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.