The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Syria, Hikmat al-Hijri. (Photo taken from the Facebook account Suwayda 24)
He was already Syria's most influential Druze spiritual figure. His name is now associated with any discussion on relations between the Druze community and the central government in Damascus. Hikmat al-Hijri, 59, reaffirmed his political weight during recent clashes between Druze factions and government forces, which resulted in more than 100 deaths in Sweida and the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and Sahnaya in one week. On May 1, the sheikh temporarily distanced himself from negotiations between the government and a delegation of Druze representatives aimed at finding an agreement to end the violence and secure Sweida province, a stronghold of the Druze minority, which constitutes 3 percent of Syria's population. A signal that the talks were not going in the direction he wanted.But the situation reversed on May 3. Hijri, on one...
He was already Syria's most influential Druze spiritual figure. His name is now associated with any discussion on relations between the Druze community and the central government in Damascus. Hikmat al-Hijri, 59, reaffirmed his political weight during recent clashes between Druze factions and government forces, which resulted in more than 100 deaths in Sweida and the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and Sahnaya in one week. On May 1, the sheikh temporarily distanced himself from negotiations between the government and a delegation of Druze representatives aimed at finding an agreement to end the violence and secure Sweida province, a stronghold of the Druze minority, which constitutes 3 percent of Syria's population. A signal that the talks were not going in the direction he wanted.But the situation reversed on May 3. Hijri, on one...
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