Organization calls on the Dutch Friesland parliament to recognize AANES

The text of the demand reads:

Dear Members of the Frisian parliament,

The Jongfryske Mienskip is a cross border organisation. We have regular contact with other minorities

and sometimes our moral compass requires us to show solidarity with those minorities. Not only in

thoughts but also in deeds. Kind words will be insufficient if we want to help the Kurds in Rojava. Rojava is a region in northeastern Syria where mainly Kurds live. Armenians, Assyrians, Turkmen and

Circassians are the main minorities in the region. The Rojava government seeks recognition as an

autonomous region and wants to collaborate with other Syrian regions. Rojava has existed as a

political entity since 2012. The region has played a major role in combating the Islamic State (IS). On 20 October 2021, Rojava was recognized by the Parliament of Catalonia. We would like to ask the

parliament of Frisia to follow the Catalan example. We request the members of parliament to discuss

this matter in the next meeting of parliament and to recognize Rojava as an autonomous region. This

would not be the first time that the Frisian parliament has done so. A majority of the Frisian

parliament decided to recognize the United States of America as a sovereign state on 26 February

1782. The province of Frisia differs from the other Dutch provinces in that only Frisia has a non-Dutch

recognized national minority (the majority of the people in Fryslân speaks Frisian). This exceptional

position requires a different set of politics. Supporting minorities requires an act of moral courage

that is not always appreciated by those in power. This requires wisdom, good policies and courage. We think that these three characteristics fit the character of the Frisian parliament. That is why we

request the Frisian parliament - as a representative of the recognized Frisian national minority - to

recognize Rojava as an autonomous region following the Catalan example. On behalf of the board of the Jongfryske Mienskip, Kind regards, Sjoerd Groenhof

Board member and political advisor of the Jongfryske Mienskip

A

ANHA