Thousands of residents from the Sweida province gathered today, Friday, in a demonstration that is the largest since the protests began about a month ago. The protesters chanted slogans calling for the overthrow of the regime and its president. What is happening in the province has led to divisions among members of the same sect, with some supporting the demonstrations and their slogans, while others attacked them.
After the Progressive Socialist Party confirmed in a statement its support for the movement of the people of Sweida province, former minister and head of the Arab Tawhid Party, Wiam Wahhab, wrote in a post on his account on the "X" platform (formerly Twitter), "Sheikh Hikmat al-Habib, as for the monotheists, jihad is defined by our sheikhs and has its conditions, and these conditions do not apply to the relationship with the Shia or Sunnis, as they are Muslims." He added, "If you want jihad, this requires the advancement of the Mujahideen as Sultan did, not to embroil people while we sit in our homes."
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, representative of the spiritual presidency of the Druze sect in Sweida, commented on the incident of live fire from within the Baath Party branch headquarters to disperse a group of protesters who were trying to re-close the branch building, resulting in injuries among the demonstrators. Al-Hajri stated that he was "not surprised by what happened and knows that any harm that befalls us will be due to the party members," calling on the people of Sweida to continue protesting against the regime and not to succumb to violence, affirming that "the squares are ours today and tomorrow and for months and years, and we will not retreat," as he expressed.
During a meeting with protesters in Sweida, Al-Hajri confirmed that "Iranian militias occupy our lands, and jihad against them is a duty," while activists on social media reported that the Shahba General Hospital received several injured individuals.
For his part, Sheikh of the Druze monotheists "Abu Wail Hamoud Al-Hanawi" expressed his rejection of targeting peaceful protesters with bullets, considering that what happened days ago in front of the Baath Party branch "cannot be ignored." Al-Hanawi affirmed that "thrones do not last through chaos, killing, and oppression," adding, "We have not left any means with them (the authority) except that we have taken it; they have destroyed humanity; we have been patient for too long." He emphasized that "whoever fires at our children will pay the price."
Sheikh Al-Hanawi pointed out that "drugs do not build nations; they are a lethal poison distributed not only in Syria but worldwide," stressing that silence should not be tolerated from now on, and that those who do not respect our history will not be respected. This mirrors Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri's position, who escalated his rhetoric against the regime after the shooting incident.
According to the hierarchical arrangement, the leadership is shared among three sheikhs of reason. The first sheikh is Hikmat Al-Hajri, the second is Sheikh Youssef Al-Hanawi, and the third is Sheikh Youssef Jarbo. Each has their own varying and fluctuating positions over the years of movement in Syria and the developments occurring in Sweida.
