Qalb Lawzah Massacre

On June 11, news emerged of a massacre by Jabhat al-Nusra's forces against rebelling locals in the Druze village of Qalb Lawzah. By most reports, at least 20-30 civilians were killed (with higher reports up to 50 and low ones down to 10 - see ) after the al-Qaeda affiliate moved to put down an apparent small-scale insurrection against their rule.

Who fired first is disputed. The group was under command of a Tunisian jihadist JaN supporters describe as "a hardliner and an authoritarian" with prior complaints. (see Yalla Souriya)

The occupiers' attempt to seize the home of a loyalist is reportedly what sparked it, but locals are reportedly under other pressures, like being forced to covert to Islam, and even being asked to do so by their community leaders abroad (see ). Further, as Arutz Sheva reports:
 * "The Tunisian leader gathered his men and accused the Druze residents of the village of blasphemy and opened fire on them killing at least 20 people, among them elderly people and at least one child," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Location: Qalb Lawzah (Arabic: قلب لوزة‎ ) is a historically Druze (a sort-of "Unitarian" religious minority) village in Northern Idlib province (Wikipedia, Qalb Loze) Qalb Lawzah on Wikimapia - southeast of Harem at the Turkish border, 20 km south of Reyhanli.

Death Toll
Most sources have been reporting 20, 20-30, 30, at least 30, or dozens of locals were killed, in a fairly one-sided massacre. However the toll may be higher; YaLibnan reports June 12 "the actual number of Druze people that were massacred exceeds 40 according to reliable sources in Qalb Lawzeh . The sources identified 27 of the massacred people." The list they reproduced:

Sheikh Nadim Shaheen, Sheikh Rashid Saad, Milad Rizk, Fakhro al Shibli, Ahmed Fakhro al Shibli , Faraj Fakhro al-Shibli, Menem Fakhro Shibli , Son of Ahmed Fakhro al Shibli, Faker al Shibli, Ahmed Hussein Mohamed, Mohamed Ahmed Hussein, Anwar al-Shibli, Naif Al-Shibli, Milad Enaam Rizk, Mohammed Sharif Mohammed, Ayman Mohammed Sharif Mohammed, Memon Mohammed Sharif Mohammed , Manhal Hussein Mohamed, Ahmed Hussein Mohamed, Mulhem Faiz Shaheen, Badro al Shibli, Khairo Badro al Shibli, Haider Farid al-Shibli, Moeyyed alShibli, Mohammed Aagafla , Rashid Saad Ajaweed.

A tweet by Ahmad al-Issa on June 11 claimed "Death toll from the massacre in #Druze village, Qalb_Louzeh rises to 50: Murdered in cold blood by #Nusra Front."

And some reports put it considerably lower; Yalla Souriya published a detailed report of a more two-sided battle in which 3-7 JaN or allies were killed (unclear - 3 were "persons"), 4 implicitly armed Druze, and 6 presumably Druze/convert/unclear (local) civilians (or up to 9 including the "persons") - possibly 13 Druze killed, maybe just 10. A "Syrian correspondent source" is cited for these details, which differ greatly from the range of sources with a civilian death toll several times this high.

Condenmation

 * Syrian government (cabinet) Premier Wael al-Halaqi affirmed that this massacre is a new proof that there is no such thing as “moderate armed organizations” but all of them are terrorist takfiri gangs shedding Syrians’ blood and destroying the Syrian state’s capabilities.


 * A Syrian American Forum encouraged a change of policy to end support for all armed groups.


 * “We refuse the oppression of any sect of the Syrian people,” said Ahmed Kara Ali, a spokesman for Ahrar al-Sham. “Those involved must be held accountable.” (Telegraph)


 * Lebanese Druze leader Sheikh Naim Hassan condemned the killings and said that efforts were being made to “contain this regrettable and painful incident.” (Morningstar Online)

JaN Story
''An account of the incident attributed to a Nusra Front fighter and published on a Twitter account used by the group's supporters laid the blame with the villager who had refused to relinquish the house to someone described as "in need". It did not give a casualty toll.''
 * Nusra Front fighters kill 20 Druze in Syrian village: monitor group Reuters, June 11.

On June 13 JaN issued a sort of apology for the incident - Arabic letter, picture copy here on Twitter - SOHR summary here - Arutz Sheva article
 * In an official statement published on Twitter, Nusra Front sought to allay fears of further attacks on minorities, saying that some of its members acted "in clear violation of the leadership's views," reports AFP. If they give a death toll in this, it's not evident from these reports.

The date given in the report, in Arabic numbers, translates to 6/10/2015. The number 32 appears, possibly an overall death toll (surrounding words harder to decipher)

Walid Jumblatt, Alleged Conversion Deals
Druze politician Walid Jumblatt, ostensibly a liberal socialist, and apparently widely revered and highly influential with fellow Druze, lives in Lebanon and has long opposed Syria's government, and supporting the rebellion against it. He has repeatedly called for Druze cooperation with al-Nusra in Syria, and now faces a political crisis. Note above the talk of a defensive army of Druze is strictly for the south, and mostly regarding the threat of ISIS, not JaN. As for the lesser numbered Druze of the north, they've been urged to simply meet al-Nusra's demands voluntarily - including conversion to Islam - and hope for the best. At least, by unverified but corroborating reports we could find easily:

Daily Star, March 2, 2015 reports on the Idlib druze plan, as agreed bt rebel representatives and Mr. Jumblatt, speaking for his Syrian brtheren.
 * BEIRUT: An agreement has reportedly been reached between Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and the Nusra Front regarding Druze living in Syria’s Idlib.


 * According to local daily Al-Akhbar, the agreement calls for Idlib’s Druze to embrace Islam and destroy the tombs of their relatives. In return, the Nusra Front would stop imposing Sharia - Islamic law - on Idlib’s Druze.


 * The report said the deal was reached after negotiators for both sides met with a UAE-based mediator from the Syrian Opposition Coalition, identified as Abu Uday.

"Sophia" tweeted this allegation June 11, as the massacre news was breaking: "Just two days ago, Lebanese #Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, enemy of Assad, invited his Syrian co-religionists to embrace #Nusra." That would be the same group who may have just committed the Ishtabraq Massacre of other non-Sunni Syrians, Alawi, and as the Reuters reported noted:
 * In an interview with Al Jazeera news channel last month, the leader of the Nusra Front urged members of the Alawite sect, another minority, to change their beliefs and to renounce President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow Alawite, if they wanted to remain safe.

It's almost as if he made the same threat to the less-vilified Syrian Druze community, and just got Jumblatt to explain it to them for him.

An "Angry Leb" criticized Jumblatt's approach here, mentioning a Jumblatt interview in which he said: “I don’t classify the Nusra Front as a terrorist organisation, because in Nusra Front there are Syrian citizens who were forced to join it due to the Syrian regime terrorism”. To his coreligionists killed by terrorists under the command of a Tunisian this generous definition probably means very little.
 * Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front), Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria (if Jumblat forgot), killed on Wednesday around 40 druze in the village of Qalb Lawzeh in the Jabal al-Summaq region in Syria. Some reports say that a week ago the villagers converted to Sunni Islam to avoid the wrath of the terrorists, other reports say that the villagers were forced to convert.


 * ... His call to the Druze to raise the minarets didn’t work.

Naharnet reports June 12 Jumblat Seeks to Contain 'Incitement' after Killing of Druze in Syria Tawhid movement leader Wiam Wahab stated that “The faithful Druze from all Lebanese regions are ready to fight,” and threatened al-Nusra members in Lebanon. Jumblatt responded with "an emergency meeting for his party's leadership to contain the repercussions" of the incident that was finally testing the wisdom of his approach, wherein he "called for calm to limit attempts to instigate against strife."

At the meeting, Jumblatt said the massacre was an "individual" incident, so far, and "any incitement "will endanger the Druze of Syria," adding that Assad's forces kill dozens of people every day in Syria." He reiterated "There will be no political solution for Syria with Assad," that liberation must continue. Naharnet adds Jumblat condemned on Friday the attack against Druze in Syria's Qalb Lawzah, saying however that it was an “individual incident.” He remarked: “Fiery statements regarding the incident will only jeopardize the Druze in Syria and I will tackle the tensions by holding a series of contacts.”

“I condemn the incident in Qalb Lozeh which left 20 to 30 martyrs. But at the same time I condemn the [Syrian] regime’s bombardment that kills 150 to 200 people every day throughout Syria,” Jumblatt said. ... “There is no escape from reconciliation with the majority of the Syrian people. What happened was an isolated incident. I will deal with it politically through my local and regional contacts,” he added. (The Daily Star)

Meanwhile, some of Syria's Druze community declined any Jumblatt deal, and teamed up with the military of their own government instead. Accepted for who they are, they helped the Syrian Arab Army swiftly reclaim the Thala airbase in Sweida province and push rebels further back for the moment. Reuters.