The spiritual leader of Lebanon's Druze community, Sheikh Akl Samy Abi el-Mona, has rejected accusations against Walid Joumblatt, saying that his positions “are the antithesis of betraying history and identity.”
In a statement issued after consulting with leading religious dignitaries, the sheikh denounced “the project aimed at uprooting the Arab and Islamic identity of the Druze and undermining their history of struggle against colonialism and divisive projects.”
He acknowledged that “the wound is deep and painful” and that “the new state has not proven its ability to protect its people,” while insisting, “the remedy is not in deviating from the path of our ancestors, but in correcting the flaws of the state and in the attachment of the inhabitants of the mountain to their homeland.”
Recalling that “identity is not a commodity to be sold or bartered,” Abi el-Mona emphasized that “Mount Lebanon, like Jabal al-Arab, is rich in history and national heritage. It will accept no religion other than Islam, no path other than monotheism, and no affiliation other than Arabness.”
He warned the Druze of Syria against “betraying Jabal al-Arab, Sultan al-Atrash, and the first sheikhs and fighters,” calling on the inhabitants of Sweida to remain faithful to their identity and their right to “national coexistence and a dignified and secure life.”
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