A source in Suweida has confirmed that the spiritual leadership of the Druze people in Syria has issued a decree appointing regime supporter Raafat Rafeh Abu Ras as head of the electronic media and external activities department in the spiritual leadership body.
The source confirmed that Abu Ras is the administrator of the pro-regime Facebook page, Suweida News Network, and said that a split has emerged in the spiritual body.
"Both Sheikh Hammoud Henawi and Sheikh Yousef Jarbou objected to the decisions of Sheikh Hikmat Salman al-Hijri, who is associated with Bashar al-Assad's regime and supports him," the source said.
"It is clear that the decision is signed solely by Hijri and resolutions issued by the spiritual body must bear the signature of three sheikhs and members in the spiritual body", the source said.
The source also pointed out that Sheikh Hijri has lost popularity in the province of Suweida, in contrast to the spiritual body sheikhs who have confronted the security plans of the regime which aims to drag the community to its side and recruit its young people to fight in the ranks of the Syrian army.
The people of Suweida call the sheikhs who face the head of the Military Security Branch, Wafiq Nasser, as "Sheikhs of Dignity".
Those sheikhs sent a message to Wafiq Nasser after the regime's security branches attempted to storm a house to take a young man to serve in Assad's army.
"Forget about recruitment in the army. Do not try to raid homes to take the young men. Forget about the military service in the army of death and murder. All the security agencies should be cautious because our patience has limits. 'No' to leading our sons to death, suicide and murder," the message said.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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