Exclusive: Who are Syria’s Druze and why are they under attack?– www.euronews.com
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Excerpt:
The new authorities in Damascus have largely been met with a cautious sigh of relief by the international community.
Al-Sharaa has met with leaders from Western powers, including the UK, the EU and the US. Donald Trump even called the new president “handsome”.
What followed was the lifting of many crippling sanctions that were imposed on the Assad regime for crimes against the Syrian people. Today, 90% of the population still lives below the poverty line, and the economy hangs by a thread.
Although many have lauded al-Sharaa for providing stability to a country ravaged by over a decade of war, Syria has endured multiple eruptions of interethnic violence, notably in early March when Alawite communities were massacred in coastal regions.
While al-Sharaa at the time called for calm and promised an independent investigation into claims that government-affiliated forces initiated what one commentator called the “orgy of violence,” many believe the president was complicit.
“They asked (the Alawites) to hand over weapons,” the Suwayda resident said during their interview. “When the weapons were handed over, and the Syrian coastal area became isolated … they attacked and committed terrible massacres against humanity.”
“The entire villages were killed and exterminated. Houses and houses were burned.”
Sheikh Hikmat agreed, adding, “They use a local group to stir up strife, and then they carry out mass killings against their opponents.”
