In 2012, al-Hijri succeeded his brother Ahmed as the spiritual leader of the Druze community after the latter's suspicious death in a car accident. The position has been hereditary within the family since the 19th century. His tenure saw a split within the Druze religious leadership, with one faction under his leadership based in the town of
Qanawat and another led by sheikhs
Hammoud al-Hinnawi and
Youssef Jarbou based at the Ain al-Zaman shrine in
Suwayda city. Following the
fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, al-Hijri called for a comprehensive national dialogue under international supervision to establish a transitional government representing all segments of Syrian society. In a televised interview aired in January 2025, al-Hijri stressed that it was "far too early" to talk about disarming, considering the matter "completely unacceptable until a state is formed and a constitution is written to guarantee rights". report about fears among Syrian minorities, with interview of al-Hijri On 17 February 2025, al-Hijri issued a statement emphasizing the unity of Syria as a land and people, rejecting separatism and the reintegration of corrupt officials into state institutions. He called for a
technocratic civilian administration free from ethnic, religious, or political affiliations and warned against losing the national direction following the fall of the regime. Al-Hijri expressed mixed views on Syrian President
Ahmed al-Sharaa. In a recorded statement in March 2025, he denied any political alignment with the Damascus government, saying that it was extremist and was wanted by international justice. He accused the authorities of attempting to sow discord in As-Suwayda by appointing unpopular figures to represent the governorate. In July 2025, amid
clashes between Druze and Bedouins, al-Hijri issued a statement warning government forces to not intervene in Suwayda. After government forces were deployed, he called on Druze fighters to "resist this brutal campaign by all available means." He later called on United States President
Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, and Jordan's King
Abdullah II to "save Suwayda". On 16 July, the Syrian government announced a ceasefire, which was agreed to by the Druze Religious Authority, headed by other sheikhs Hammoud al-Hinnawi and Youssef Jarbou. Al-Hijri rejected the agreement however, saying that it was proclaimed by "armed gangs falsely calling themselves a government". Following the government's withdrawal, at least 50 Bedouin civilians were massacred by al-Hijri-aligned Druze groups, according to multiple reports. Al-Hijri refused the entry of a government delegation with aid into Suwayda on 20 July. On 8 August 2025, speaking via video message at the "Unity of Position of the Components of North and East Syria" conference in
al-Hasakah, al-Hijri endorsed a decentralized, pluralistic Syria, stressing solidarity between Druze,
Alawites,
Kurds, and others. He described diversity as a source of strength rather than division. Later that month, on 23 August, a number of armed groups in Suwayda issued statements declaring their merger under the umbrella of a "
National Guard". According to their founding declaration, the move was intended to create "an organized and solid force entrusted with protecting the mountain and its people". The groups emphasized their "absolute commitment to the decisions of the spiritual leadership represented by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri", describing him as the legitimate representative of the Druze community in the mountain, referring to
Jabal al-Druze. == Notes ==