AS-SWEIDA – Killings and targeting on the basis of religious and sectarian identity in Syria are no longer isolated incidents, but have come to raise growing fears about the safety of civilians and the ability of institutions to protect them and guarantee equality among them.

Questions are renewed about the extent of the law's ability to protect citizens, amid escalating fears that sectarian identity may turn into a factor determining the fate of individuals and their right to life and safety.

In this context, lawyer Walaa Taj Al-Din warns of the decline of citizenship in favor of sectarian affiliations, noting that the societal situation in Syria is witnessing a dangerous deterioration, and that sectarian affiliation has become, in some areas and circumstances, a decisive factor in determining the fate of individuals.

She explained that the arrival of groups carrying strict religious ideas and jihadist and Salafi backgrounds contributed to deepening divisions within society and undermining the foundations of shared life, noting that restoring stability requires a legal system that protects everyone, respects religious and cultural diversity, and guarantees equality before the law.

She adds that the decline in moral and social values was accompanied by an escalation of incitement discourse against some components and minorities, noting that media campaigns targeting specific groups may prepare an environment that allows justifying violence against them.

She warned of the danger of moving from verbal incitement to direct assaults, considering that the recurrence of targeting various components raises fears of the existence of recurring patterns of identity-based violence, instead of dealing with each incident as a separate event.

Between the Official Narrative and Demands for Accountability

She also questions the usefulness of the investigation committees announced after some massacres, considering that the absence of announced results and actual accountability may make them mere formal procedures that do not contribute to achieving justice for the victims and their families.

She noted that she reviewed the backgrounds of some persons associated with one of the investigation committees, and says that one of them had previously published inciting material against the Alawites.

She confirms that the establishment of the state is based on the rule of law and the achievement of justice, warning that replacing the logic of revenge and bloodshed with the law would undermine the foundations of the state and deepen the sense of various components of the lack of protection and equality before the law.

Recurring Incidents and Fears of the Widening Circle of Targeting

Walaa Taj Al-Din evoked the incident of the killing of seven engineers and workers on the Masyaf bridge, noting that they were targeted because of their belonging to the Alawite sect, alongside the killing of young Druze men despite obtaining official permits to reach their lands and pick olives.

She believes that these facts raise questions about the effectiveness of official measures in protecting civilians, warning that the continuation of assaults without accountability may deepen divisions and push Syrian components to search for self-means to protect themselves, threatening civil peace and increasing the possibilities of clash.

When Citizenship Recedes Before Sectarianism

She noted that the escalation of sectarian targeting contributed to the decline in the sense of shared national belonging, and strengthened the presence of sub-identities, and that the discourse of incitement and insult to Syrian components undermines trust between Syrians and obstructs opportunities for coexistence.

She affirms the right of every component to protect its members and preserve its cultural and historical identity, without that turning into a justification for diminishing the rights of others. She believes that the demand for protection and self-determination becomes more urgent when members of a group feel the institutions' inability to guarantee their security.

Walaa Taj Al-Din rejects the marginalization of the history of Syrian components or the belittling of their contributions, confirming that the Alawites, Druze, Kurds, and others are an authentic part of the country's history and identity. She also warns against the employment of media and political funding to spread hate speech and promote hostile stereotypes.