Sema
Members of the Ezidi community express their deep concern over the continued exclusion of their community from political representation institutions in Syria, most recently the absence of any representation for the Ezidi component in the upcoming Syrian parliament, despite being one of the country’s indigenous and historic communities.
For decades, Ezidis have suffered from marginalization, exclusion, and violations, and were among the communities that paid the highest price for extremism and conflicts in the region. Therefore, ensuring their fair political participation is not merely a sectarian demand, but a legitimate right consistent with the principles of equal citizenship, transitional justice, and international standards related to the protection of minority rights.
During the past period, we conducted a series of dialogues and demands with the concerned Syrian authorities, in addition to communicating with international parties and Syrian and Kurdish political forces, to demand fair representation for the Ezidi community in the upcoming Syrian parliament through the allocation of two seats in Afrin and Hasakah. However, these efforts have not received the required response so far, raising legitimate concerns regarding the inclusiveness of the political process and the future of national partnership in Syria.
Building a stable democratic state cannot be achieved through the exclusion of any Syrian component, but rather through guaranteeing fair participation for all Syrians without discrimination, and by consolidating the principles of national partnership, mutual recognition, and respect for the country’s religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity.
Accordingly, we call on the Syrian transitional government and all national political forces to review the mechanisms of political representation in a way that ensures fair and equitable participation for the Ezidi community. We also call on the United Nations and international bodies concerned with Syrian affairs to support a comprehensive political process that guarantees the non-repetition of policies of marginalization and exclusion against any Syrian component.
The Syria of the future must be a state based on equal citizenship, justice, and pluralism — a state in which all Syrians feel they are true partners in one homeland without discrimination or exclusion.
Together for a Syria for all Syrians