Dr. Rafea Halabi, a prominent Druze leader and human rights advocate, has issued an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging immediate international intervention to halt what he describes as a “very cruel massacre” of Druze communities in Syria.
In the letter, Dr. Halabi praises Trump’s past efforts to defend vulnerable minorities, including the Druze, and calls for strong measures against what he terms “Islamic jihadist terrorists” responsible for atrocities in Syria. He singles out Ahmed al-Shara — alleged leader of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other armed groups — accusing him of orchestrating widespread massacres, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
“The Druze in Syria are in a very difficult Holocaust,” Dr. Halabi writes, comparing the killings to the Nazi genocide. He claims thousands of Druze have been murdered and entire communities destroyed, with even local security forces participating in the violence.
The letter urges that al-Shara and his forces be “eliminated immediately” to prevent further atrocities and stop the spread of extremist violence beyond Syria, warning that future targets could include Jerusalem, Israel, Europe, the United States, and other free nations.
Halabi appeals for swift and decisive action, suggesting that the International Criminal Court in The Hague prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. He emphasizes the urgency of stopping the violence “before this epidemic spreads against all of humanity.”
Expressing solidarity with all people seeking “freedom, democracy, equality, peace, and brotherhood,” Halabi closes his letter with a call for unity against extremist threats: “We must act immediately with a heavy hand to destroy every trace of those terrorists who threaten peace in the world of freedom and democracy.”
Dr. Rafea Halabi is the Director of the Jerusalem branch of the International Organization for Human Rights and the Defense of Public Freedom, and President of the Organization of Distinguished Captains Gentlemen in the Islamic World.