Syria on fire: 19 dead after bloody fighting in Saidnaya!
Syria on fire: 19 dead after bloody fighting in Saidnaya!
Saidnaya, Syrien - Today, a worrying increase in violence in Syria was reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented at least 19 dead and numerous injuries in Saidnaya, a place north of Damascus. The struggles are in the context of a devastating conflict between the Drusian minority and, loyal to the government, Sunni fighters. These recent incidents are a direct result of violent riots that had started in Jaramana and have already asked for at least 17 lives.
Delivery of these unrest was a sound recording that insulted the prophet Mohammed and supposedly attributed a member of the Drusian community. In an explosive context in which the Drusen - a religious minority in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan - and historically take a loyal attitude towards their states, the number of civilians affected by the conflicts increases. Among the victims in Saidnaya there were 3 druses and 16 fiducies.
tensions between religious communities
As already reported, Syria is an ethnic and religiously diverse country. With about 75% of the population, the sunnites form the majority, while Alawites and Christians each make up about 10%. Drusen, Shiites and Yazidis are also part of the social structure. However, the ongoing civil war, which started in 2011, has endangered this decades of peaceful coexistence. Before the civil war, estimates assumed that Sunnis made around 75% of the Syrian population. However, current figures are difficult to confirm due to the lack of census. Yes, the last census took place in 1962.
The conflict has also strengthened ethnic tensions, especially between the Arab majority and the Kurds, which represent the second largest ethnic group in Syria. In recent years, the Kurds in Northern and Eastern Syria have fought for autonomous administration, while they were discriminated against under the rule of the Assad family. In this dynamic battle situation, the Syrian Ministry of the Interior has already clarified that the druse, which is held responsible for the insulting sound recording, is not connected to the recording. This is supported by a representative of the Drusen in Jaramana who claims that the admission is fake.
Influence of external actors and the location of the Druze
Mitte of these conflicts also reacted by the Israeli military by carrying out an “warning operation” against an extremist group that was supposed to prepare an attack on the Druze. Israel has declared that Syria would expect measures to protect the Druze. This happens against the background of a worrying situation, in which civilian victims are becoming increasingly common by battles in cities such as Saidnaya. Residents report considerable damage to houses and cars by shelling.
The Syria conflict shows us how deep the religious trenches are in the country. UN reports warn of a growing role of religion in conflict. The support of various religious groups often takes on a geopolitical dimension. While Alawites and supporters of the regime hold together, the Sunnite community is partly united in opposition to the regime. Drusen have taken a neutral position in the past, but its situation could tighten in the event of a change of regime.
The escalating violence in Syria is alarming and shows how deep the divisions are within society. In view of the historical tensions between the different religious communities and the ongoing fights, a peaceful solution is questionable. The current situation is strongly reminiscent of past conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq, where religious and jihadist groups could strengthen in such an environment.
For more information about the complex structure of Syrian society and the influence of different religions, the reports of the Deutschlandfunks and the DetailsOrt Saidnaya, Syrien Quellen
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