# Druze Leader Rejects Deal With Syria’s New Government
The spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, Hikmat al-Hajari, rejected any deal with the country’s new transitional authorities on May 1, according to Rudaw. He accused the government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa of being “extremist in every sense of the word” and said the Druze would not recognize a leadership they view as illegitimate.
The source packet places the statement against a backdrop of sharp sectarian tension in Syria. It says recent violence in the Alawite-majority coastal areas had already shaken confidence among minority communities and heightened fears that the transition in Damascus could deepen instability instead of easing it. The packet also notes claims of a separate agreement to organize administrative and security affairs in Suwayda, which Hajari denied.
That denial matters because Suwayda is a central base for Syria’s Druze population and has become a testing ground for how much autonomy the community will tolerate under the new order. According to the report, Hajari said there was “no entente or understanding” with Damascus and insisted that the community was working for its own interests rather than accepting an imposed settlement.
The article also describes broader political resistance within Druze circles. Druze commander Bahaa al-Jamal rejected the new constitutional declaration, saying the community would not accept the arrangement and would recognize a president only after fair elections. That is a significant challenge to the transitional government’s attempt to project control and legitimacy.
The source goes further by noting that the constitution centers Islamic jurisprudence, requires the president to be Muslim, and sets a five-year transitional period. Those details show why minority leaders may be alarmed: the shape of the new state is still being negotiated, and some groups believe the balance of power is already tilting against them.
The report also links these concerns to security realities. The Druze, it says, are prepared to defend themselves but do not want to initiate attacks. That is a defensive posture, but one that also signals armed readiness if Damascus moves against them or tries to force a settlement.
The larger picture is a Syria where the collapse of the old regime has not automatically produced consensus. Instead, communities are weighing whether the new authorities can offer protection, representation, and respect for local autonomy. In the Druze case, the answer from the packet is clearly no. Hajari’s message is that any political understanding must be built on terms the community accepts, not dictated from the capital.
