Syrian Reform Movement warns against sectarian and nationalist tensions

Hasakah Governorate has recently witnessed widespread popular protests and demonstrations condemning the killing of Hasakah Brigade fighter Sami Sheikhmos Hasso (Sipan Hazni), following his abduction by an armed group and transfer to Adlana village in the countryside of Serê Kaniyê.

The recent events in the city were accompanied by attempts by some parties to stir sectarian and nationalist tensions and undermine civil peace in the region, in addition to the attack on public institutions. In Kobani, a prison fire resulted in the deaths of 10 people and injured others. The developments came amid efforts to undermine the integration process between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the transitional government by spreading hate speech and inciting unrest that threatens the country’s social and political stability.

In response, tribal, political and social figures and groups called for caution against attempts to stir sectarian and nationalist tensions and urged the preservation of coexistence among Kurds, Arabs and Syriac-Assyrians to safeguard the region’s social fabric.

The region also witnessed calls for the perpetrators responsible for the death of Hasakah Brigade fighter Sami Sheikhmos Hasso (Sipan) to be held accountable, alongside calls for citizens to exercise restraint and assurances that the perpetrators would be held accountable through judicial institutions.

“The Integration Process Has Achieved Positive Steps”

Speaking to ANHA agency, Syrian Reform Movement leader Shukri Sheikhani began by praising the integration process between the SDF and the transitional government, which was implemented in accordance with the January 29 agreement. He noted that the overall results of the process benefit all Syrian communities, particularly the Kurdish people.

Sheikhani said the integration process had achieved positive steps, although they remain insufficient so far, particularly regarding language and citizenship, including the issue of those without registered citizenship. He noted that all these rights had previously been denied and suppressed for the Kurdish people.

“Today, Syria is witnessing major changes, and the steps achieved are positive. Although incomplete, they are generally good,” Sheikhani said.

He called for a genuine and clear vision for these gains to be established by enshrining the rights achieved in the new Syrian Constitution and fully implementing them, so that Kurdish citizens can feel that their rights have been constitutionally secured.

He noted that the Constitution is the “father of all laws” and the only instrument capable of guaranteeing the dignity and rights of Kurds and all other communities.

“There Are Always People Seeking to Undermine the Integration”

Sheikhani noted that any political process inevitably faces obstacles, explaining: “Everything cannot be perfect. There are always people who seek to undermine the integration process, whether driven by political motives or personal interests. Those who benefited from instability will lose when genuine integration is achieved and meets the needs of all people.”

He said political motives can sometimes drive such efforts, particularly when individuals or groups no longer have the same political or economic influence as before. He stressed the need for a broader vision for building Syria and warned against becoming confined within the framework of northern Syria.

Sheikhani called on Kurds and Kurdish parties to establish a presence across all parts of Syria.

“Some Groups Have Been Harmed by the Integration Process and Have Political Agendas”

Sheikhani called on Kurdish parties to establish a presence across all parts of Syria and promote the values of the noble Kurd, including generosity and chivalry. He noted that efforts to undermine the integration process are driven by groups whose personal interests have been harmed, as well as other political parties that may be right on some issues and wrong on others.

The March 10 Agreement and the Reawakening of Hatred and Hostility

The head of the Syrian Reform Movement referred to the March 10, 2025 agreement and the widespread joy it sparked across Syria as the country took the first steps toward addressing the Kurdish issue.

Sheikhani noted that this joy also awakened feelings of hatred and hostility among many people, including what he described as remnants of the former regime, those who do not want stability and security in the country, or others who may be described differently. Ultimately, he said, they are “enemies of this country.”

Sheikhani stressed that anyone who does not want stability for Syrian citizens is an enemy of Syria and of any agreement that may be reached. He said the events in Hasakah were primarily aimed at triggering a civil war and spreading chaos in the region.

He said the Syrian leadership and the Syrian Democratic Forces dealt with the agreement responsibly, worked to consolidate it and avoid a return to war, and reaffirmed that the Syrian people are one.

Hate Speech and the Integration Process

On hate speech circulating on social media, Sheikhani said that “hate speech comes in the context of some parties’ rejection of the integration process and their continued efforts to spread discord and sectarianism, because they do not benefit from a period of stability in Syria.”

He added that these groups include large numbers of supporters of the former regime who benefit from instability to advance their personal interests. He noted that they had accumulated billions of dollars by taking advantage of these circumstances and want them to continue.

Sheikhani warned against hate speech and its impact on civil peace and stability in the country. He said those inciting discord and sectarianism fear the constitutional enshrinement of the Kurdish people’s rights in the new Syrian Constitution, considering their efforts to be driven by a desire to return the country to war and a state of instability within Syrian society.

He stressed the need for the Syrian people to move toward a stage of greater prosperity and a sense of security and reassurance.

The Syrian Reform Movement’s Position on the Integration Process

The head of the Syrian Movement Movement said the Movement supports the integration process and any reform process in Syria, noting that this is one of its main objectives, along with supporting any genuine integration process that guarantees all peoples their full rights.

He also said the Movement takes pride in the achievements of the Autonomous Administration and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and congratulated the Democratic Union Party on the 23rd anniversary of its founding on September 20.

Concluding his remarks, Shukri Sheikhani affirmed that the Movement'sviews are aligned with those of national parties on the process of social, political and economic reform, which, he said, should serve as the defining feature of the beginning of a new phase in Syria.

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ANHA