MENA Minorities

Likewise rumors have been circulating for a while but it was officially announced earlier this week: Sheikh Rafat al-Bal'us (Abu Yusuf) is the successor of his assassinated brother Wahid as leader of the autonomous minded Syrian Druze dignity movement. Sheikh Rafat, who was wounded at the bomb attack in September, is obviously still not in best shape. However, the movement is alive despite the elimination of most of its leadership. Even the formation of a new unit,  bayraq al-maqdad,  was announced. On the same occasion Fahad, the oldest son of Wahid al-Bal'us, also gave a speech in full combat dress, indicating that he might play a leading role in the future. Rafat al-Bal'us speech bayraq al-maqdad insignia   Druze figure takes up assassinated brother’s mantle, Now BEIRUT – Rafaat Balaous has taken over the leadership of Suweida’s Druze Sheikhs of Dignity movement, issuing a fiery statement blaming the Bashar al-Assad regime for the assassi...

Mazen Ezzi, editor of the Beirut-based Al Modon online newspaper and author of a series about the early days of the revolution in Suwaida , provides a full length analysis about the situation of the Druze community in Syria. The Arabic version has already been published in July, so the assassination of recently emerged Druze leader sheikh Wahid al-Bal'us (Abu Fahd) is not featured. Nevertheless, Ezzi provides some  interesting points especially regarding Bal'us and his "men/sheikhs of dignity" movement, making it more plausible why the regime might have perceived him as a threat. The Druze of Suwayda: The Embers of Dissent by Mazen Ezzi, Al-Jumhuriya English (...)Al-Balaous accused the Syrian regime of betraying the Druze and then he continued, talking about al-Assad, “If he cannot protect us, we do not want him. We will go to the presidential palace to topple him down.” A few days later, a statement by the three Sheikhs was issued, excommunicating al-Balao...

Syria's Druze reject calls for anti-government uprising by Nour Samaha, Al Jazeera English On September 5, Balous, a popular anti-government Druze leader, had just finished eating lunch in a village in Syria's southern Sweida governorate. A short time later, an explosion hit the convoy Balous was travelling in - killing him, his right-hand man, and several others.   As the victims were arriving at the government hospital, there was another blast at the hospital's entrance. More than 25 people were killed and several dozen more were wounded in both bomb explosions. According to SANA, a Syrian state news agency, someone has since confessed to being responsible for the explosions and to belonging to the Nusra Front, one of the rebel groups fighting to end the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.(...)   According to Tobias Long, a researcher and analyst on minorities in the Middle East, the Druze have limited options moving forward. "It's too early to tel...

As war swirls around Suwayda, a complex picture emerges of Druze interests  by Kristen Gillespie, SYRIA:direct The Druze of Syria have largely attempted to remain neutral in Syria’s four-year old uprising, although an estimated 14,000 Druze are currently wanted for fleeing mandatory conscription, a pro-opposition Druze human rights activist told Syria Direct last month. Likewise, some Druze have participated in the civil disobedience that marked the beginning of the Syrian uprising, and periodically clash with regime forces in Suwayda, but the sect has not taken up arms against the government—a possibility many analysts consider far-fetched. Still, Sheikh Abu Fahed Waheed al-Balaus, leader of the “first real [Druze] political movement to emerge during this crisis,” delivered a widely circulated speech earlier this year in which he called the Druze “more honorable than the Alawites” and alluded to Assad’s ouster from power if he did not “undertake to prese...

The website of Al-Araby al-Jadeed, a Qatari owned media venture (which is btw "supervised" by former Arab-Israeli politician Amzi Bishara), reports about the latest developments around Druze sheikh Abu Fahd, who is allegedly facing troubles with the mashaykh al-ʿaql, the highest Druze insitution. The article is also giving some background on Abu Fahd, stating that he was instrumenal in the large scale counter kidnappings of Sunnis from Daraʿ a while ago. The piece is a bit vague and seems to be mainly based on a conversation with an anonymous associate of the sheikh but it nevertheless contains some interesting information: The 'neutral' Druze sheikh angering Syria's regime by Alexander Ayoub, Al-Araby al-Jadeed Edit: There is a short piece in the Daily Star as well Non-profit journalism organization SYRIA:direct featurs an interview with a pro-opposition activist, mainly about the issue of recruitment to the military: Druze activist: 'Fatigue, anger' i...

Over the last year sheikh Abu Fahd Wahid Bal ʿ us has emerged as a new leader among the Syrian Druze. While  so far  the mashaykh al- ʿ aql  have hesitated to  openly   criticize the regime, Abu Fahd made a name for himself as a firm defender of Druze interests (I have discussed his role  here before).  Abu Fahd's  first appearance in a wider public was as a leader of the clergy-led protests in Suwaida ʾ  last April but in the meanwhile he became also somewhat of a militia leader. Last week a video was shared on social media in which he is is challenging openly Assad and the regime. Noteworthy is also the presence of sheikh Hammud al-Hinnawi, the leader of the three mashaykh  al- ʿ aql . His presence could be  interpreted as support for Abu Fahd.  Watch the video or read the article below from The Daily Star , this is a major development implying crucial Druze-regime tensions in the near f...