(LOS ANGELES, CA — August 25, 2025) — StandWithUs has launched an urgent campaign calling on elected officials to act immediately to protect Druze and Christian minorities from genocidal threats in Sweida, Syria. This crisis has been underreported outside the Middle East and without urgent intervention, the risk of continued genocidal violence remains dire.
“This crisis demands immediate action,” said Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs. “The international community cannot allow Syria’s Druze, Christians, and other religious minorities to face genocidal violence in silence. Immediate action must be taken because it is already too late for too many.”
What Needs to Be Done
Druze leaders have called for an international investigation, stressing they do not trust the Syrian regime to hold the perpetrators accountable.
StandWithUs’ campaign urges Congress and the White House to:
- Condemn the atrocities and demand the immediate release of abducted Druze and Christians;
- Pressure Syria and its allies to lift barriers to humanitarian aid entering Sweida and support relief efforts, including those led by Israel;
- Ensure an independent investigation into the atrocities committed by extremists, militants, and Syrian government forces.
What is Happening in Sweida, Syria?
Beginning July 12th, Sunni Islamist extremists and Bedouin militants, aided by Syrian government forces, carried out a wave of atrocities against Druze and Christian religious minorities in Sweida, southwest Syria, including massacres, sexual violence and kidnapping. The Syrian President, Ahmed al-Shaara, is a former al-Qaeda and ISIS commander who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammed al-Julani. Since taking over Syria, he has attempted to portray himself as a unifier and moderate, but forces close to him have participated in multiple massacres targeting minority groups. According to reports, the Syrian President’s cousin issued a fatwa (a ruling or edict in Islamic law) permitting the capture and enslavement of Druze women and girls. Per reports, an estimated 1,700 people have been killed, 228,000 displaced, and more than 720 are kidnapped or missing. Survivors describe rape, mutilation, mass kidnappings, and the murder of children, with perpetrators broadcasting many of these crimes on social media and making genocidal threats.
Israel intervened on behalf of the Druze and Christians on July 14 and 15, helping to put an end to the massacres, destroying Syrian tanks and the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus. The Syrian Army continues to maintain a seige around Sweida, however, blocking the flow of food and medical supplies, despite Israeli and US efforts to deliver aid and establish a humanitarian corridor. Civilians continue to face the threat of starvation and displacement.
A Religious Minority at Risk
Sweida is a majority-Druze city in a majority Sunni Muslim country. The Druze are a small religious minority, with approximately 700,000 adherents in Syria, 250,000 in Lebanon, and 150,000 in Israel. Historically persecuted across the Middle East, Druze in Israel are fully integrated into society, many proudly serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Jewish neighbors.
When Syrian forces attacked the Druze community, Israel launched an aerial campaign to thwart an impending genocide and continues to deliver aid, even as much of the world has remained silent.
A Call to Action
The story of Sweida has been underreported outside the Middle East. Without urgent intervention, the risk of continued genocidal violence remains dire.
StandWithUs invites members of the public, journalists, human rights organizations, and elected officials to join the campaign.
Your voice can help save lives. Every voice counts.
For additional information about this crisis:
- Syria updates from Memri: https://www.memri.org/countries/syria
- July 21 update from Memri: lists of names of the murdered and images broadcast by the attackers (warning: graphic): https://www.memri.org/reports/systematic-atrocities-against-druze-swaida-syria-july-2025-%E2%80%93-warning-graphic
- July 28 report from The Free Press: https://x.com/TheFP/status/1949904459498475901
- Aug 13 update from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies: https://dayan.org/content/syria-druze-and-crisis-suwayda
