GS2 – International Relations
Context
Syria’s Druze community in Suwayda is experiencing ethnic cleansing amid growing regional conflict and violence by Bedouin militias, especially after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s centralized control.
About the Druze Community:
- An ethnoreligious minority originating in the Levant during the 11th century.
- Beliefs blend Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, and Islamic esotericism, emphasizing strict monotheism.
- Practices:
- Believe in reincarnation and the divinity of al-Hakim.
- Reject mainstream Islamic rituals and law.
- Religious texts are kept secret and interpreted only by the learned elders (Uqqal).
- Conversion and intermarriage are strictly forbidden.
- Women enjoy comparatively high legal and social status.
About Suwayda:
- Located in southern Syria, near the borders of Jordan, Israel, and Syria.
- Positioned on the Hauran Plateau, formed by volcanic activity from Jabal al-Druze.
- Nicknamed “Little Venezuela” due to return migration from Latin America.
- Predominantly Druze population, with minorities of Orthodox Christians and Sunni Bedouins.
- An agricultural hub, cultivating olives, wheat, and temperate fruits.