Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent spiritual leader of the Druze monotheistic sect in Syria, issued an urgent appeal on Thursday, calling on the international community to intervene and protect the Druze population in the country.
In a public statement, Hijri said:
“We call upon the international community—its organisations, institutions, and agencies—to acknowledge the ongoing neglect and suppression of the tragedies we are enduring. We do not seek words, but concrete actions. We are not secessionists, nor will we ever be. We advocate for meaningful participation in building a democratic, federal state that safeguards our dignity, ensures the freedom of the nation and its citizens, and maintains security.”
He continued:
“This is an urgent call to accelerate the formation of internationally supervised committees to protect civilians and rescue them from a fate we cannot accept. We wish to live, to survive, and to help shape the future of our country.”
Hijri sharply criticised the Syrian government, stating:
“We no longer place our trust in an entity that claims to be a government but kills its own people through extremist militias affiliated with it. After committing massacres, it attributes them to rogue elements. We do not feel safe in the presence of its operatives, who are little more than agents of violence, engaged in killing, abduction, and falsification of facts. Requesting international protection is a legitimate right for a people who have endured repeated atrocities.”
He added that the pattern of killings is “systematic, evident, and well-documented,” and called for the immediate deployment of international forces to preserve peace and halt the violence.
“We issue this urgent appeal for the swift protection of innocent, defenceless civilians,” he said.
The statement was released shortly after military operations ceased in the southern outskirts of Damascus, following violent clashes that erupted late Monday and continued into Tuesday in the Jaramana area. The unrest later spread to Ashrafiyet Sahnaya.
The escalation was reportedly triggered by the circulation of an audio recording containing derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, allegedly made by a Druze cleric. The incident sparked widespread outrage and led to the deaths and injuries of dozens, including members of the security forces.
