The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the “Jabal al-Arab Declaration” initiative launched today, Friday, November 14, 2025, by a group of intellectuals and activists in the Suwaida Governorate. It considers this a sound and responsible step during this sensitive transitional phase in Syria, and an effective contribution to formulating a healthy social contract based on equal citizenship, the rule of law, and transitional justice, with full respect for Syria’s historical diversity.
We in the Syrian Future Movement see this declaration as a genuine expression of the true voice of the people of Suwaida, who reject violence and extremism from any quarter, condemn the violations committed against innocent civilians, and insist on holding the perpetrators accountable without exception. We also commend its categorical rejection of all forms of foreign interference, particularly the raising of foreign flags—foremost among them the flag of the Israeli entity—which constitutes an aggression against national sovereignty and the history of the resistant Syrian people.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the tragic events witnessed in Suwaida, which led to the displacement of thousands of families, the destruction of homes, the abduction of civilians, and the disruption of students’ lives, were never an expression of the will of the people of the Jabal al-Druze region. Rather, they were the result of external and internal agendas seeking to undermine national unity and derail the transition process.
Nevertheless, the resilience of the social fabric in the province and its people’s rejection of division and secession serve as a national lesson from which we can draw inspiration in building the new state.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms the following points as foundations for building a national state:
- Transitional justice is a national priority: full recognition of the crimes committed and holding the perpetrators accountable through independent and transparent judicial mechanisms, with full support for the work of the international fact-finding committee.
- The immediate release of the abductees and ensuring the safe return of the displaced, along with the immediate commencement of reconstruction of homes and infrastructure.
- Securing roads and basic services: Permanently reopening the Damascus-Suwayda road and resolving the crisis affecting university and school students as a humanitarian priority.
- Cooperative and service-oriented decentralization as the foundation of a pluralistic state: We reiterate the Syrian Future Movement’s call for a “third option,” based on a cooperative and service-oriented decentralized system. This system empowers governorates to effectively manage their local services within a unified Syrian state, ensuring the equitable distribution of power and resources and guaranteeing the active participation of all citizens.
- This formula balances the unity of the nation-state with the rights of local communities to make their own administrative and service-related decisions.
Building on national consensus: We consider the roadmap signed in Damascus on September 16, 2025, a practical entry point for resolving the crises in all regions, including Suwayda. We will build upon it to generalize the model of peaceful resolution, as exemplified by the March 10 agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Syrian Future Movement calls upon all national forces—political parties, movements, civil society, and intellectuals—to engage positively with this declaration and to shape an active public opinion that redefines a unified Syrian identity and moves the country from chaos and sectarianism to a state of citizenship and institutions.
Suwaida today serves as a model for what Syria can become tomorrow: a safe, unified province, participating in shaping its future, within a homeland that embraces everyone without discrimination and is based on cooperative and service-oriented decentralization that guarantees justice, efficiency, and active citizenship.
The Syria of the future is built through dialogue, not weapons; through law, not chaos; through citizenship, not sectarianism.
