In one such tragic incident widely covered around the world, eight of them were executed in a surprise raid in Syria. Among them was Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American from Oklahoma. His stoning – by a mob including a police officer – on July 17 was filmed and uploaded to social media and led to protests across the country. This tragic incident serves to underscore the recent wave of sectarian violence targeted at the Druze community across the region.
Hosam Saraya belonged to the Druze community, an Arab religious group that has faced increasing violence amid tensions between Syrian Druze factions and Bedouin tribes. The killings occurred in Suwayda province, a Druze-majority region where sectarian hostility has increased in recent weeks. Reports indicated that Hosam Saraya had returned to his native Syria to care for his ailing father after attending school in Oklahoma.
According to eyewitnesses, militants raided the home of the Saraya family, marching Hosam out at gunpoint along with seven other men. Bahaa Imad, a friend of Hosam’s who documented the harrowing experience in real-time, saw everything unfold. He watched as the captives marched the short distance of about 200 meters to Tishreen Square. There, the assailants forced them to stand in a row and shot them in a cold show of force.
On 7 March the U.S. State Department acknowledged that an American citizen had died in Suwayda, naming him as Hosam Saraya. U.S. Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin acknowledged the deep loss. They extended their heartfelt regrets and highlighted how valuable Hosam’s experience and perspective were.
“Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria.” – James Lankford
Besides Hosam, his brother Kareem Saraya was among those executed. The Saraya family’s ordeal has touched the hearts of their new home state — as well as friends and family in Oklahoma. One courageous woman survivor of the assault called her family members here in the U.S. She called for help and recounted her terrifying experience.
“Pray for us, they kidnapped the boys, they shot the house, they stole stuff.” – female survivor
The tragedy this violence has carved into the fabric of society is a raging fear among Soulayman’s neighbors in Suwayda. Recent statistics indicate that violence has increased dramatically between the Druze and Bedouin clans. This escalation only helped fuel the nonstop attacks on members from both factions. This escalating sectarian conflict is only a part of the broader struggle for control and power within Syria. This fight to get an aid package started ever since the civil war erupted more than a decade ago.
When news of the executions began to gain traction, most people were rightfully outraged at the savage nature of the killings. One of the captives managed to communicate with friends before the attack, stating:
“Come and help us if you can. They surrounded us.” – one of the captives
A U.S. cousin of Hosam Saraya wrote to express their shock over the violence being perpetrated against innocent, civilian men, women and children.
“I don’t know how monsters can do that.” – U.S. relative
The brutality of execution-style killings is the backdrop to the humanitarian crisis still unfolding in Syria. For every Hosam Saraya’s family, there are dozens whose lives are tangentially caught in a spiral of incalculable pain. This upheaval has forced millions from their homes and broken hundreds of communities.
