Illustrative Image
Written by S. Shilov
More and more footage of atrocities committed by HTS militants against the predominantly Alawite minority continues to emerge from the Syrian coast. Although there are also Christians and Sunnis, who sheltered people from the massacres and were killed. However, the genocide does not prevent the interim president of Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa from signing the interim constitution, according to which the country will be ruled by his Islamist group for 5 years. Of course, there is “nothing more permanent than temporary”.
Recall that al-Sharaa appointed a committee to draft a new constitution after the National Dialogue conference. It was hastily organized, was not inclusive and did not include representatives of Syria’s various ethnic and religious groups, as well as civil society. Apparently, the conference was nothing but a stage play.
Together with the signing of the new document, the high-ranking Turkish delegation arrived in Damascus. It included Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the head of the National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalın. The main issue for the Turks is naturally the Kurds, and the Turkish visit is largely assessed as a probable preparation and coordination before the war, which the HTS has been postponing. Groups of militants directly subordinate to Türkiye are fighting against the Syrian Kurds. Their relations with the HTS are not easy, but these units also slaughtered Alawites on the coast, showing the symbol of “gray wolves” over the bodies of their victims. Followers of pan-Turkism or Islamism, no matter. Anyone will be welcomed into their ranks.
A couple of days ago, Damascus and the Kurds signed what the Arab press called “eternal peace”, which is an agreement to integrate the SDF into the institutions of the transitional government. However…
Kurdish administration has already criticized the new constitution. The Kurds have called the provisions of the new document an undermining of efforts to achieve genuine democracy in Syria, and its provisions far from the hopes of its people.
Without going into the details of the constitution, in essence, President al-Sharaa gets even more power than Bashar al-Assad had and establishes his personal dictatorship over the islamic emirate. Meanwhile, the genocide on the coast, where the Alawite community, from which the former president comes from, lives, is gaining momentum. Obviously, al-Sharaa is obsessed with power, does not tolerate nonconformity and is ready to eliminate his former associates. History has known many such cases; this is nothing unique.
It is unclear how the Druze community in southern Syria will react to the constitution. They were also on the verge of confrontation with Damascus, but recently signed a Kurdish-like agreement. However, there is already a video of the new Syrian flag being replaced with their Druze flag in their capital, al-Suwayda.
Anyway, what al-Sharaa is doing on the coast now is not only an act of terror against Kurds and Druze, Christians and other minorities. That’s first of all the elimination of the Alawites – the backbone of the old government – from any political alignment and the complete defeat of the rights of the community in the new country. So-called collective responsibility. The Alawites understood this long ago and were subjected to constant humiliation and reprisals for the months after the fall of Bashar. That’s why they rebelled, but it was a desperate and doomed attempt, given the forces involved.
Now their defeat in rights is documented and signed by the blood of those killed in the genocide.
these unfortunate people, in their stupidity, opened the doors of their own homes. my mother taught me when she went to the work that i shouldn’t open the door. this way we got rid of many strangers. i put my hand over my sister’s mouth to keep her quiet. i can hide behind a wall so that no one can see me, especially if there is someone at the door who i either don’t know or someone i know but don’t want to communicate with.
originally published: defend democracy press on march 10, 2025 by defend democracy press staff (more by defend democracy press) | (posted mar 13, 2025)
human rights, state repression, strategy, warmiddle east, syrianewswire
7,000 christians and alawites have been “slaughtered” in syria according to greek member of the european parliament, nikolas farantouris, a member of the european parliament’s committee on security & defense, who visited damascus on 8-9 march.
syriza mep nikolas farantouris has returned from the syrian capital, where he met with religious leaders, including greek orthodox patriarch john x of antioch and the near east, and officials of the ministry of foreign affairs of the new regime in damascus.
his visit over the weekend coincided as the forces of the turkish-backed islamist regime horrifically massacred alawites and christians, including greek orthodox, with the death poll being placed at over 7,000.
“reliable data indicate 7,000 christians and alawites slaughtered and unprecedented atrocities against civilians. christian and other communities with a millennial presence in this region are at risk of extinction,” farantouris said in a statement following his visit. “the new islamic regime is leading syria into an islamic state and is pretending that it cannot control the paramilitaries and the gangs associated with them who attack innocent civilians,” he continued, adding that
patriarch john x made an appeal “to stop the bloodshed, while in our private meeting he pointed out the tragic shortages of food and medicine that christians are facing.”i call on the greek government and the governments of [eu] member states, to act now. neither greece nor the eu can continue to show tolerance and be limited to ceremonial visits and courtesies with the islamic regime for investments and ‘business’ while thousands of civilians are being
slaughtered with its acquiescence, if not its guidance. measures must be taken here and now before it is entirely too late,” the mep concluded. the massacres over the past few days was the worst violence to hit syria since the fall of the assad regime in december. interim president ahmed al-sharaa, whose islamist group led the offensive that toppled assad, alarmed by the international outrage has attempted to distance himself from the violence and vowed to “
hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who was involved in the bloodshed of civilians”.“there will be no one above the law and anyone whose hands have been stained with the blood of syrians will face justice sooner or later,” he said.
however, amid international outrage, the new syrian regime has also urged the turkish-backed islamist fighters under its control to stop recording the violence and massacres in an attempt to hide their crime
ahmad al-sharaa is an israel asset.
syria was so “lucky” to have “great allies” like russia & iran!
heheheh
send more money and weapons to syria or syria will send all captagon drugs to europe.
i wonder if nato would fall apart in the event of a turkish attack on israel? or would donald trump make constantinople christian again…