The Syria crisis is spiraling as President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s short rule continues to disintegrate under sectarian violence and massacres targeting Alawites and Druze. After overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Sharaa promised unity but instead unleashed bloodshed. Witnesses reported his fighters carried out mass killings in Latakia, Tartus, and Baniyas against the Alawites, followed by brutal massacres of Druze in Damascus suburbs and Sweida.
Though regime officials denied ordering the killings, the pattern is undeniable. Sharaa’s men are tied to Salafi jihadism rooted in the teachings of Ibn Taymiyyah, who declared Druze and Alawites “infidels” deserving death. This ideology, nearly indistinguishable from ISIS, terrifies Syria’s Kurds, who fought ISIS for years and now fear disarmament under Damascus.
In August, the Al-Hasakah Conference brought together Druze, Kurds, Alawites, Christians, and other minorities demanding decentralization through a federal system. The plan would leave Sharaa with only 60% of Syria under direct control. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani swiftly rejected the proposal, insisting on a “united Syria.” But minorities remain unconvinced as they bury their dead and watch security forces shield jihadist allies instead of delivering justice.
Arab media outlets accuse Israel of fueling unrest, while Turkey and Qatar eye Damascus as a pawn for regional control. Yet the heart of the crisis lies in Sharaa’s inability to govern a fractured state. As one analyst warned, “Syria faces a very dangerous situation.”
