Worry about worry about staying behind in Syria after war

When the bullets started outside their house in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya’s Damascus suburb, Lama Al-Hasnih grabbed his phone and locked himself in his bathroom.

For hours, he entered the fear because the fighters wore military -style uniforms and desert camouflage wandered on the neighborhood streets. A heavy machine gun was placed on a military vehicle under his balcony window.

“Drews against Jihad” and “We are going to kill you, drew,” men were shouting.

She did not know who the men were – the extremist, the government security force, or to anyone else – but the message was clear: as a draus, she was not safe.

Drews – A community with its unique practices and beliefs, which began as an off -shoot of Shia Islam – historically captured an uncertain situation in Syria’s political system.

Under the former President Bashar al-Assad, several drojies maintained a calm loyalty to the state, hopefully that the alignment with it will protect him from communal bloodshed consuming other parts of Syria during a 13-year long civil war.

Many drews were taken to the streets during rebellion, especially in later years. However, trying to portray himself as a defense of Syrian minorities against the Islamist extremism, Assad avoided the use of the kind of iron against the Drews protesters, which he had done in other cities that revolted against his rule.

He operated his own militia, which defended his areas against attacks by Sunni Muslim extremist groups, which considered draus hatics, while they were left alone by pro -Assad prohibitions.

But the interim government has been formed by the Sunni Islamist-led rebels with Assad, which has been stopped in the unwarde, and the drauses are now concerned about the separation and target in Syria after the war.

The recent attacks on the drew communities by the Islamist militia affiliated to the government in Damascus have promoted increasing mistrust towards the state.

It began in late April with a leaked audio recording, which was reportedly shown to be a religious leader, insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The leader, however, denied that this was his voice, and the Syrian internal ministry later confirmed that the recording was fake, the loss.

In Central Syria, a video of a student at Holmes University went viral, with Muslims to immediately avenge against the drews, leading to communal violence in communities across the country.

UK – Appeared Monitoring Group, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said at least 137 people – 17 civilians, 89 drains fighters and 32 members of security forces – killed In several days of fighting in Ashrafiyat SahnayaThe suburb of the southern Damascus suburb Jaraman, and in a ambush on the Suveda-Damaskus highway.

The Syrian government said that security forces were operated to restore security and stability at Ashrafiat Sahnaya, and it was in response to attacks on its own personnel where 16 of them were killed.

Lama Zahdin, a pharmacy student at Damascus University, was a few weeks away from completing her degree when the violence reached her village. What started in the form of distant shells turned into a direct attack – bullets, mortars, and chaos to tear in its neighborhood.

His uncle arrived in a small bus, urged women and children to flee under the fire, while the men lagged behind nothing more than light arms. “The attackers had heavy machine guns and mortars,” Lama recalled. “Our men had nothing to match.”

Violence did not stop in his village. At Lama University, there was a storm in the dorm room and the students were beaten with chains.

In one case, a student was simply stabbed after being asked if he was a draus.

“They [the instigators] Told us that we left our universities with liking, “He said.” But how could I live? I had five classes from my degree and a graduate project. Why would I leave if it was not serious? ,

Like many droosters, the fear of the lama is not only of physical attacks – it is what she sees as a state that failed to offer security.

“The government says that these were unaffected bandits. Well. But when is they being held accountable?” He asked.

His faith was shaken by more classes, who made fun of his plight, in which one responded with a laughing emoji about escaping from his village.

“You never know how people really see you,” he said quietly. “I don’t know who to trust now.”

While no one is sure who pledged their loyalty, one thing is clear: Many drews are worried that Syria is flowing towards an intolerant Sunni-prostitution order, such as there is very little space for religious minorities like themselves.

Hadi Abu Hasoun told the BBC, “We don’t feel safe with these people.”

He was one of Suveda’s drains men, the day the Lama was hiding in his bathroom, the day Ashrafiyat was called to protect Sahnaya.

Their convoy was ambushed by armed groups using mortar and drone. Hadi was shot in the back, pierced his lungs and broke several ribs.

It is far from the inclusive Syria that he kept in mind in the new leadership.

“Their ideology is religious, not based on law or state. And when someone works out of religious or communal hatred, they do not represent us,” said Hadi.

“The one who represents us is the law and the state. The law is the one that protects everyone … I want protection from the law.”

The Syrian government has repeatedly emphasized the sovereignty of all Syrian regions and unity and unity of the Syrian society, including drojes.

Although clashes and attacks have stopped, confidence in the government’s capacity to protect minorities has decreased.

During the battle days, Israel carried out airstrikes around Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, claiming that it was attacking the drews to protect the minority group.

It also hit an area near the Syrian President Mahal, saying that it would not allow “deployment of forces to the south of Damascus or any threat to the drew community”. Israel has a large number of drew citizens in the country and lives in Israeli -occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Back to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Lama al -Zenih said that the atmosphere had moved – it was “quiet, but alert”.

She sees neighbors again, but gender in war.

“The trust is broken. There are people in the city who are no longer who came during the war. It is difficult to know who is now.”

Faith in the government remains thin.

“They say that they are working towards protecting all Syrians. But where are the real steps? Where is justice?” Lama asked.

“I do not want to be called a minority. We are Syrians. We all ask that the same rights are – and for those who have held us accountable.”

Additional Reporting by Samantha Granville