Country: Syria

Group: Druze

Date finalized: October 19, 2021

Team: Nichole Dahlen (lead), Alicia Hernandez, Omer Carrillo, Analisa Jimenez, Elizabeth Ardila

Content Warning: war, physical violence, genocide, discrimination, racism

Approximate Time Period: 2011-present

Evidence indicates the Druze have faced forced relocation in Syria. The quality of data ranks as a 2 as sources include some reputable sources such as academic journals and non-profit research databases alongside anecdotes and news sources.

The Druze, also known as Mowahhidoon or Mowahhid, are an ethnically Arab religious minority that make up 3-4% of the population in Syria (Minority Rights Group, 2015). Many Druze live on the border of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, a prominent war zone of the Syrian civil war (Prince-Gibson, 2017). The Syrian Civil War began during the Arab Spring movement when President Bashar Assad reacted to peaceful protests with a brutal, violent response (Sherlock, 2021). The war has displaced millions of people over the past ten years, the Druze among them (Sherlock, 2021). Family members have urged Druze in war zones to relocate to safer locations (Analysis, 2013). Some evidence supports that the Druze may be a target for relocation due to their ethnicity. For example, a Druze member reported a note on their doorstep stating, “you are not welcome anymore” (Analysis, 2013). Further, in 2015, twenty Druze died after the jihadist group the al-Nusra Front attempted to confiscate property from an “Assad-backing” Druze (BBC, 2015). Little information about whether the al-Nusra Front’s confiscation of Druze property represented a larger pattern could be found. However, when a rebel alliance that included al-Nusra asserted control of Jabal al-Summaq, they destroyed Druze shrines and graves, suggesting al Nusra targeted Druze specifically (Irshaid, 2015). Although limited evidence points to Assad’s government ethnically targeting the Druze for relocation, the Assad government participates in “a ‘scorched earth’ strategy’” where “Assad’s forces try to retake an area by forcing everyone to leave – rebels and civilians, alike” through airstrikes on hospitals and homes (Sherlock, 2021). In Suwayda, 114,000 Druze or 23% of the Druze population relocated from 2014-2019 as life became more untenable. The Syrian Civil War continues into 2021 (Sherlock, 2021). As a result, Druze living in the warzones remain in continual danger.

Sources:

  1. Analysis: Sectarian violence triggers Sunni-Alawi segregation in Syria – Syrian Arab Republic. (2013, June 24). ReliefWeb. Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/analysis-sectarian-violence-triggers-sunni-alawi-segregation-syria
  2. Irshaid, F. (2015, June 19). Syria’s Druze under threat as conflict spreads. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33166043
  3. Manufacturing Division: The Assad Regime and Minorities in South-west Syria. (n.d.). Middle East Institute. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://www.mei.edu/publications/manufacturing-division-assad-regime-and-minorities-south-west-syria
  4. Minority Rights Group International. (2015, June 19). Druzeí. Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/druze-3/
  5. Prince-Gibson, E. (2017, November 16).  Druze in the Golan Heights have long been “on the fence” between Syria and Israel. Syria’s civil war has changed things. The World from PRX.
  6. Sherlock, R., Neuman, S., & Homsi, N. (2021, March 15). Syria’s Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here’s Where It Stands. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/15/976352794/syrias-civil-war-started-a-decade-ago-heres-where-it-stands