In Syria’s Idlib, it is no longer enough to have Mohammad as a prophet to be considered a Muslim. Though Druze are officially acknowledged as Muslims in Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has now compelled Idlib’s Druze to announce their conversion to Islam, or else.
Druze in Syria’s northernmost district of Idlib didn’t wait for al-Nusra Front and ISIS to become stronger before announcing their neutrality. As a minority of about 30,000 people living in poor villages, the Druze felt it necessary to do so. The 14 Druze villages host about 50,000 refugees, both opposition and loyalist, who have fled clashes in neighboring towns.
Yesterday, a story titled “18 Druze villages announce their conversion to Islam in Idlib” was posted on Saudi websites. Druze officials in Lebanon and Syria refused to comment, not only to preserve secrecy, but also because it was hard for them to connect with people in the district due to phone network outages. However, these officials realize that the Druze in Idlib are in a tough situation.
Lebanese MP Talal Arslan was the only one to comment. He found the incident unusual, telling Al-Akhbar, “Druze, like other Muslim sects, believe in the message of our Prophet Mohammad.”