Rochel Junior

As-Suwayda — Since the jihadists of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham took control, matters have not moved toward a just or stable path. Instead, early signs of sectarianism have begun to rapidly surface in the political and social landscape. The country has witnessed a troubling series of events over the past year, from the coastal regions to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, to As-Suwayda, and recently parts of Homs.

These developments reflect a policy that does not represent equality among Syrian components, but rather suggests that the country is heading toward a dangerous shrinking of its diversity — and that Syria is threatened with becoming a state of one identity and one color if Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham continues to ignore this approach and overlook its consequences on civil peace and the social fabric.

This comes amid the use of tear gas and excessive force by security forces to disperse the sit-in, as well as live gunfire directed randomly at protesters and the deliberate running over of demonstrators by Public Security vehicles — all of which heightened chaos and fear in Al-Zahraa Square.

 

“Systematic Extermination”

From As-Suwayda, activist Raqiya Al-Sha’er followed what was happening in Homs. She said the recent events in Homs reminded her of a series of violations stretching from the coast, to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, to As-Suwayda — and now reaching Homs. She described what happened in Homs in the past few days as “systematic extermination operations targeting certain Syrian components,” affirming that these operations targeted Syrian groups including Alawites, Druze, and Christians.

She explained that the attacks which targeted areas inhabited by Alawite residents in Homs came after the circulation of a narrative accusing members of this sect of killing a Sunni man and his wife — a claim she said had no clear evidence. She added that the only “evidence” circulated were sectarian phrases written on walls, questioning:
“Is it reasonable that a person committing a crime would leave evidence against himself?”

She clarified that the area had been under Public Security protection and that checkpoints were evacuated before the massacre occurred — something she believes “paved the way for the attacks against Alawites.” She asserted that these events “were expected from the moment Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham took power,” noting that sectarian rhetoric and identity-based polarization have since become increasingly visible.

 

Sequence of Violations

Raqiya Al-Sha’er linked the events in Homs to a series of operations targeting Syrian components in several regions.
She stated:
“The authority has adopted a systematic approach based on spreading takfiri ideology — sometimes by force, sometimes by coercion, and sometimes through open preaching in the streets.”

She indicated that tensions began when the interim government carried out “ethnic cleansing operations against the Syrian people.” She added that the justification used at the time was an alleged coup attempt by remnants of the former regime, which pushed tribes to call for an armed mobilization. More than 150,000 people rushed out, thinking they were supporting their religion — resulting in massacres against Alawite families in the coastal areas.

She also pointed to similar incidents that took place last May in Sahnaya following the circulation of a video — later admitted by the same parties to be fabricated — showing a man from the Druze community insulting the Prophet Muhammad. This led to “another tribal mobilization targeting the residents of Jaramana and Sahnaya.”

Raqiya Al-Sha’er further discussed the events in As-Suwayda last July, describing them as “ethnic cleansing operations” that killed thousands of civilians. She noted that villages in the western and northern countryside are still under occupation, and that there are bodies the locals have been unable to bury.

She affirmed that what happened in As-Suwayda was “a crime against humanity,” with ongoing consequences to this day.

 

Sectarian Rhetoric and Transitional Justice

Raqiya Al-Sha’er considered the current authority to be the primary party responsible for the rise of sectarian rhetoric in Syria. She said it “hid the file of transitional justice and did not treat it seriously,” and failed to issue laws that would limit sectarian discourse — even though such discourse was “the main cause of massacres committed against minorities in Syria.”

She added that Syrian components are not newcomers to Syrian geography and that burying the transitional justice file aims to avoid holding large numbers of individuals within the authority accountable. She also reminded that this same authority had previously been placed on international terrorism lists for committing crimes against civilians.

 

Consequences of Continuing the Current Approach

Raqiya Al-Sha’er warned that continuing the same approach will deepen the divisions between Syrian components. She said that incitement and hostility between communities “may lead to geographic separation and the formation of a nucleus for a potential partition.”

She emphasized that As-Suwayda’s stance — refusing to surrender its weapons, preventing the interim government from entering, and choosing to determine its own fate — was “the correct decision.” She added that the events in Homs further reinforced this position.