The head of the "Progressive Socialist Party," MP Walid Jumblatt, after the extraordinary meeting of the general assembly of the Druze religious council, affirmed the "peaceful movement in Jabal al-Arab (Sweida)" and the need to avoid internal and external conflicts. He stated, "We met in this esteemed house and discussed various internal matters related to the Druze community and the country; it was a beneficial session, and we must repeat such gatherings."
The meeting was attended by the Sheikh of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, who stressed the "necessity of appointing a Chief of Staff in the army to respect the position and the military institution," expressing his sorrow over "the political situation in Lebanon."
Jumblatt highlighted the importance of this meeting amidst the changes and tensions we witness in our country and the surrounding region. He pointed out various economic, political, cultural, social, and even environmental challenges that require the collective responsibility of the political leadership, spiritual authority, religious council, unifying community, and authentic Arab Muslim national community, to address pressing public issues that cannot be ignored, advocating for discussions and solutions based on a clear understanding of the reality and anticipating what is to come.
He noted, "I won’t dwell on the political situation, as you are all aware of it, given the crisis that is evident to all. However, we must express our regret over the complexity, obstinacy, and deadlock in the political situation in Lebanon, the absence of dialogue, and the failure to agree or advance any possible solutions to fill the presidential void and manage the state and halt the financial collapse."
At the same time, he underscored the importance of appreciating the balanced national mediating role that you play at the forefront of the wise ones in this country, striving to save the nation from chaos and institutional collapse, hoping that all responsible parties internally will prioritize the higher national interest and facilitate solutions to pave the way for the necessary external interventions.
Abi Al-Muna added, "I will attempt to propose some ideas to prepare for a fruitful and open discussion about the current situation, wishing to hear Walid Bey's opinion first, as he is the most knowledgeable and concerned about both the community and the nation, considering his experiences, foresight, responsibilities, sacrifices, and contributions, as he is constantly exposed to the envy of adversaries from every direction."
Regarding the demands movement in Sweida, he confirmed that "this is a fundamental issue that we approach considering that the Druze community is a united Arab unifying family, sharing spiritual, blood, cultural, and historical bonds, although they live in sovereign and independent homelands with their own borders. If we do not intend to abandon our people here and elsewhere, this does not mean we plan to intervene directly in the affairs of the countries in which they live; they know their situations best.
We said from the first day of the movement: It is essential to deal with matters and issues wisely and with awareness. We affirmed with the esteemed religious leaders in our elevated mountain the legitimacy of the people's demands and the need to respect the dignity of the mountain, as it is the mountain of Arabism and the revolution against colonialism, and a symbol of Syrian unity."
He added, "Conversely, we warned of the importance of the movement remaining within its peaceful national framework and that it should not allow any offensive speech or detestable attacks on any of the spiritual or political references in the community; such behavior is unacceptable if it occurs. Controlled freedom based on awareness allows expression of legitimate and realistic demands that have long been neglected by the state, which has failed to fulfill them, but it does not permit assaults or attacks through social media or elsewhere, which is something we do not recognize in our conservative Ma'ruf community."
He confirmed, without a doubt, that the distinguished popular movement has been marked from the beginning by the unity of the people and the unity of the country, which we confirmed with the spiritual leadership of the mountain, emphasizing the importance of unity among the people of Sweida as a way toward national unity, away from any separatist slogans that have never been a demand of our community anywhere and at any time.
