The spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, renewed calls Monday for what he described as Sweida’s “independence,” saying the southern province could eventually become “an autonomous entity under another state’s protection or join another state.” His remarks coincided with the first anniversary of the July 2025 clashes in Sweida. A local source in Sweida opposed to al-Hijri’s policies rejected the proposal, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that residents “have no state but Syria, despite the country’s current hardships.” The source added that neither Israel nor Jordan supports such a move, noting that Israeli officials have publicly stated they do not back Sweida’s secession and that “the overwhelming majority of residents will not abandon their Syrian identity.” Areas under al-Hijri’s influence have hosted gatherings in recent days to commemorate last July’s clashes, which killed hundreds of Bedouin residents, Druze faction fighters, civilians, and members of the army and security forces. The source said the events reflected widespread grief, as most families had suffered deaths, injuries, or displacement, stressing that the commemorations were intended to honor the victims rather than press for secession. On Sunday, al-Hijri met representatives of the Shahba Operations Room, affiliated with the so-called National Guard, in the town of Qanawat. In widely circulated video footage, he said the goal was “the independence of Bashan State,” adding that this could take the form of an independent state, a region under another country’s protection, or union with another state, “whichever best serves the interests of the people of the region.” He also thanked Israel, saying it had stood by Sweida and citing its geographic proximity. The Sweida Governorate issued a statement marking the anniversary, describing the July events as a tragedy that left lasting scars on the province and on Syrians as a whole. Maysaa al-Abdallah, a resident of Sweida, told Asharq Al-Awsat that many families remain displaced a year later, with 135 people still missing and civilians still detained at Adra Prison near Damascus. She also said that, of roughly 14,000 middle- and high-school students eligible to sit for national exams, only a very small number had been able to do so. While most residents still identify as Syrian and Arab, she argued that “government policies are pushing many to reject that identity.”
