After the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, attacks by HTS under the leadership of al-Jolani against minority groups have continued to intensify. These attacks, which initially targeted Alevis and Druze, have most recently been carried out in the Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo, where Kurds predominantly live.
While war crimes committed against civilians in these areas are not being monitored by international institutions, the country’s administration has adopted a policy of “one religion, one race, and one army,” openly displaying hostility toward different languages and cultures in every sphere. This hatred, carried out by armed groups operating under the name of the “Syrian army,” has led to massacres and forced displacement, while displaced Alevi and Kurdish areas are being subjected to Arabization.
Stating that this massacre policy against different identities is continuing systematically, Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD) activist Kader Uzun emphasized that peoples in the Middle East are being increasingly divided and that religious impositions are intensifying. She noted that the policies implemented in the region are inhumane and stressed that Kurds in particular, along with Alevis, Druze, and all oppressed peoples, must wage a common struggle.
Kader Uzun said the current period represents a time in which basic rights to life are being openly violated, adding: “In the process of reshaping the Middle East, global and regional nation-states are coming together to draw maps with a barbaric mentality. At these tables, policies are being produced that ignore Kurds and even aim to eliminate them.”
The massacres taking place are a common problem of all peoples
Pointing out that the policies pursued by nation-states, especially in the Middle East and Kurdistan—are based solely on interests and benefits, Kader Uzun said this process is being fueled by massacres, and continued: “This approach towards the Kurdish people, Alevis, Druze, and other oppressed peoples is inhumane. This is a historical responsibility that no one with a conscience can remain silent about. This issue is not only the problem of the Kurds, but a common problem of all peoples living in the region. What Kurds are experiencing is not fate. What is happening is linked to the artificial border policies of nation-states and the capitalist system’s process of colonizing the Middle East. This picture reflects a barbaric mindset reminiscent of ISIS, being implemented in the region through the subcontracting of colonial structures. The only way to stop this process is to build a common line of struggle together with the peoples.”
We must be subjects of the struggle
Recalling that the Kurdish people have carried out an honorable resistance for years, Kader Uzun added that what is happening is not limited to Kurds alone: “The massacres against Alevis and Druze deeply wound the conscience of humanity. We cannot be content with merely offering support; we must become active subjects of this struggle. We feel deep shame and pain in the face of what is happening. A common stance must be taken against these massacres and the monolithic state projects being imposed on the Middle East.”
A single religion and single language are being imposed in the region
Stating that an attempt is being made to create a structure based on one religion, one nation, and one flag, Kader Uzun said: “The mentality of one language, one religion, one army, and one identity is fascist. This mentality aims to eliminate both Kurds and Alevis. Yet the Middle East is a geography that has historically existed through its diversity. Peoples are resisting these impositions, even at the cost of their lives, because no future can be built through monism, fascism, and oppression.”
Massacres can be stopped through solidarity and organization
Emphasizing the vital importance of Alevis, Kurds, and Druze establishing a common line of struggle, Kader Uzun stated: “When peoples are left isolated, they become easier targets. Without solidarity and organized unity, massacres continue. This cycle of violence cannot be broken without establishing unified coordination. That is why, today, this line must be strengthened in Iran, Syria, and Rojava. These fascist mentalities that massacre peoples cannot sustain themselves any longer through the imposition of language or religion.”
The Middle East cannot be painted a single color through fascist projects
Finally, drawing attention to the vital importance of support for Rojava, Kader Uzun said: “Today it is Rojava; tomorrow another geography will be targeted. We say this not out of fear, but out of shame in the face of the brutality taking place and in the name of human dignity. Condemnation alone is not enough; we must become active subjects of the struggle. The Middle East cannot be painted a single color by fascist projects drawn up at negotiating tables. The peoples of this geography will continue to exist with their differences and to defend this richness.”