MENA Minorities

After a period of relative calm in the overwhelming Druze province of Suwaida ʾ  the situation dramatically changed in the middle of last August. The villages of Dama (and Dair Dama) were attacked by a group of local Bedouin. Größere Kartenansicht Al Monitor reported that the attack came after local NDF members had responded with targeting Bedouin gatherings to the beheading of a Druze man . The Bedouin were allegedly joined by rebel elements, according to some reports from al-Qa ʿ ida affiliated Jabhat an-Nusra. The number of the casualties on the Druze side differs from 12 to 24 and reportedly includes a high number of religious sheikhs (according to opposition outlet Zaman alWasl even seven). Harming religious people ( ʿuqqal ) is generally a red line for the Druze. This was illustrated in April 2014, when the arrest of a sheikh led to rare public protests in Suwaida ʾ  and temporary a precarious situation for the regime. However, as Aymenn al-Tami...

On Monday the death of five pro-Asad  Druze  was reported in 'Arna, a village on the Syrian controlled side of Mount Hermon in the Golan near the ceasefire line of 1974, not far from the Lebanese border. It turned out that the five had been supporters of Lebanese politician Wi'am Wahhab and his Arab Tawhid Party , which was admitted by the party in an official statement cited by the Daily Star : “The Arab Tawheed Party mourns its martyrs who perished on Nov. 4, 2013, in the battle of defending pride and dignity during clashes with terrorist groups in the village of Arna in Mount Hermon,” the party said in a statement. Arna, a predominantly Druze Syrian area of Mount Hermon, has seen battles between Syrian opposition groups and forces loyal to President Bashar Assad, a Lebanese security source said. The Arab Tawheed Party is headed by former Cabinet Minister Wiam Wahhab, a staunch supporter of Assad. Describing them as “champions,” the party sa...