From the heart of As-Suwayda, the mountain long known for its steadfastness and distance from the flames of the Syrian war, Sheikh Fadi Badriyeh spoke on “Al-Tasi‘a” on Sky News Arabia, declaring clearly that the situation in the governorate can no longer tolerate silence. He stated that the people of the mountain have decided their own fate after what he described as a “barbaric assault” they endured, announcing their demand for full independence from the authority in Damascus.

Sheikh Badriyeh emphasized that what was expressed by the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri, reflects a collective will stemming from an internal consultation, saying that “Al-Hajri speaks on behalf of the entire mountain.” He noted that the community reached a unified position after internal discussions and consultations, and that the call for self-rule did not arise from a desire for division, but rather as a response to the massacres and violations the people of As-Suwayda suffered, combined with international silence.