Six months after the fall of Assad (June 8)

Six months after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns against naivety in dealing with the new Islamist rulers: “Half a year after the new Islamist rulers took power over the once multi-religious country of Syria, the minority groups no longer see a future for themselves there,” reported Dr. Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East consultant, in Göttingen today. “Those in power around Assad are vague about the future of the country – and while the people are wondering whether the country will go through a process of democratization or further Islamization, we see an escalation of violence against members of ethnic and religious minorities.” In April, Sido visited almost all Syrian provinces, without the knowledge of the authorities and without being accompanied by the Ministry of Information. Thus, he was able to conduct confidential interview with members and recognized representatives of the various minority groups.

“During my visit, I saw many signs that the new rulers are trying to continuously destroy religious and ethnic diversity in Syria and to establish a strict Islamist regime,” Sido stated. “The international and regional state of affairs is contributing to these plans: Turkey’s military support and large sums of money from Qatar and other Gulf states are helping to legitimize and promote Islamist forces. Even in Israel, Qatar is allegedly distributing large sums of money to politicians, journalists, and think tanks – in cooperation with Turkey – to promote an Islamist-friendly policy. A journalist informed me about this in Jerusalem at the beginning of May,” Sido explained.

With the exception of the Kurdish-controlled regions in the north-east of Syria and the Druze settlement areas in the south, the country is clearly under Turkish control. “In the Turkish-controlled areas, such as in the Syrian-Kurdish region of Afrin or in Idlib, trade is conducted only in Turkish currency or in US dollars. Also, Turkish flags can be seen everywhere in Afrin, not just on government buildings, but also at checkpoints,” Sido reported. “Further, Turkey is controlling all telecommunications channels, including the telephone network and WhatsApp, throughout the country. For this reason, experts advised me to be cautious when communicating with my contacts during my stay.”

While Turkey is restoring and decorating graves of Ottoman soldiers killed in Syria during World War One – near the tomb of the legendary Kurdish commander Saladin in Damascus, for example – Kurdish cemeteries and graves in Afrin have been destroyed completely (see the attached photos).

Against this background, the Kurds and Druze do not want to give up their autonomy under any circumstances. They distrust the Islamist militias that are now in power in Damascus. “After these very militias attacked the defenseless Alawites in March, they are now increasingly targeting the Druze. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, leader of the Druze minority, and General Mazlum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, are calling for a federal system as a solution for Syria. German politicians and the media should support this demand if they want to prevent an Islamist regime in Syria,” Sido emphasized.

Dr. Kamal Sido collected many more photos and firsthand reports. If you would like to schedule an interview about the background, please get in touch via k.sido@gfbv.de or +49 173 6733980