Lebanese Druze Leader Sami Abi al-Mona: Tribes Gathered Against Suwayda's Druze as if Liberating Jerusalem
ARK News.. Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, has called on the Druze clerics in Syria’s Suwayda province to join the framework of a united Syrian state, amid escalating tensions and violent clashes in the region.
In a public statement, Abi al-Mona lamented the heavy loss of life and property resulting from recent unrest in Suwayda, revealing that statistical organizations are now working on the file of the missing, with lists containing over 500 names compiled so far.
Questioning the root causes of the crisis, he asked, “Is this the result of a plan, or a misstep? I believe it’s something much larger.”
Abi al-Mona urged the Syrian state to develop a formal agreement that reassures the people of Suwayda and the country’s minorities, emphasizing the need for national unity and inclusivity.
He also criticized the role of international actors in the Syrian conflict, stating that those who supported the Syrian revolution should have worked toward building a state and a social contract that ensures stability and security for all citizens.
The Lebanese Druze leader rejected efforts to place the blame solely on Suwayda’s local factions, arguing that they were acting in self-defense amid tribal offensives. He expressed astonishment at the mobilization of tribal fighters from across Syria, likening it to a campaign to “liberate Jerusalem.”
His remarks come in the wake of intensified violence in Suwayda, where deadly confrontations between Druze fighters and armed tribal groups have raised alarms about sectarian polarization and the broader breakdown of security in post-Assad Syria.
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