Word: druse
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Dates: during 1925-1925
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...last extremity of resistance against the French by proclaiming a holy war. After issuing an order prohibiting the sowing of winter grain by men between 20 and 60 years of age, El Atrash called an assembly of the chiefs at which it was allegedly decided to excommunicate every Druse who should fail to devote himself to the long-standing struggle with the French (TIME, Dec. 14 et ante...
Travelers recalled that "Sultan" El Atrash dwells like a feudal lord in a tribal castle, "with walls more than a metre thick," which is perched upon a rocky crag of the Jebel Druz.** It has been alleged that he regards the whole Franco-Druse war as having sprung up because he killed a French officer "to avenge the arrest of a tribesman who was the Sultan's guest." Since that time (1921), El Atrash has employed against the French not only his temporal authority, but the influence of the religious cult which distinguishes his fellow tribesmen, a mixture...
General Gamelin was reported to have made a sortie from Damascus and been heavily engaged with Druse tribes to the South. Then the encircling native warriors cut off all communication with Damascus by rail, telephone or telegraph...
...paraded through the streets on camel back. Three days later the bodies of twelve Circassians (French irregulars) were found dead out-side the Bab Esh Sharol gate. Came night, and French soldiers were attacked and mutilated in one of the slums of Damascus. Came another night, and bands of Druse tribesmen filtered into the city. Three purposes have been ascribed to them: 1) The kidnaping of General Sarrail. 2) Revenge for the plundering of their villages by Circassian irregulars. 3) Punishment of Armenian Damascenes who were suspected of acting as a "fence" in disposing of the Circassians' loot...
...interlude is reported to have occurred when French airmen noticed hundreds of Druse warriors participating in the funeral of a sheik. A few high explosive bombs turned the funeral into a shambles...