Newroz torch lit in Derik in protest of government decision

Residents of the city of Derik and its surrounding countryside in the Jazira Canton lit the Newroz torch in response to the Syrian Interim Government’s decision not to include Newroz among the country’s official holidays.

NEWS

11 October, 2025 21:28

NEWS DESK

Crowds of local residents, joined by members of civil and military institutions, gathered at the entrance of Derik to light the Newroz flame as an act of defiance against what they described as the government’s continued policy of denial and marginalization of cultural and national holidays belonging to the region’s diverse communities.

After observing a moment of silence in tribute to the martyrs, Wafa Ali, a representative of the Kongra Star organization in Derik, delivered a speech emphasizing that Newroz represents “the day of the rebirth of freedom for the Kurdish people,” noting that thousands of Kurds and other communities across Syria celebrate this occasion every year.

Ali condemned the Syrian Interim Government’s ongoing policies of exclusion and denial toward the country’s communities, most recently reflected in its removal of Newroz and Akitu from the official list of national holidays.

The event concluded with the lighting of the Newroz torch amid an atmosphere of enthusiasm and traditional Kurdish dances.

a.k

ANHA