Syrian de facto ruler assures minorities of safety, meets with Lebanese Druze leader

(Patria) - Syrian de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted the leader of Lebanese Druze Walid Jumblatt on Sunday in another attempt to assure minorities they would be protected after Islamist rebels led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago, Reuters reported.

Sharaa said no sect would be excluded in Syria in what he described as "a new era far from sectarianism".

Sharaa heads the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main group that ousted Assad on December 8. Some Syrians and foreign powers are concerned he might impose strict Islamic rule in a country with numerous minority groups such as Druze, Kurds, Christians, and Alawites.

"We pride ourselves on our culture, our religion, and our Islam. Being part of an Islamic
environment does not mean excluding other sects. On the contrary, it is our duty to protect them," he said during a meeting with Jumblatt, in comments broadcast by Lebanese television Al Jadeed.

Jumblatt, a veteran politician and prominent Druze leader, said at the meeting that Assad's overthrow should lead to new constructive relations between Lebanon and Syria. Druze are an Arab minority that practices a branch of Islam.

Sharaa, dressed in a suit and tie rather than the military attire he favored in his rebel days, also said he would send a government delegation to the southwestern Druze city of Sweida, promising to provide services to its community and emphasizing the "rich diversity of Syrian sects".

Seeking to allay concerns about Syria's future, Sharaa has hosted numerous foreign visitors in recent days and pledged to prioritize the reconstruction of Syria, devastated by thirteen years of war.