Activists, students, and artists from Sweida, southern Syria, have expressed their outrage at the ongoing neglect by the Damascus authorities toward the suffering of the people of Sweida. They condemned what they described as "ethnic and intellectual cleansing" being carried out against them, demanding urgent international protection and the opening of humanitarian crossings, especially with Jordan, to secure aid, education, and medicine.
One activist described the recent attacks on villages in the Jabal al-Druze region as "systematic terrorism" and pointed to the deaths of dozens of young people from the city and its countryside while trying to defend their areas during their participation in daily protests. She said in an interview with our agency, "We are besieged with no food or medicine, our students have been displaced from universities, and there is an ethnic cleansing campaign targeting awareness and belonging."
She called for protection and the opening of a humanitarian crossing with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, saying, "If Sweida falls, Jordan will fall, Your Majesty."
Activist Hafez al-Khatib emphasized that the protest movement remains open, stating: "We demand comprehensive international mediation, a humanitarian crossing, and our right to live. We want to live with dignity alongside partners in a homeland not ruled by terrorism."
Tamar Abu Alwan, an artist and human rights activist, expressed her disappointment at the lack of general Syrian solidarity with the suffering of the Druze in Sweida. She criticized the accusations leveled at protesters of treason or separatism, saying, "We are not asking for separation, but for international protection as a human right guaranteed by international treaties. What is happening is indirect occupation, with no accountability or oversight by the regime."
For his part, student Hussein Ayad emphasized the necessity of rejecting sectarianism and discrimination, calling for unity among Syrians and considering that "any attempt to turn the protests into sectarian rhetoric aims to tear apart the popular movement."
The protests come at a time when Sweida is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, amidst the continued lack of response from the Damascus authorities to the demands of its residents. Calls for international action to protect them from ongoing escalation and systematic violations are increasing.
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ANHA
