• On July 19, 2025, during the bloody terrorist assault on Al-Matouna village – Suwayda Governorate, operatives of the so-called General Security and Ministry of Defense of the terrorist de-facto authority raided the home of Uncle Abu Alaa.
• Despite his family’s insistence that he leave the house for his safety, the elderly man, aged 72, chose to remain. He was forcibly captured at gunpoint, although he suffered from chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, respiratory problems) and required daily medication.
• After his abduction, he was coerced under threat to repeat specific phrases on camera dictated by the jihadists, where he said:
“Greetings to the Lord of the worlds, greetings to the noble Prophet, greetings to the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and greetings to the mujahideen in the path of God.”
• The perpetrators mocked and ridiculed him, then published the video across social media platforms. Pro-authority propaganda outlets re-circulated it repeatedly with the intent of humiliation and sectarian incitement, directly targeting him for his belonging to the Druze faith (Muwahhidun community).

• After a period of captivity, he was cold-bloodedly executed on sectarian grounds by operatives of the terrorist General Security.
• He was shot directly in a premeditated killing outside the law, constituting a crime against humanity.

• The perpetrating entity (

the de-facto authority

) did not stop at killing him; they turned the horrific crime into a tool for extortion and intimidation.
• For months after his death, the family still considered him “missing in custody,” as no official announcement regarding his fate was made.
• Approximately 26 days prior to this report, the family was surprised to find his mobile phone line active again after a long period of being disconnected. They re-established communication via the number and sent messages.
• Eight days ago, the family received messages on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The perpetrators replied, claiming he was “fine” and that they were “still interrogating him.” They demanded a ransom of $15,000 USD for his release.

• Financially extorting the family using the victim’s phone after his killing, exploiting the contact information of family members.
• This resulted in systematic psychological terror: the family was misled into believing he was still alive, prolonging their suffering. They were given false hope and then threatened that unless they paid $15,000 USD, he would be “killed”—while in reality, the victim had been dead for a long time. His body had already arrived at the hospital in a decomposed state and was buried in a mass grave as an unidentified person.
• This act constitutes organized psychological terrorism and a gross violation of the family’s rights and the victim’s dignity, even after his death. Unfortunately, numerous similar cases have been reported to us.
• Two days ago, the family was finally able to identify his body through photographs, as tragically the victims’ clothing often becomes the only means of recognition.
• Tragic aftermath for the family: The news of Abu Alaa’s martyrdom caused immense grief; his brother, lawyer Ibrahim, passed away upon hearing the news, leaving the family to mourn both losses together in a moment of shock and devastation.

⚠️ #Incident: Following the brutal assault carried out by members of the General Security and the Ministry of Defense under the de facto authority, along with tribal militias loyal to them, thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes in devastated villages to seek safer areas.

In response, local initiatives led by Shahba Sports Club, Basmat Watan Association, the Red Crescent, and residents of Shab’a town set up emergency shelters for displaced families.

🔻 Despite these efforts, the growing number of displaced people has overwhelmed available resources:
• Around 1,000 people currently in shelters
• Severe shortage of fuel essential for electricity and water pumping
• Critical lack of food and drinking water
• Complete communication blackout, making aid coordination nearly impossible
• Healthcare system collapsing as many hospitals have gone out of service following the assault

☑️ Relief efforts continue despite the challenges, but conditions are worsening by the day.

This attack was carried out on the basis of a fatwa issued by the local cleric tasked with “renovating” the building, who deemed music to be “an abomination of Satan’s work.” Meanwhile, the authorities in the country dismissed the incident as an “individual act” and called for calm and forgiveness, invoking the saying “to forgive is noble.”

This conservatory in particular has long stood— and continues to stand— as one of the last living symbols of the Syria we love and dream of. Its courtyard brought together families from all walks of life, who sent their children because they believed music is an essential part of youth. Its devoted teachers worked with little or no pay, volunteering with a profound faith in their mission.

Today, this living heritage faces the same fate as historic landmarks such as the Saraya building, left in ruins through neglect, and the General Staff building, auctioned off for conversion into a tourist resort. What is being destroyed is not merely walls or instruments, but the country’s memory, identity, and very soul.

Last night, members of the de-facto authority smashed all musical instruments and destroyed the foundations of learning at the National Conservatory of Music, located in Joudat al-Hashemi Secondary School, behind the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus.

This act was carried out under the pretext of a fatwa issued by the local cleric tasked with “renovating” the building, who declared music to be “an abomination of Satan’s work.”

This video captures a systematic assault on Syria’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. A city that was once a crossroads of civilization and the arts has now become a stage where destruction reigns supreme, and anything representing life, creativity, and innovation is cast aside.