥�
Jumblatt requested that 鈥渕atters be addressed based on the principles of the state and the unity of Syria with all its components.鈥�
According to PSP, 鈥渁s a result of the communications, an agreement was reached to implement a ceasefire that has come into effect.鈥�
Sheikh Akl Sami Abi Al-Mona, the Druze spiritual leader, said at the beginning of the meeting: 鈥淭he objective is to avert the worsening situation for our people in Syria, with whom we share ties of faith, kinship, and Arab and Islamic identity.鈥�
He warned of 鈥渁 discord plot that was being prepared in Syria, based on a video clip on social media that turned out to be fabricated to sow discord between the Druze and Sunnis in Syria, a country currently fertile ground for this changing reality.鈥�
Abu Al-Mona affirmed that 鈥淒ruze are unitarians and our religion is Islam.鈥�
He added: 鈥淲e refuse to be an independent national identity and we only embrace our Arab and Islamic affiliation. We refuse to be in confrontation with the Sunnis, with whom we share the Islamic faith.
鈥淲hat happened in Syria proves that there is a hidden hand working on fueling the conflict.
鈥淣ot only do we condemn the action, the reaction and the clash on social media, but also the violation of holy sites, and we will work to stop the hateful rhetoric.
鈥淭he Syrian state must control the fragmented factions and intervene immediately to stop the ongoing security collapse.鈥�
Abu Al-Mona stressed that 鈥淚srael seeks to execute its expansion plans,鈥� adding that 鈥渨e will only accept our Arab and Islamic affiliation.鈥�
He described the situation as 鈥渃ritical鈥� and the reactions as 鈥渉asty.鈥�
Abu Al-Mona held local and external calls, notably with Syria鈥檚 Grand Mufti Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai and Lebanon鈥檚 Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, as part of the cooperative efforts to control the situation in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and to address potential dangers.
The main road linking Beirut to Damascus was blocked in Aley, Mount Lebanon, this afternoon, in protest against the developments taking place in Jaramana.