A delegation representing the Kurdish Political Movements in Syria met with US State Department

KurdishMedia: A delegation representing the Kurdish Political Movements in Syria headed by Sherkoh Abbas met with the US State Department, Congress and Senate on January 30, 2006. The delegation attended discussion was concerning the status of Kurdish people in Syria and explained the views of the Kurdish movement in Syria as a nation within Syria. In addition, the delegation highlighted the gross violations against Kurdish people's human and national rights by the racist Syrian regime. This regime implemented discriminatory policies against the Kurds by revoking citizenship since 1962, changing demographics through the Arab Belt (the building of 42 settlements in northeast of Syria along Turkey's border), Arabization, assimilation efforts, and other means.

These measures have resulted in lack of economic development, and have been accompanied by denial of publishing, broadcasting and educating rights in Syria's Kurdish region. The delegation stressed the necessity of an immediate end to these gross violations of the Kurdish human and national rights. In addition, the Kurdish delegation pressed the need to find a just, peaceful, and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria, view the Kurdish issues as a national issue, and secure the national rights of the Kurdish people, including political, cultural, and human rights. These rights must be guaranteed in a new constitution and these guarantees must be implemented.

The position of the Kurdish delegation with respect to other parts of the Syrian oppositions was made clear, as the Kurdish delegation urged them to acknowledge the Kurdish issue in Syria as one of the main concerns of the nation and acknowledge it as real measurement for the democratic change necessary in Syria. The delegation addressed the need for the opposition to work together and for the Kurdish movements to lay a sound foundation for democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights in Syria. In addition, the delegation conveyed its concerns over current situation of the region in general, but expressed happiness with the ongoing transition to democracy in Iraq.

At the conclusion of discussions, the Kurdish delegation thanked the President Bush, American officials, and American people for their understanding of the Kurdish issue. The delegation head stated that President Bush said, "The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity," and we the Kurds are here to receive this gift through the USA.