{"id":121794,"date":"2025-02-05T17:34:23","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=121794"},"modified":"2025-02-05T17:34:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:34:25","slug":"syrians-seek-decentralized-rule-to-protect-rights-of-diverse-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/121794\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrians seek decentralized rule to protect rights of diverse communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Dilsoz Youssef<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) \u2013<\/strong> Following the fall of the al-Assad regime, Syrians from all communities are looking forward to a new system of governance that safeguards everyone\u2019s rights within a newly drafted constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new administration in Syria suspended the previous constitution after Ahmad al-Sharaa assumed the presidency of the transitional phase during the “Victory Conference,” which was attended by military factions last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decentralization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sobhi Melki, a young Syriac man from Hasakah, tells North Press that the Syriac-Assyrian community believes Syria’s governance should be inclusive of all groups. It should be civil, secular, and decentralized. He adds that such a system would ensure the rights of all communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melki emphasizes that decentralization is not a form of division but rather the most advanced model of governance in developed nations and could help end the cycle of violence in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argues that revenge and bloodshed will not rebuild the country after the fall of al-Assad\u2019s regime, under which all communities suffered from cultural suppression and dictatorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He points out that everyone in Syria has struggled and paid the price of 14 years of war, which is why they demand a constitution that represents all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its first response to the “Victory Conference,” the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) stated that the Syrian people had been waiting for a comprehensive national conference to prepare for drafting an inclusive constitution and organizing parliamentary and presidential elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the fall of the Ba\u2019ath regime on Dec. 8, Turkish attacks and operations by Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), have continued in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armenian rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lousnak Kafourian, a young Armenian woman, says it is time for all cultures to be openly represented in Syria, stressing that the new Syria should not be dominated by political Islam but should belong to all its communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that despite enduring 50 years of Ba\u2019athist rule, Syria has yet to experience true democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kafourian points out that successive governments in Syria have resisted democracy and decentralization for their own interests. However, she notes that in northeastern Syria, Armenians are currently able to practice their religious rituals freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have gained our rights in northeastern Syria. We have been able to express our cultures and practice our religions openly in northeastern Syria.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stresses that the Armenian community demands full rights in the new Syria and a voice in drafting the new constitution, particularly after facing repeated massacres at the hands of the Turkish state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our rights must be recognized, including our religions and churches throughout Syria, so that the Armenian people can live in peace and remain in their rightful place within the church and not be abused,” she said, adding that this can only be achieved through a decentralized, democratic, and pluralistic system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observers and Syrians warn that excluding communities from Syria\u2019s future governance will only fuel conflict and prolong the cycle of violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Constitution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ghofran Hassan, a lawyer from Hasakah, emphasizes the need for a federal system in Syria to ensure that all communities\u2019 rights are constitutionally protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She tells North Press “These rights must be safeguarded by the constitution to prevent any violations, and ensure they are not merely words on paper, as was the case under the former Ba’ath regime.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Baban Hussein, a legal expert from Hasakah, says that the ideal system for Syria would be a democratic one that recognizes the rights of all communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is best for Syria to have a democratic system that recognizes the rights of all its communities, including Arabs, Kurds, Druze, Syriacs, and Alawites.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He highlights the strong ties between the diverse communities of northeastern Syria, shaped by shared history and coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This unique character must be taken into account in governance and during the drafting of Syria\u2019s constitution,” he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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