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Druze caught up in 'game of nations'

The Syrian Druze, staunch allies of the Assad regime, face an existential threat from opposition forces, which is why Druze leaders in neighboring countries have been calling for arming them and for better relations with the Sunni community.
Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt (C) stands during a meeting of Druze spiritual figures in Beirut, Lebanon June 12, 2015. Members of Syria's Druze minority have helped repel a rebel attack on an army base in the south, mobilizing to confront insurgents including al Qaeda's Nusra Front who are trying to build on gains against President Bashar al-Assad. Some Druze leaders have warned of an existential threat facing their kin after Nusra Front fighters shot dead 20 people in a Druze village in northwester
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The Druze communities, like other minorities in the Levant, face difficult circumstances today. The regimes that governed them for decades and that granted them freedom in exchange for their loyalty are falling apart. If the Druze maintain their allegiance to them, they could meet the same fate as Iraq's Yazidis and Christians, who have been subjected to abuse and discrimination by the Islamic State (IS).

IS continues to expand, but it also faces competition from other jihadist organizations, among them Jabhat al-Nusra. Such groups are driven by extremist views with no room for pluralism and diversity. Minorities to them are a mere tool in their media wars. They disregard and violate international law established to protect the vulnerable. The war on terror waged by a broad international coalition is moving at a snail’s pace and even stumbling. At this time, the sectarian fires are raging, and amid this explosive situation, the Druze communities know they are the weakest link.

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