One year after Assad's fall, genocide risk for Alawites and Druze

One year after Assads fall, risk of genocide for Alawites, Druze — Druze militias trying to prevent pro-government Islamist Bedouin fighters from advancing toward Sweida, Walgha, Suwayda province, Syria, July 19, 2025. Photo: Reuters

One year after Assad’s fall. Acute danger of genocide against Alawites and Druze – stop deportations to Syria!

One year after the fall of the Assad regime and the seizure of power by radical Islamists and jihadists in Syria, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has come to a dramatic conclusion: hopes for stability and security for all population groups have not been fulfilled.

Instead, ethnic and religious minorities are exposed to systematic violence, displacement, and targeted attacks. The STP speaks of an acute danger of genocide against Alawites, Druze, and other minorities and calls on the international community to take immediate action. Deportations to Syria are inhumane in view of the current situation.

“The joy of many Syrians at the fall of the Assad regime a year ago and their hopes for a better future were nipped in the bud by the Islamists’ seizure of power.

A house is marked with X and O symbols as Syrian authorities carry out eviction orders in the predominantly Alawite neighbourhood of al-Somaria, in Damascus, Syria, August 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters

In fact, the situation in Syria has not stabilized in any way,“ says Dr. Kamal Sido, Middle East expert at the STP. On the contrary, Syria is in the worst phase of its history, according to the historian. ”The new Islamist rulers do not want to govern the country together – they want to Arabize and Islamize it, at any cost.”

“It is irresponsible for the German government to debate deportations to Syria despite the dramatic situation on the ground and the ongoing human rights violations by the Islamist regime,” says the Society for Threatened Peoples’ Middle East expert.

The human rights organization is calling for a nationwide ban on deportations to Syria. “Above all, Druze, Alawites, and members of other minorities must not be deported to Syria under any circumstances.”

Attempted genocide of Alawites and Druze

The approximately three million Alawites living on the Mediterranean coast have been in constant danger of being killed, abducted, or robbed since al-Sharaa took power. Already in March of this year, thousands of Alawites, including women and children, were murdered by troops of the new Islamist regime in Syria simply because they were Alawites.

Although official figures speak of only 1,600 Alawites killed, the actual number is likely to be much higher. Some Alawites speak of 30,000 to 60,000 dead, injured, and missing. Meanwhile, the open hunt for Alawites continues, as in the central Syrian city of Homs.

The Druze region in southern Syria has been under a de facto permanent blockade since July of this year. Hardly any food, fuel, or medicine is getting into the area. Without the intervention of the Israeli Air Force, hundreds of thousands of them might have been killed or displaced. It is unclear how many members of the Druze minority have been killed by the Islamist regime.

Some Druze speak of at least 5,000 to 7,000 dead, injured, or abducted—which would correspond to one percent of Syria’s total Druze population of about 700,000. In response to the mass murders, abductions, and systematic rape of Druze women by the Islamist regime and its militias, the Druze are in the process of completely separating themselves from the rest of the country.

“The systematic attacks on Alawites and Druze are part of a deliberate strategy of intimidation and destruction. This is an attempt at genocide. The international community must do everything in its power to prevent this,” explains the Middle East expert.

Syrian government Islamist HTS militias killing Druze civilians in Sweida, southern Syrian, July 2025. Photo: Video still/X

The new regime and its auxiliary forces have been actively involved in the targeted attacks and murder of Alawites and Druze, have tolerated these acts, and have set fire to many villages and houses belonging to Alawites and Druze, including in Damascus.

Christians, Kurds, and other minorities are defenseless

Civil Defence workers inspect the damage inside Mar Elias church where an Islamic suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on June 22, 2025. Photo: SANA

The Christian minority in Syria is also not recognized as having equal rights. Despite their centuries-long history in the country, Christians must submit to the strict rules of Sharia law. In government agencies and ministries, Salafist sheikhs determine daily life—Christians have no real religious freedom and are subject to constant discrimination.

“The minorities in Syria are defenseless. The so-called Syrian police and army are unwilling to protect religious and ethnic minorities from attacks. They consist mainly of radical Sunni Islamists who have served for years in the ranks of ISIS or other Islamist militias.

In addition, all new recruits to the police and army must undergo religious training by radical preachers,“ explains the Middle East expert.

The fact that Kurds still live in Syria is mainly thanks to their militia: the ”Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF), which is led by Kurds and supported militarily by the US. Nevertheless, the Kurds remaining in Syria are in great danger.

Having already occupied several Kurdish areas – such as Afrin in 2018 and Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) in 2019 – Turkey continues to threaten new military interventions against the remaining Kurdish areas.

Dr. Kamal Sido, a prominent Syrian Kurdish intellectual. He is a Middle East Consultant for ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities at the German Society for Threatened Peoples (STP).

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.