Writer and activist Nidal Hawari, a member of the Syria Human Rights Platform, said the political landscape in the Middle East is being reshuffled and that, in this process, the West is silently giving its consent to attacks and acts of genocide targeting the Kurds. Hawari said, “Human rights and democracy rhetoric has now become nothing more than window dressing for the West. The real reality is the renewed legitimization of jihadist groups as new proxy forces.”
Assessing the recent escalation of genocidal attacks against the Kurdish people in Rojava and the broader transformations expected across the Middle East, Hawari spoke to ANF, that Western powers have begun to turn a blind eye to policies of massacre and genocide by presenting figures such as Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani), the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as “legitimate actors” and elevating them to the level of heads of state in the international arena. Hawari said, “These jihadist structures sign onto all strategic plans of the West and regional powers without hesitation. For a Western civilization obsessed with asking ‘Where is my interest?’, along with its so-called human rights institutions, the deaths of millions of people or the selling of women in markets have been reduced to nothing more than statistics.”
Attacks targeting Rojava are part of a global strategy
Nidal Hawari said the attacks being launched against Rojava are not isolated incidents, but part of a global strategy aimed at dismantling Shiite forces aligned with Iran. He noted that along the corridor stretching from Lebanon to Iraq, jihadist groups are being treated as “useful instruments,” adding that even members of ISIS are being kept ready inside prisons in line with these plans. Hawari said the real decision-makers behind this strategy are countries such as the United States, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Kurds are the only organized military force in the Middle East
Hawari said the attacks against the Kurds stem from the fact that the military and administrative model they have built runs counter to these objectives. He said, “Today, the Kurdish people are the only people in the Middle East with some concrete, disciplined, and organized military force. The military capacity of peoples such as Alawites and Druze is currently insufficient. Solidarity between the Kurds and other peoples is, of course, extremely valuable, but we must be realistic. At this stage, other peoples cannot provide the Kurds with military or organized support.”
Hawari also noted that demonstrations, public reactions, and pressure on international institutions have already taken place at the societal level. He said, “What we see now is that Western civilization has reverted to its old colonial mindset. Human rights, morality, and values are no longer taken seriously, not even at the level of rhetoric. Within this picture of hell, new relationships and shared grounds of struggle among peoples must certainly be built. But it is also clear that this will take time. Expecting large-scale regional uprisings in the short term is not realistic.”
Massacres follow agreements
Hawari said it could not be a coincidence that the attacks against the Kurds came after the Israel–Syria talks held in Paris. He said, “When we look at the agreements reached in Paris and similar international arrangements, we see a very clear picture. Massacres usually follow such agreements. We saw this in the case of Azerbaijan. After agreements involving Turkey and Israel, large-scale attacks against peoples began. Today, a similar situation is unfolding.”
The only condition is to not surrender
Hawari said it remains unclear what was discussed behind closed doors but added that it is evident Turkey has been imposing certain agreements through intense pressure. He said, “Can these balances be broken? I believe they can. But there is only one condition: never surrender. We must not allow forces to confront us to create space for massacres. In every sphere, through labor and struggle, it is necessary to stand firmly and in full solidarity against massacres and genocides. There is no other power we can rely on.”
International guarantees have no real substance
Hawari said claims such as “do not take to the streets, there are international guarantees” are being circulated, but stressed that these assertions have no concrete reflection on the ground. He said, “During the Assad era in Syria, there were guarantor countries. Let us recall the Astana agreements: Turkey, Russia, and Iran were guarantors. That guarantorship evaporated overnight. Today, for the Kurds, the only real guarantee is their own resistance and their own will.”
Hawari concluded by saying, “In this period, it is the peoples who truly resist. We are enduring immense suffering; we are facing genocide and massacres. But history shows us one thing clearly: peoples gain nothing without resistance. For this reason, resisting to the very end and not granting even the smallest concession to these criminal structures is of vital importance.”