| Qalb Loze massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of theSyrian Civil War | |
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| Location | Qalb Loze, Idlib Governorate |
| Date | 10 June 2015 |
| Target | Druze |
Attack type | Shootout/massacre |
| Deaths | 20–24 Druze, 3 al-Nusra Front members |
| Perpetrators | Al-Nusra Front |
| Part ofa series on the Druze |
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TheQalb Loze massacre was a massacre ofSyrian Druze on 10 June 2015 in the village ofQalb Loze in Syria's northwestern Idlib Governorate. The village was under the control of a coalition of Islamist rebels, when aTunisian commander of one group in the coalition, theal-Nusra Front, tried to confiscate the house of a villager accused of working for the Syrian government.
When the villagers protested, Tunisian al-Nusra fighter Abu Abd al-Rahman Al-Tunisi and his men opened fire on the protesting villagers,[1][2] who were accused of blasphemy.[3] A Nusra fighter claimed the villagers opened fire first.[2] In the end, 20 people, including elderly individuals and a child, were killed. Three al-Nusra members were also killed.[4] Two days later, a report put the number ofDruze killed at 24.[citation needed]
Despite claims by al-Nusra that those responsible for the crime would be held accountable,[1] Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Tunisi, the primary perpetrator, remained free for years following the incident. He was ultimately killed in a firefight withHay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in 2021 when he was involved in the kidnapping and murder of the education minister ofHTS's Salvation Government.[5] Notably, according to the majority ofIslamic jurisprudenceschools, a Muslim cannot be executed as punishment (Qisas) for killing a non-Muslim (Kafir), even if the non-Muslim holds the status ofDhimmi (a legally protected person). In such cases, onlyblood money (Diyya) is required as compensation.[6] However, if the victim does not hold Dhimmi status, no Diyya is required to be paid.[7] According toSunni schools of theology, Druze are generally not considered Muslims.[8]
The massacre sparked widespread condemnation in neighbouring Lebanon, which has a considerableDruze minority.Walid Jumblatt responded that "Any inciting rhetoric will not be beneficial, and you should remember that Bashar Assad’s policies pushed Syria into this chaos".[9] In contrast, theLebanese Druze party chief and former government ministerWiam Wahhab urged the Druze to form an armed force to defend their community in an angry televised speech saying “We will not accept to sell Druze blood!“. His call was much in line with that of the Syrian Druze spiritual leader who directed the Druze to join theSyrian Army.[10] Subsequently, Druze fighters fromSweida assisted the Syrian Army in recapturing an airbase from the Nusra Front.[11] Prior to the Qalb Loze killings, Nusra had forced several hundred Druze to convert toSunni Islam, as well as being accused of desecrating their graves and damaging shrines.[12][13] On June 22, a group of Druzelynched a wounded Syrian in theGolan Heights who was being transported toIsrael for treatment, as they claimed he was a rebel fighter.[14]
