PrintA conventional picture emerging in analysis of the situation regarding the primarily Druze province of al-Suwayda' and relations with the new Syrian central government is that the Druze leadership- both military and spiritual- has largely come to agreement with the new government on matters of administration and security, while Hikmat al-Hijri- one of the three mashayakh al-aql (most senior spiritual Syrian Druze leaders)- and his followers are supposedly the rejectionists and spoilers. In this supposed dichotomy, Layth al-Balous- son of Wahid al-Balous who established the Rijal al-Karama movement and responsible for the 'al-Karama Guesthouse' in al-Suwayda' province- is upheld as a key Druze leader standing with the new Syrian government. Some non-Druze supporters of the new government even promote him as a potential candidate to be one of the future mashaykh al-aql.
But this portrait of Layth al-Balous is based on a rather superficial reading of news reports and statements. A closer examination of his discourse- most notably, his recent interview with al-Jazeera Arabic- would suggest that the divisions among the Druze religious and military leaders are being exaggerated.
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