Alawite Council Head urges protests for federalism in Syria
Shafaq News – Damascus
Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the diaspora, called on Alawites to take part in peaceful demonstrations on December 28 to press for “political federalism” and the “right to self-determination.”
In a recorded video posted on Facebook on Saturday, Ghazal accused Syrian authorities of what he described as systematic violence against the Alawite community, citing alleged abuses against civilians and religious sites, including home raids, damage to livelihoods, arbitrary detentions, and kidnappings.
The planned demonstrations, he stressed, would remain peaceful, open to other Syrian communities, and aimed at “avoiding civil war” through political solutions.
Addressing the international community, Ghazal warned that continued inaction would deepen bloodshed and instability, urging swift and credible intervention, including international protection, to halt further deterioration.
His remarks came a day after an ISIS-linked group calling itself Saraya Ansar Al-Sunna claimed responsibility for a bombing at the Imam Ali Mosque in the Wadi Al-Dhahab area, an attack that local media said killed eight people and wounded 27, all from the Alawite community.
Sectarian violence has escalated in parts of Syria in recent months, with Syrian media reporting hundreds of Alawite civilian deaths since early 2025, particularly in Homs.
