The Damascus Suburb of Jaramana After the Recent Violence: Interview

In late April and early May, the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, which has a notable Druze population, witnessed an assault by armed Sunni gunmen, with the direct trigger being an anti-Islam recording attributed to a Druze individual in al-Suwayda’. The violence was eventually diffused through a negotiated agreement between local notables and the central government.

More than a month on, what is the situation like now? What is the relationship between the suburb and the central government, particularly in matters pertaining to security? To discuss these matters, I present an interview with a Jaramana resident who is originally from the Druze region of Jabal al-Summaq in north Idlib countryside. Prior to thee fall of the Assad regime, he was supportive of Bashar al-Assad. This interview was conducted on 6 June.

Q: Can you describe what happened in Jaramana?