Kurdish Political Movements in Syria
Press Release
2/1/2006
A delegation representing the Kurdish Political Movements in Syria
headed by Sherkoh Abbas met with the US State Department, Congress and
Senate on January 30, 2006. The delegation attended discussion was
concerning the status of Kurdish people in Syria and explained the views
of the Kurdish movement in Syria as a nation within Syria. In addition,
the delegation highlighted the gross violations against Kurdish people's
human and national rights by the racist Syrian regime. This regime
implemented discriminatory policies against the Kurds by revoking
citizenship since 1962, changing demographics through the Arab Belt (the
building of 42 settlements in northeast of Syria along Turkey's border),
Arabization, assimilation efforts, and other means. These measures have
resulted in lack of economic development, and have been accompanied by
denial of publishing, broadcasting and educating rights in Syria's
Kurdish region. The delegation stressed the necessity of an immediate
end to these gross violations of the Kurdish human and national rights.
In addition, the Kurdish delegation pressed the need to find a just,
peaceful, and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria, view
the Kurdish issues as a national issue, and secure the national rights
of the Kurdish people, including political, cultural, and human rights.
These rights must be guaranteed in a new constitution and these
guarantees must be implemented.
The position of the Kurdish delegation with respect to other parts of
the Syrian oppositions was made clear, as the Kurdish delegation urged
them to acknowledge the Kurdish issue in Syria as one of the main
concerns of the nation and acknowledge it as real measurement for the
democratic change necessary in Syria. The delegation addressed the need
for the opposition to work together and for the Kurdish movements to lay
a sound foundation for democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights
in Syria. In addition, the delegation conveyed its concerns over current
situation of the region in general, but expressed happiness with the
ongoing transition to democracy in Iraq.
At the conclusion of discussions, the Kurdish delegation thanked the
President Bush, American officials, and American people for their
understanding of the Kurdish issue. The delegation head stated that
President Bush said, "The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the
world, it is God's gift to humanity," and we the Kurds are here to
receive this gift through the USA.
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