The Recent Violence Against Druze in Syria

The past few days have witnessed violence by Sunni gunmen (some of whom are undoubtedly affiliated with forces of the new Syrian government) targeting members of the Druze community primarily in the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and Ashrafiya Sahnaya, both of which are known for their large Druze populations. What is remarkable is the attempt to explain this transparently sectarian violence in scandalously apologetic terms, attributing it to ‘sectarianisation’ under the Assad regime or issues such as suburban planning. In the words of one German commentator, Tobias Schneider: ‘Any transition, reform, or accountability will effectively look like communal retribution.’

Explanations along these lines ignore the root of this entire affair: namely, an audio clip attacking Islam and the Prophet Muhammad circulated on Syrian social media networks and sparked outrage.