A group of Canadian Druze are calling on the Canadian government and broader international community to intervene after attacks on Suwayda, a Druze-majority city in southwestern Syria. The group held a press conference July 25, in front of Toronto City Hall, to call attention to the horrors their families have experienced.
The situation in Suwayda exploded two weeks ago after clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups. On July 14, the Syrian government sent militias in to intervene, and they supported the Bedouin groups, attacking the Druze. Hundreds of Druze civilians have been killed since, including reported attacks on hospitals and executions in the streets.
As the attacks on the Syrian Druze intensified, Israel intervened, striking Syrian military targets in the Suwayda region and even the Syrian defence ministry building in Damascus. Within a few days a fragile ceasefire was reached and the Syrian forces withdrew from the region. However, tensions remain high and the situation is still uncertain, with clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions ongoing and civilians still at risk.
It was in response to the current situation that the Druze Canadian delegation held their press conference. Three of them with ties to the region spoke about the atrocities that had been relayed back to them, including loved ones who had disappeared or been killed, while surrounded by other members of their community holding Druze flags, signs, and pictures of missing or murdered Druze Syrians.
“Homes were bombed. Families were massacred inside their homes. Infants, elderly, even people with special needs were executed in cold blood. My own family was directly impacted. My sister-in-law’s husband and their two sons, Salah and Yusuf, were brutally murdered,” said Rahaf Alakbani, a Canadian Druze woman with family in Suwayda, her voice breaking before she paused, crying.
“Salah was only 13 years old. He’s a musician, he loves soccer and he is such a nice person. And Yusuf was 15. He’s a talented guitarist. His dream was one day to come to Canada. They’re very gentle and kind. They had nothing to do with politics or war. The militia killed them in front of their mother’s eyes. She couldn’t even bury them for two days. The pain is indescribable.”
Also speaking was Jamil Ammar, a professor at triOS College who came to Canada in 2017. He spoke about the situation in Suwayda before making a plea for his people.
“Make no mistake, we cannot turn our face. We cannot turn a blind eye. If justice for the Druze community in Suwayda is not served, we all will run the risk of being the architect of a world where violence isn’t only tolerated, but also encouraged,” he said at the press conference.
“So if you share our values, if you believe in our cause, please help us to raise awareness. Reach out to the Canadian government, say something. We all need to work together to stop this massacre.”
In an interview with The CJN after the press conference, he elaborated on his hopes for the region. When the Assad regime was overthrown by current president Ahmen al-Sharaa, there was some reason for hope. The new regime spoke about a Syria that protected all people, regardless of ethnicity.
So far, Ammar says, that has not been the case. They speak a good game to the outside world, appeasing world powers, which in turn earns them “carte blanche” to do what they will within Syria. He says their inclusive rhetoric is just propaganda.
“We hoped six months ago that this interim government will hold international laws, human rights, or respect to humanity, will be a better replacement of the al-Assad regime, who was responsible directly or indirectly for the destruction of his country and the killing of hundreds of thousands of people,” he said.
“So far, we have not seen a lot of evidence to make us optimistic. Six months going, there is evidence after evidence to suggest that this particular interim government does not believe in the concept of a modern state. It does not believe in inclusivity. It does not believe in democracy. It does not believe in human rights.
“It would be a fatal mistake to deal with this particular interim government as if it is a threat to only minorities. This particular government is a threat to the Sunni moderate minority in Syria. This particular interim government does not include any Muslim figure that is not in line with their own ideology. So what we are talking about is an extremely exclusive, closed group that uses a classical jihadi strategy. But with an extremely modern and polished propaganda. That’s all. That’s the only difference.”
According to Ammar, the best way to counteract this tactic by the current Syrian leadership is to publicize the atrocities that are being committed against minority groups within the country, and get the international community to hold them to account.
“I am very cautiously optimistic, not in [Syrian leadership’s] ability to see through and understand that this path leads nowhere, but on the awareness of the international community to understand that they actually need to step in and they need to keep the pressure to give them incentive to do the right thing. Because honestly speaking, absent consistent and persistent international pressure, I don’t feel this government has enough energy or will to do the right thing.”
