Fear and Flight: Sectarian Clashes Drive Bedouin Families From As-Suwayda
The crisis in Syria began so suddenly with the abduction of a Druze grocer by Bedouin, then, like a wildfire, consumed the entire population of As-Suwayda, Druze and Bedouin alike. Survivors and witnesses report that the Syrian forces, who were sent to keep the peace, joined the fray. Although a ceasefire was announced, Bedouin and Druze sources report that the truce is only on the surface. In reality, many are still fleeing or trapped where they are, still afraid.
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Earlier this week, The Media Line featured an interview with a Druze woman who lost seven family members in the As-Suwayda massacre. Yesterday, Rizik Alabi gave an account of Bedouin who have had to flee the brutality in As-Suwayda and the implacable sectarian violence. In Alabi’s article Brutality and Sectarian Clashes Drive Bedouin Families from As-Suwayda, he speaks with Daraa Governor Anwar Taha al-Zoubi, who has had to prepare his city for a significant influx of refugees fleeing the violence.
Security officials, community leaders, tribal elders, and Syrian scholars all provide their thoughts, feelings, and analysis of the conflict. However, for the thousands of displaced families seeking food supplies, medical aid, shelter, and protection, the question of when this will end may be secondary to the pursuit of survival.
