Recently, the ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF, which is dominated by the Kurdish ‘Democratic Union Party’ and its armed wing the YPG) held a conference in Hasakah city in northeast Syria that included the remote participations of Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri as well as Alawite spiritual leader Ghazal Ghazal (who enjoys particular support among Alawites who are more skeptical towards the new Syrian government).