Damascus could learn from Rojava to build social cohesion: American activist

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nadine Maenza, a prominent American advocate for religious freedom, expressed her surprise at the unity among the various religious and ethnic groups in the Kurdish-held region of northeast Syria (Rojava). She further noted that the interim government in Damascus could benefit from Rojava's experience in fostering social cohesion across the rest of the country.

Maenza, president of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), arrived in Rojava on April 14. During her one-week trip, she met with top officials and representatives from various ethnic and religious groups, including Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - de facto army of Rojava.  

“Everyone is listening to each other. The one thing that struck me about this visit in particular is the unified voice from every person in northeast Syria,” the American rights advocate said during an exclusive interview with Rudaw English in Erbil on Tuesday. 

She added that even opposition groups like the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC), Christian groups previously affiliated with the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition and religious leaders once aligned with the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad “are all supporting the autonomous administration in northeast Syria, and they are wanting to see it preserved at least mostly preserved as it integrates into the Syrian government, especially Alawites.”

Rojava's ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the ENKS have been rivals for nearly a decade, but they have recently resumed unity talks that had been stalled for years. The two sides are set to hold the first intra-Kurdish conference in Qamishli on Saturday, with the goal of building Kurdish unity in Syria. 

When asked if the Rojava model of social cohesion is applicable to other parts of Syria, Maenza responded, "Absolutely."

“It might not be exactly like what they did in northeast Syria. I'm not suggesting that's a perfect fit for every place in the world. But what we can learn from them is how they prioritize building social cohesion,” she noted. 

“I mean, you go into a city that is majority Kurdish, for instance. And if you look at who the co-chairs and vice co-chairs and all the people involved in the governance, you're going to see every religion, ethnicity represented in a position in government. And so you have that tapestry of everyone's voice and they've all worked together every day to solve each other their problems so that they have that trust and you have that community,” she further noted. 

The Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES), the official name of the Kurdish-held region, was established more than a decade ago after Assad’s forces withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas to defend the regime strongholds in other parts of the country as opposition fighters gained territory. 

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, spearheaded a coalition of jihadist rebel groups in late November, toppling Assad’s regime on December 8. The country is navigating a transitional phase. 

Sharaa was named the interim president of Syria in January.  He vowed at the time to form an “inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity.” He has, however, faced domestic and international criticism that he has marginalized minority communities. 
 
In March, he approved a constitutional declaration that centers on Islamic jurisprudence and cements central authority. He also appointed a cabinet that includes four members of minority groups. Ethnic and religious groups claimed they were not consulted in the appointment process. The new cabinet also includes individuals blacklisted by the United Nations and the United States over alleged ties to extremist armed groups.

Maenza said religious minorities do not feel safe in Damascus-held areas in Syria. 

“I spoke to an evangelical leader just a couple of days ago in northeast Syria that had just been in Damascus. And he was telling me he saw for himself a car drive through a Christian neighborhood. You know, with the loudspeakers saying that women need to wear hijabs, that men and women couldn't walk together. These are the kind of things going on that are scary to all of the different religious communities, including the Sunnis that don't want to be under Islamist rule, too,” she stated. 

She blamed the Western countries for not putting enough pressure on the transitional government, noting that for these countries “often the interests are always their first priority.”

Several Western countries, primarily Germany and France, have been actively engaged in the new phase of Syria's conflict, with their top diplomats visiting the war-torn country. They have warned Damascus that the recent lifting of some sanctions previously imposed on Assad's regime is conditional, and that Sharaa must form an inclusive government.

Maenza said the interim government should build social cohesion to maintain the support of Western countries and ensure a better future for Syrians. 

“If you don't have social cohesion in a society as diverse with such a violent history as Syria's had in recent decades, then how are we going to have the kind of long-term peace and stability that really is in the best interest of all the international players?” she asked.

Maenza added that if Western countries are “looking at Syria in a long-term way, they should be prioritizing social cohesion, they should be prioritizing building a society that has equal citizenship over, say, their economic interests because if in fact they do that, then Syria has a better chance of being stable that will then be a better economic partner.”

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