Sheikh of the Druze community in Sweida, Hammoud Al-Hanawi, issued a statement today, Wednesday, expressing solidarity with the protests occurring in Syria. Al-Hanawi's message was a unified call to all Syrians and members of the Druze community, emphasizing that "the dignity of the citizen is tied to the dignity of the nation, and his existence is linked to the life of the people. He has the right to live in dignity, safe for himself, his livelihood, and his family. Authorities must understand well that unemployment and hunger are the greatest drivers of societal collapse, and the rampant corruption has become the root of the problem, affecting every position in the country."
He clarified that the life of the homeland depends on the life of the nation, and the life of the nation depends on its individuals, asserting that individuals are fundamental to the state. He pointed out the dangers that people face due to the spread of drugs, the absence of law and order, security, safety, and the burden of oppression and tyranny.
Al-Hanawi underscored that citizens have the right to demand, with bold voices and an irreversible stance, finding a decisive solution, as there are limits to patience. He emphasized the need for Syrians to remain steadfast in their position (the position of dignity, being mindful of its etiquette, and preserving the institutions of both public and private state). He noted that drugs do not build a nation.
In his statement, he mentioned that this message was delivered from the seat of the Druze leadership in the village of "Suhwat Al-Balata," and comes in light of the ongoing events in Sweida Governorate and across Syria, aiming to clarify his position.
At dawn today, the people of Sweida took to the streets, closing the Ba'ath Party headquarters and several government institutions by setting tires on fire, blocking cars, and chanting slogans denouncing the Syrian regime. Simultaneously, residents of the villages of "Majadil, Al-Mujaymir, Al-Hayt, Salim, Al-Raha, and Al-Qaryah" in the Sweida countryside blocked roads leading to the governorate with tires and stones, reaffirming their strike for the fourth consecutive day.
In this context, residents of "Mardak" north of the city of Sweida and residents of "Dama" northwest of the governorate held protests in their village squares to restate their demands for freedom and the overthrow of the Syrian regime.
Yesterday, Sheikh Hammoud Al-Hanawi participated in a protest in the town of Al-Qaryah in southern Sweida, confirming via a video posted by activists that the demonstrators are on the path to freedom that leader Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash fought for. He stressed before the cameras that "the people of Sweida will not remain silent about the wrongs; their dignity is the foundation, and the demands being voiced by the people are their rightful claims."
The Sweida Governorate recorded 50 points of protest yesterday, marking the largest since the beginning of the uprising, which was preceded by a demonstration in the city square that was also noted to be the biggest, with chants focused on one demand: "Overthrow the regime and political change to rescue the country from its plight."
