ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwest Syria were able to freely celebrate Newroz (the New Year) for the first time since the enclave was invaded by militia groups seven years ago.
"We have been preparing for this year's Newroz for four to five months. This Newroz is the first after the overthrow of the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad. This regime was truly oppressive and dictatorial,” Ahmed Hassan, the head of the local council for the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC), told Rudaw during the celebration on Friday.
ENKS is a coalition of Kurdish political parties that is considered the main opposition in northeast Syria (Rojava). The umbrella group, which used to be part of the Turkey-backed anti-Assad opposition, has had an office in Afrin for years. It sponsored the Newroz celebration, which was held on top of the iconic Kurd Mountain.
Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports took control of Afrin in March 2018 following a military campaign against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The militia groups committed numerous human rights violations, especially against the Kurdish population, documented by local and international organizations. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled the city to YPG-held areas.
Kurds who remained in Afrin were barred from freely celebrating Newroz by the militia groups who are still in control.
After the fall of the Assad regime, many Kurds have returned to Afrin and are finally able to publicly celebrate one of the most important holidays in the Kurdish calendar.
"This is the first Newroz that is being celebrated so joyfully,” Hassan said.
A resident of Afrin spoke to Rudaw and congratulated all Kurds on Newroz, saying, "Afrin is nice and we will not give up Afrin until death.”
The new authority in Damascus, which came to power after toppling Assad in December, has been accused of sidelining minorities in its recently adopted constitutional declaration and key decision-making bodies. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government, however, is cautious when dealing with minorities as respecting human rights is one of the conditions imposed by the international community for lifting Assad-era sanctions.
After reopening her country’s embassy in Damascus on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with Sharaa and reminded him that the new Syria has to be equally safe for everyone.
“Representatives of Kurds, Christians and Alawites with whom I spoke today warn against giving in to a threatening division along sectarian lines. In my long conversation with transitional President al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister [Asaad] al-Shaibani, I emphasized once again: Syria will only be safe if it is equally safe for everyone,” she said on Instagram.
Solin Mohammed from Afrin contributed to this article.
