Ghazal Ghazal

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Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal is the head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and abroad. [1] His current whereabouts are unknown. [2]

After the 2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites and massacres of Syrian Druze which left hundreds of civilians dead, leaders like Ghazal have gained traction, and these episodes have been cited as cautionary tales for people in northeast Syria to not let Damascus take control of their areas. [3] Alawites have been targeted by Syria's new Sunni Islamist rulers, and Ghazal called for peaceful protests against this in November 2025, which were met by live fire by security forces. [4] [5] [6]

He released a statement in November condemning the continued sectarian killing, stating Alawites had given up their weapons out if faith in the state, only to find themselves ruled by a takfiri regime. He added that there was no existential war between Alawites and Sunnis. [7] Ghazal called for a decentralized, federalist Syria at a conference aimed at strengthening inter-communal partnership in Hasakah, which was rejected by the Syrian government. [1] Ghazal called for a general strike against the "oppressive regime" during the first anniversary for the fall of the Assad government. [2] [8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Druze and Alawite Leaders Endorse Decentralized Syria, Sparking Fierce Rebuke from Damascus". 9 August 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  3. "Restoring Security in Post-Assad Syria: Lessons from the Coast and Suweida | International Crisis Group". www.crisisgroup.org. 26 November 2025.
  4. "In post-Assad Syria's chaos, Alawite women face sexual violence". Yahoo News. 10 December 2025.
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/world/middleeast/syria-alawites-protest.html . Retrieved 11 December 2025.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Thousands of Syria's Alawites protest against what they say is discrimination by the government". AP News. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  7. https://hawarnews.com/en/sheikh-ghazal-ghazal-syria-become-arena-for-sectarian-scores.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. https://www.newarab.com/news/syria-alawite-leader-urges-boycott-assad-removal-celebrations . Retrieved 11 December 2025.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)