{"id":121142,"date":"2025-05-15T17:05:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T15:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=121142"},"modified":"2025-05-15T09:46:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T07:46:34","slug":"15-09-103","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=121142","title":{"rendered":"Genocide in Syria: Jihadists Massacre Druze, Christians, &#8216;Infidels&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatestoneinstitute.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"center alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gatestoneinstitute.org\/images\/gatestone-logo-1000.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"50%\" \/><\/a><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000080;\"><span><strong><a style=\"color: #000080; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gatestoneinstitute.org\/21614\/syria-jihadists-massacre-druze\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Genocide in Syria: Jihadists Massacre Druze, Christians, &#8216;Infidels&#8217;<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Uzay Bulut<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr style=\"height: 15px; background: #d0e6fa; width: 100%;\" \/>\n<ul class=\"content_preface_bullets\">\n<li>Ever since the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered the Syrian capital Damascus with Turkey&#8217;s help in December of 2024, HTS fighters and their affiliated militias &#8212; often offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda &#8212; have been massacring religious minorities throughout the country. The internet has been flooded with images&#8230; of Alawite men, women and children being barbarically shot at close range.<\/li>\n<li>Most recently, after slaughtering Alawites, HTS and Syria&#8217;s new Islamic regime, under the self-proclaimed &#8220;presidency&#8221; of former jihadist commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, are massacring other religious minorities in the country, including Christians and Druze.<\/li>\n<li>HTS is still designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, EU, US and UK.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>Qatar and Turkey are apparently the powers behind the new regime in Damascus.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>Sunnis in Inkhil, Daraa, were filmed running buses for those who want to go after the Druze. HTS supporters in Idlib waved ISIS flags and incited against the Druze and Jews.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>Endless footage from Syria signals that HTS and its supporters have a genocidal intent towards all religious minorities in the region.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>&#8220;The targeted areas were the places of Alawites and Christians. Many innocent Christian victims were also killed. Residents of some of those places were forced to leave their homes. Then they were shot and killed. Then their houses, property, and cars were stolen.&#8221; \u2014 John X, Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, March 9, 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>The fate of these communities should not be left to al-Qaeda and ISIS terrorists in Syria. Moreover, Syria should not be left to the savagery of al-Sharaa and his HTS offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda, or to Turkey&#8217;s terrorist mastermind, Erdogan.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>For years, Erdogan has repeatedly vowed to &#8220;liberate Jerusalem,&#8221; as he seems to be attempting to rebuild the Ottoman Empire and install himself as Sultan. Now, with HTS and his other proxy militias in Syria, Erdogan finally has the unimpeded path he has been waiting for to do it.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gatestoneinstitute.org\/pics\/5301.jpg\" width=\"100%\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>The fate of Syria&#8217;s Druze, Alawite and Christian communities should not be left to al-Qaeda and ISIS terrorists. Moreover, Syria should not be left to the savagery of its President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his HTS offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda, or to terrorist mastermind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Pictured: Al-Sharaa shakes hands with Erdogan during a press conference in Ankara, Turkey on February 4, 2025. (Photo by Ozan Kose\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Ever since the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered the Syrian capital Damascus with Turkey&#8217;s help in December of 2024, HTS fighters and their affiliated militias &#8212; often offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda &#8212; have been massacring religious minorities throughout the country. The internet has been\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/social-media-posts-some-discre-nUktUyRjQEWzc3rAvjVn.A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flooded<\/a>\u00a0with images &#8212; some discredited as old or manipulated, but many not &#8212; of Alawite men, women and children being\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1900225734288806342\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">barbarically shot<\/a>\u00a0at close range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Most recently, after slaughtering Alawites, HTS and Syria&#8217;s new Islamic regime, under the self-proclaimed &#8220;presidency&#8221; of former jihadist commander\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/al-sharaa-commander-of-al-qaed-SOldUMGKQu2JBTdSfETFzQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ahmed al-Sharaa<\/a>, are massacring other religious minorities in the country, including Christians and Druze.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">HTS is still designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, EU, US and UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The ongoing massacres against religious minorities in Syria should not surprise anyone given that the country is currently ruled by al-Sharaa, a former member of al-Qaeda and the al-Nusra Front. He joined offshoots of al-Qaeda in 2003, fought for the terror group in Iraq for several years, and was imprisoned by the Americans between 2006 and 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">As journalist Adi Nirman\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.israelhayom.com\/2025\/03\/05\/jihadista-to-fashionista-the-makeover-of-ahmed-al-sharaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">notes<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Al-Sharaa, who until recently was known by his alias &#8216;al-Julani,&#8217; is a longtime jihadist who was part of the ranks of organizations associated with al-Qaida and ISIS, and even orchestrated an attack against Israel \u2013 milestones that led to his designation as a &#8216;Specially Designated Global Terrorist&#8217; by the US, with a reward of approximately $10 million for information leading to his capture.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In 2011, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi &#8212; then the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), previously known as al-Qaeda in Iraq &#8212;\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtoninstitute.org\/policy-analysis\/how-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-landed-us-terrorist-lists-and-why-it-should-stay-there-now\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sent<\/a>\u00a0al-Sharaa to spearhead his group&#8217;s entry into Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The U.S. State Department\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/2009-2017.state.gov\/r\/pa\/prs\/ps\/2013\/05\/209499.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">designated<\/a>\u00a0al-Sharaa as a terrorist in 2013. Its &#8220;Rewards for Justice&#8221; program\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/us-rewards-forjustice-program-dV3VY7SwTnu5pJikp59ZJg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">offered<\/a>\u00a0$10 million for information leading to him, and noted that &#8220;he remains the leader of [the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra], which is at the core of HTS.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">President Joe Biden rescinded that bounty in December 2024, presumably in the hope that al-Sharaa would turn out to be another Konrad Adenauer, who healed Germany after the Second World War.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The UN Security Council nevertheless\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2024\/12\/1158126\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">designates<\/a>\u00a0HTS as a terrorist group due to its links with al-Qaeda and ISIS. The designation has been transposed to EU law and &#8212; theoretically &#8212; is to be followed by all 27 EU member states.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/dohanews.co\/how-qatar-has-supported-syria-since-the-fall-of-the-assad-regime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Qatar<\/a>\u00a0and Turkey are apparently the powers behind the new regime in Damascus. Turkey&#8217;s\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/turkey-s-involvement-in-the-ri-z6jwKehxSQGFU75I1mtZrg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">involvement<\/a>\u00a0in the rise of HTS appears to be extensive. Both Turkey and HTS both been have been\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mei.edu\/publications\/economics-hayat-tahrir-al-sham\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">occupying and exploiting<\/a>\u00a0parts of northwest Syria since at least 2017. Turkey&#8217;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan evidently\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/expert-brief\/what-role-turkey-playing-syrias-civil-war\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">provided<\/a>\u00a0arms and assistance to the HTS during its December advance to Damascus and allowed the terror group to\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/12\/19\/nx-s1-5232809\/syria-hts-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">run<\/a>\u00a0a key border crossing in northwest Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Since HTS took over Syria, jihadists have committed\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/03\/17\/middleeast\/syria-massacre-alawite-minority-intl-invs\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">massacres<\/a>\u00a0against the members of the Alawite minority, and the persecution of Syrian Christians has skyrocketed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Starting in April, rampant\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/when-did-violence-against-the-n8DEkSvrTEepBG3191DHdQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">violence<\/a>\u00a0has been committed against the Druze by Syria&#8217;s new government. Al-Sharaa seems to be hoping that dapper Western tailoring will fool the West into assuming that his thoughts align with his wardrobe. The Sunni Muslims of HTS have caused the deaths of countless Druze civilians.\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1918611980346159448\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Videos<\/a>\u00a0posted on social media show HTS forces executing Druze civilians in the town of Sahnaya. Other HTS footage\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1918946375577845778\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">show<\/a>s Druze civilians abducted and humiliated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The Druze are just one of the many religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East. Separated by national borders drawn after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1923, more than a million now live scattered among Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A leader of Syria&#8217;s Druze minority, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, has\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250501-syria-monitor-says-15-druze-fighters-killed-in-ambush-near-damascus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">condemned<\/a>\u00a0the jihadist violence in Jaramana and Sahnaya, towns near Damascus, as a &#8220;genocidal campaign&#8221; against Syrian Druze. Hijri urged immediate intervention by &#8220;international forces to maintain peace and prevent the continuation of these crimes&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Syria&#8217;s new regime\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250501-syria-monitor-says-15-druze-fighters-killed-in-ambush-near-damascus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a>\u00a0that to ensure security, it would deploy forces in Sahnaya, and accused &#8220;outlaw groups&#8221; of instigating the clashes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Hijri\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250501-syria-monitor-says-15-druze-fighters-killed-in-ambush-near-damascus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>\u00a0he no longer trusts &#8220;an entity pretending to be a government&#8230; because the government does not kill its people through its extremist militias&#8230; and then claim they were unruly elements after the massacres&#8221;. &#8220;The government [should] protect its people,&#8221; he added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The attacks against the Druze came after a &#8220;deepfake&#8221; video was circulated on social media that showed a Syrian Druze Sheikh, Marwan Kiwan, appearing to denounce Islam&#8217;s prophet Mohammed, angering Muslims.\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/news\/mena\/2025\/04\/29\/syrias-sectarian-violence-claims-lives-of-six-druze-in-damascus-suburb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According<\/a>\u00a0to a report in the Abu-Dhabi-based news website The National:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8220;Druze spiritual leaders and Muslims across the country warned that the video was an attempt to ignite sectarian strife. The Syrian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that the voice in the video was not Sheikh Kiwan&#8217;s and that it was working to determine who altered the video and would mete out &#8216;strict punishment&#8217;.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8220;Ahmad Al Zuaiter, a prominent resident of Jaramana, said militants from nearby areas of Ghouta fired mortar rounds into the district overnight and tried to enter through a checkpoint known as Al Nassem that is manned by Druze members of the newly established police.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8220;The dead included six Druze, mostly members of the police force, while the rest were attackers, Mr Al Zuaiter said.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8220;Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria&#8217;s Druze, said the attack was carried out by &#8216;takfiri, terrorist gangs&#8217;, meaning militants who justify the killings of members of other sects because they are non-Muslims.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The fake video, and the historic Islamic animosity towards the Druze and other non-Muslims, appear to be the driving motives of the ongoing violence against religious minorities in Syria. There are no reliable figures for the exact number of casualties, but sources on the ground\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1917926878087942543\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>\u00a0hundreds of Druze are estimated to have been executed by Islamists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A Syrian Christian, on condition of anonymity, told Gatestone:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;The city of Suwayda is where the largest number of Druze reside.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;In the city of Jaramana, the Druze live in large numbers. Sahnaya and Ashrafiyet Sahnaya are small cities, where the Druze live and HTS terrorists attacked those cities recently. The Druze lost control of those two cities to the HTS. They are being subject to massacres and ethnic cleansing right now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Suwayda is under attack. The Druze issued general mobilization there and are in self-defense. The Druze outside the city of Suwayda are essentially besieged.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;There is a major media blackout in those towns right now, and the Druze at the moment are mainly focused on defense.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/article\/b1c8p1bjke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According<\/a>\u00a0to the Israeli news website Ynet:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Jaramana, a mixed Druze-Christian city near Damascus, is in a vulnerable position. Unlike the Druze stronghold of Suwayda in southern Syria\u2014where the community is more independent and armed\u2014the Druze of Jaramana lack the ability to defend themselves. Israel has closely monitored the situation, concerned that Syria&#8217;s new leadership could test the Druze population&#8217;s standing, making it a red line for Jerusalem.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Meanwhile, radical Sunni Muslims have taken to the streets in Syria, calling for jihadist violence against the Druze and other religious minorities. Sunnis in the city of Homs\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916912306640064728\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">marched against<\/a>\u00a0the Druze and Jews, declaring jihad against both communities. They shouted slogans such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Khaybar Khaybar, O Jew &#8211; the army of Mohammed has returned (in reference to Islam&#8217;s prophet Mohammed&#8217;s massacre against Jews in Khaybar, Arabia in 629.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Listen, listen O Druze!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Listen, O enemy of Islam: war and fire \u2013 no peace!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;At your service, O messenger of Allah!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In another\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916911139830829363\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video,<\/a>\u00a0protestors in the city of Hama are heard screaming:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<strong>This is Sunni Hama! We want to exterminate the Druze! In the path of Allah, we march! We seek to raise the banner high! So that the religion may regain its glory or our blood will be spilled.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Sunni jihadists also took to Hama&#8217;s central al-Assi square and\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916891247345799221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chanted<\/a>\u00a0slogans, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;There is no God but Allah, &amp; the Druze are the enemies of Allah, &amp; the kafir (infidel) is the enemy of Allah&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Allahu akbar!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Sunni students at Homs University have been\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916819928000188596\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">filmed<\/a>\u00a0shouting slogans inciting violence against the Druze: &#8220;For the attention of [HTS] General Security: Any Druze we see in the dorms, we&#8217;re slaughtering! Inform those who are absent!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The students also\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916645696914022842\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a>\u00a0that they will &#8220;pour fire and bullets&#8221; on anyone who defends the Druze or &#8220;defends Sultan al-Atrash&#8221; (leader of the 1925 Great Syrian Revolt). Incitement by Sunni students against minorities at other Syrian universities has also led to Druze students being\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916746234863190455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">evacuated<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">On April 30, in Damascus, mosques in Eastern Ghouta were heard\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1917594165627547693\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calling<\/a>\u00a0for mass Sunni mobilization:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;To all young men carrying weapons: proceed and gather at the municipal building. General mobilization! All armed young men must head to the municipal building immediately.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Sunnis in Inkhil, Daraa, were filmed\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1917382348967989662\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">running buses<\/a>\u00a0for those who want to go after the Druze. HTS supporters in Idlib\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1916958800147566980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">waved<\/a>\u00a0ISIS flags and incited against the Druze and Jews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Endless footage from Syria signals that HTS and its supporters have a genocidal intent towards all religious minorities in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In another video, sword-wielding HTS terrorists threaten to wage jihad against the Druze. One of them is heard\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1917011517913841689\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">saying<\/a>, in part:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;We say to you, O enemy of Allah, O accursed Druze, you have nothing from us, but the severing sword&#8230;. Allahu akbar!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">On May 2 and 3, Israel reportedly\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250503-israel-launches-more-then-20-new-strikes-across-syria-amidst-druze-tensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">launched<\/a>\u00a0its heaviest airstrikes so far this year on Syria. It included bombing a building near the presidential palace in Damascus. The Israel Defense Forces Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee,\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250503-israel-launches-more-then-20-new-strikes-across-syria-amidst-druze-tensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>\u00a0&#8220;warplanes attacked&#8230; the area near Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa&#8217;s palace in Damascus.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250503-israel-launches-more-then-20-new-strikes-across-syria-amidst-druze-tensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">called<\/a>\u00a0it a &#8220;clear message&#8221; to Syria&#8217;s new rulers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">&#8220;We will not allow forces to be sent south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community,&#8221; they\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250503-israel-launches-more-then-20-new-strikes-across-syria-amidst-druze-tensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>. The Israel&#8217;s military later added that its forces deployed in southern Syria were ready to protect the Druze minority.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Hours later, Israel\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20250503-israel-launches-more-then-20-new-strikes-across-syria-amidst-druze-tensions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">carried out<\/a>\u00a0more than 20 strikes on military targets across Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Syrian reports also\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/article\/b1c8p1bjke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">indicate<\/a>\u00a0that the Israeli military facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Druze village of Khadr in Syria&#8217;s Quneitra province. The aid, organized by Israel&#8217;s Druze religious council, was designated for villages near the Israeli border, with additional shipments planned for other areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">At the same time, threats against Syrian Christians keep escalating. In the &#8220;Valley of the Christians,&#8221; armed jihadists and Sunni students from Hwash University, chanting jihadist slogans and holding public prayers in a show of force,\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1917533943080931791\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stormed<\/a>\u00a0the Christian village of al-Mzayneh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Nikolas Farantouris, a Member of European Parliament from Greece, visited Syria on March 8-9, and spoke with the representatives of the Syrian Christian community, including Syria&#8217;s Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X. In a letter Farantouris submitted to the president of the European Parliament, he\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NFarantouris\/status\/1899059767097569486\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote<\/a>, &#8220;Reliable data indicate 7,000 massacres of Christians and Alawites and unprecedented atrocities against civilians.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Patriarch John X\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Ostensiblay\/status\/1899820355801235692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>\u00a0during\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Antiochpatriarchate.org\/videos\/1217936793182265\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a sermon<\/a>\u00a0on March 9:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>&#8220;The bloody events taking place on the Syrian coast left many dead and wounded&#8230;. In many cities, towns, and villages, their houses were burnt, and their properties have been stolen. The targeted areas were the places of Alawites and Christians. Many innocent Christian victims were also killed. Residents of some of those places were forced to leave their homes. Then they were shot and killed. Then their houses, property, and cars were stolen.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The mass killings of hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority in the western coastal region last month and the ongoing massacres against the Druze community have also heightened fears among other minority communities &#8212; including the Christians, Yazidis and Kurds &#8212; and sparked calls for international protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The fate of these communities should not be left to al-Qaeda and ISIS terrorists in Syria. Moreover, Syria should not be left to the savagery of al-Sharaa and his HTS offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda, or to Turkey&#8217;s terrorist mastermind, Erdogan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">For years, Erdogan has repeatedly vowed to &#8220;liberate Jerusalem,&#8221; as he seems to be attempting to rebuild the Ottoman Empire and install himself as Sultan. Now, with HTS and his other proxy militias in Syria, Erdogan finally has the unimpeded path he has been waiting for to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><i><strong>Uzay Bulut,<\/strong> a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<hr style=\"height: 15px; background: #d0e6fa; width: 100%;\" \/>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"content-alignment\">\n<div id=\"watch-description\" class=\"yt-uix-button-panel\">\n<div id=\"watch-description-text\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p><em>Zawarto\u015b\u0107 publikowanych artyku\u0142\u00f3w i materia\u0142\u00f3w nie reprezentuje pogl\u0105d\u00f3w ani opinii Reunion&#8217;68,<\/em><em><br \/>\nani te\u017c webmastera Blogu Reunion&#8217;68, chyba ze jest to wyra\u017anie zaznaczone.<br \/>\nTwoje uwagi, linki, w\u0142asne artyku\u0142y lub wiadomo\u015bci prze\u015blij na adres:<br \/>\n<\/em><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"mailto:webmaster@reunion68.com\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">webmaster@reunion68.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"width: 100%;\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Genocide in Syria: Jihadists Massacre Druze, Christians, &#8216;Infidels&#8217; Uzay Bulut Ever since the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered the Syrian capital Damascus with Turkey&#8217;s help in December of 2024, HTS fighters and their affiliated militias &#8212; often offshoots of ISIS and al-Qaeda &#8212; have been massacring religious minorities throughout the country. The internet [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121142"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121142"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121153,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121142\/revisions\/121153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}