Syria: ‘Genocide’ questions as Alawite survivors speak out

After months of ‘sectarian violence’ and massacres looming over the heads of Alawites, victims of the attacks in Syria have come forward raising the question as to whether this is a genocide or not.

“They were asking, ‘Are you Alawite?’ – and then they randomly killed them”, according to The National News.

Maher, a resident, reasoned with reporters, “I would show you the mass grave, but I’m too scared to go…no one wants to return to the village.” 

Pictures shared by survivors showed bodies covered in white sheets lying in a pit.

He explained that the attack began after the midday prayer on Friday when hundreds of men from neighbouring Sunni villages rushed to the village.

The village checkpoint was quickly overwhelmed. Security forces tried to stop them, but the men forced their way into the village, and the massacre began, he said.

He locked himself in his home, peering through the window, expecting the worst. The attackers never reached his house, and he managed to escape – 25 other residents did not.

Youmna, another resident, returned to the village of Arza with her husband and child. They barely survived the massacre. She explained that the attackers stormed into their house and took away her brother; her voice began to crack, filling her blue eyes with tears, “They told us they wanted to kill 500,000 Alawites as revenge”.

Youma’s brother was taken to the village roundabout, where he was executed along with other residents. Empty shell casings are all that remain to mark the tragedy.

Maher said the perpetrators were the same as those who killed 10 people in Arza in January – men of the neighbouring Sunni-majority village of Khattab in December.

Mr Abou Jaber, a resident of Khattab, affirmed he did not take part in the killings and that he had given up all his weapons he did, however, confirm his presence at the attack.

In Khattab, Mr Abou Jaber affirmed he did not take part in the killings and that he had given up all his weapons. However, he confirmed he was present at the attack.

He said that “protesters” initially took residents to the roundabout intending to drive them out of Arza. “But then people whose families had been killed arrived, and they opened fire”.

Mr Abou Jaber claimed that the people of Arza had committed countless atrocities during Mr Al Assad’s rule, including cold-blooded killings, torture and theft.

“Arza’s residents killed everyone, humiliated everyone, took everyone’s money, destroyed and burned everyone’s houses because they were the ones who held power under the regime,” he said.

He said that while he regretted the killings in Arza, it was inevitable that those who had been affected under Al Assad’s rule would seek revenge.

He said, “Their fathers were killed, their brothers were killed, their sons were killed – what do you expect? To bring flowers and put olive branches on it?”

Mr Abou Jaber does not differentiate – old or young, everyone in Arza is guilty.

The National News