(Reuters) – Syria's de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, hosted Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Sunday in another effort to reassure minorities that they will be protected after Islamist opposition fighters led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago.
Al-Sharaa said that no sects in Syria would be excluded in what he described as “a new era far from sectarianism.”
Al-Shara heads the Islamic Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham, the main group that forced Assad to step down on December 8. Some Syrians and foreign powers worry that he might impose strict Islamic rule on a country that has many minorities such as the Druze and Kurds. Christians and Alawites.
During his meeting with Jumblatt, he said: “We are proud of our culture, religion, and Islam. Being part of the Islamic environment does not mean excluding other sects, but on the contrary, it is our duty to protect them.” In statements broadcast by the Lebanese Al-Jadeed channel.
Jumblatt, a veteran politician and prominent Druze leader, said during the meeting that Assad's ouster should usher in new constructive relations between Lebanon and Syria. The Druze are an Arab minority that practices a branch of Islam.
Al-Sharaa, who was wearing a suit and tie instead of the military uniform he preferred during the days of the revolution, said that he would send a government delegation to the Druze city of Suwayda in the southwest of the country, pledging to provide services to his sect and highlight “the rich diversity of the Druze community in Syria.” Sects.
Seeking to allay fears about Syria's future, Al-Sharaa hosted many foreign visitors in recent days and pledged to prioritize rebuilding Syria, which was devastated by 13 years of civil war.
