Syrian politician: absence of justice has turned transitional phase into vindictive one

Wafiq Shabib, a politician and member of the Syrian Future Council in Aleppo, spoke to ANHA agency about the rapid changes and developments unfolding on the Syrian scene. He recalled the attacks launched by factions affiliated with the transitional government on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in recent months.

Shabib linked the attacks carried out by transitional government factions on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh to the recent visit of a Turkish delegation to Damascus, considering that “the latest attack was instigated by Turkey, in parallel with the attack that targeted the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque belonging to the Alawite sect, following reports about negotiations related to the March 10 agreement.”

Regarding the peaceful demonstrations and civil movement of Alawites, Shabib explained that they were “peaceful, demand-based protests calling for legitimate rights, foremost among them self-determination, federalism, and decentralization,” and that they came in response to a call issued by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal.

Transitional Government Reneged on Its Promises

Shabib said that analyzing the current Syrian reality requires revisiting the early stage of the fall of the former regime, a phase during which the authorities made promises to all Syrian components of entering a new era based on a developed economy and the guarantee of fair and equal rights.

He explained that Alawites responded positively to these promises, carried out reconciliation processes, and issued statements affirming that they are an integral part of the Syrian social fabric. However, this was followed by the start of systematic violations against them, beginning in Homs and Tartous, passing through Hama and Masyaf, and reaching Latakia, with the transitional government justifying these violations as isolated incidents.

Absence of Justice Turned the Transitional Phase into a Vindictive One

Shabib pointed out that the lack of justice in dealing with these violations transformed the transitional phase into a vindictive one, in which mobilization calls were used as tools of incitement. This led to a dangerous escalation in crimes, including random killings of civilians based on identity some of which turned into massacres along with cases of abducting women, the burning of coastal forests, the destruction of religious shrines, the looting of homes and shops, and other violations.

He considered that the burning of forests and orchards, as well as the unjust dismissal of employees from their jobs, falls within a policy of starvation practiced by the transitional government against the residents of the Syrian coast, constituting additional violations alongside the grave abuses committed against Alawites.

Shabib rejected linking all Alawites to what he called the “Assadist sect” that ruled the country for more than half a century, stressing that this authority exercised oppression over all Syrians, including Alawites.

He explained that the marginalization faced by Alawites under the transitional government has pushed them to rise up as a reaction to deteriorating living and political conditions.

Shabib criticized the transitional government’s handling of peaceful protests through military force, as well as its distortion of the movement by assigning labels that do not reflect its reality such as describing protesters as remnants of the former regime along with incitement campaigns and sectarian mobilization aimed at thwarting their demands for self-determination and federalism.

He added: “I linked my talk about the massacres of Alawites to the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, because in both cases the government employed sectarian incitement to serve its policies, ignoring societal divisions and the devastating consequences resulting from them.”

Decentralization as a Demand to Respond to the Exclusion of Components

Shabib affirmed that the demand for decentralization came as a response to the actual exclusion of Alawites and other components from the national dialogue, government formation, and the ‘People’s Council.’ He noted that the transitional government prioritizes improving its external image at the expense of its internal legitimacy.

He explained that the transitional government was imposed illegitimately, as it was formed by factions that are still listed under international sanctions and classified as “terrorist groups,” adding: “This government was formed by factions, not by the people.”

UN Security Council Resolution 2,799

Shabib recalled UN Security Council Resolution No. 2,799, which the transitional government agreed to in order to lift sanctions on the head of the transitional phase, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Interior Minister Anas Khattab. In return, it offered commitments, including the protection of all Syrian components. He considered that the suppression of protesters in the coastal and interior regions, and the use of tanks to disperse demonstrations, constituted a clear violation of those commitments and evoked the practices of the defunct regime.

Wafiq Shabib concluded by stressing that the Autonomous Administration project represents one of the most successful sustainable solutions for Syria’s future, provided it is based on a constitution founded on genuine national understanding and dialogue with the participation of all Syrians, thereby putting an end to the ongoing cycle of violence in the country.

ANHA