Egyptian politician: Exclusionary policies in Syria lead to conflict, fragmentation

Ramy Zahdy, an Egyptian politician concerned with the Syrian cause and with peace and security issues in the Middle East, said that what the residents of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo have been subjected to represents a serious violation of citizenship rights and a threatening message directed at Syrian society as a whole, not just one group.

In a recorded video published by Zahdy, he explained that his message “is not merely one of support for the residents of Aleppo’s neighborhoods, whether Sheikh Maqsoud or Ashrafieh,” noting that what occurred there in terms of “displacement, harm, and social and political exclusion” should be the responsibility of the state and the relevant authorities, in addition to “terrorist groups and other states that support the acts being committed against honorable citizens from the components of the Syrian people.”

Zahdy stressed that what is happening in Aleppo “is not an isolated case or linked to a specific geography,” but rather part of a broader pattern of targeting, saying: “Today the Kurds are being targeted, yesterday it was the Alawites and the Druze, and then after that the Sunnis,” warning that this exclusionary approach is leading Syria toward further fragmentation and conflict.

The Egyptian politician emphasized that exclusion and marginalization “serve agendas that have nothing to do with Syria’s interests,” adding that the Syria desired by Syrians and Arabs alike “must be a strong state that includes all components of Syrian society, without discrimination, exclusion, or marginalization of any group.”

Zahdy pointed out that what Aleppo is witnessing reveals “how far targeting can go when the values of citizenship and justice are absent,” calling for confronting these policies through a unified national stance that rejects all forms of violence and violations against civilians.

He concluded by reaffirming Egypt’s support for the Syrian people, saying: “All support and assistance from Egypt to our brothers and our people in Syria,” expressing his hope that the country will overcome this difficult phase through a comprehensive national project that preserves the dignity of Syrians and protects their diversity.

A-H

ANHA