Al-Hijri: We demand end to military operations on coast

The leader of the Druze sect in Syria, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, called today, Saturday, for "an end to the attacks in the coastal region."

He announced his rejection of "systematic killing" and demanded that "all concerned parties immediately halt these unjustified military operations against innocent civilians."

Al-Hijri urged "everyone to adhere to the law and religious principles that forbid the killing of innocents and civilians," pointing out that "the guilty should be held accountable under the rule of law, justice, and the judiciary, away from the violence and revenge."

This came in a statement in which he added: "We place the responsibility on the guarantor states of all parties to take immediate measures, by all possible means, to stop this tragedy immediately."

The statement continued, "The fires ignited under sectarian slogans will burn all of Syria and its people… Therefore, we urge the wise from all sides to intervene to immediately stop the bloodshed and prevent the country from sliding into an abyss with dire consequences. Let disputes be settled at the negotiation table, not on the battlefield with the killing of innocents."

He called on "everyone to stop the systematic incitement campaigns that have not ceased since the fall of the previous regime," adding that "we must not become a reflection of the regime of killing and crime, but rather advocates of love and peace."

A-H

ANHA