Concerning the current situation of Kurds in Syria in light of the revolution
At the beginning of the Syrian revolution the position of Kurds in Syria towards the regime was as clear as never before. To the Kurds, the Revolution poses a chance to free themselves of the constant oppression through the system over the past five decades. The greatest hopes, above all, is to put an end to the discri
Concerning the current situation of Kurds in Syria in light of the revolution
At the beginning of the Syrian revolution the position of Kurds in Syria towards the regime was as clear as never before. To the Kurds, the Revolution poses a chance to free themselves of the constant oppression through the system over the past five decades. The greatest hopes, above all, is to put an end to the discrimination against the Kurdish minority and to accelerate the political movement in order for to Kurds to play an active role in the political scene in Damascus.
Unity amongst the opposition groups is crucial in order to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. Great parts of the Kurdish population are suspicious about the promises, such as granting the Kurds certain rights once Assad’s regime had fallen, of the Syrian Arab opposition.
Despite the disappointing outcome of the negotiations with the Arab opposition, Kurds in Syria have participated in the protests. After a week of demonstration in Daraa, the Kurds took the peaceful protests to other Kurdish areas such as al-Qamishli, ʿAmudah, Darbasiyah, Raʾs al-ʿAin (Serê Kaniyê),ʿAin al-ʿArab (Kobanî), and in al-Malikiyah (Dêrik), al-Hasakah, Afrin and to the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood Ruknuddin in Damascus.
During the last two weeks many Kurdish recruits were killed because they had refused to shoot at civilians. Consequently, Assad’s regime is responsible for the murders of recruit Berzan Shmoniha, recruit Aras Sabri Shakir, recruit Shindar Salah Shakir, recruit Hawker Saleh Ali. In al-Malikiyah (Dêrik) the Syrian security forces injured Nasre Alddin Berhec member of the politburo of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria (Al- Party) and in Afrin city the Syrian security forces killed the Kurdish activist and member of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria Dr. Sherzad Haji Rashid. On February 6, 2012 the Syrian security forces abducted Muhammad Yusuf (member of the Executive Committee of the Kurdish Patriotic Conference), Ibrahim Biro (member of the politburo of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria as well as member of the Executive Committee of the Kurdish Patriotic Conference) and Salih Sufi (member of the politburo of the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Reconciliation).
The current situation in the Kurdish areas is anything but stable. In the majority of Kurdish cities, and especially in Al-Jazira, the Syrian military penetrated the area. Public life is under constant surveillance of the intelligence services and the so-called “Alshabiha”. Public life has nearly diminished, as the people are afraid of supporters of the regime, making security in the streets nearly non-existing. Detention, torture and assassinations of Kurdish leaders and intellectuals during the growing number of demonstrations are part of the security forces’ daily business. Failure to include representatives of the Kurdish population in talks about the future of Syria will only create problems, most notably ethnic tensions, once Assad’s regime is gone. Therefore, only a united and consequently strong voice from opposition groups can change the course of current events.
YASA e.V.– Kurdish Center for Legal Studies & Consultancy