EBÎR MUHEMED

Qamishlo- The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist group in Syria, has been committing many crimes against ethnic groups and their holy sites. The jihadist group has intensified its attacks especially on non-Muslim villages and towns of Syria. The footage published on social media platforms show the members of this jihadist group destroying holy sites, including churches. In addition, they kill, kidnap and torture civilians and record these incidents as “individual incidents”.

NuJINHA interviewed Sabah Shabo, deputy chair of the Syriac Women's Union of North and East Syria, about the recent attacks on ethnic groups and their holy sites in Syria.

‘Syria's new government is a Salafist government’

Speaking about the recent developments in Syria, she said, “Syria’s new government was formed as a three-month caretaker government. The new government is a Salafist government. Although it vowed to protect the rights of all people from different nationalities and religions, it fails to protect the rights.”

‘Holy sites have been destroyed’

Holy sites, especially Christian holy sites, have been destroyed by the HTS, Sabah Shabo said. “The Christian crosses, religious symbols of Christianity, and the statues of Mary in Izraa (A town in the Daraa Governorate of Syria), have been broken down. In addition, many houses have been looted and many people have been killed.”

‘Women are deprived of their rights’

Sabah Shabo also talked about the rights violations against women. “Women are forced to wear hijab in public spaces. Women are deprived of their rights,” she emphasized, stating that the war crimes committed by the HTS have been documented. “We have gotten in contact with the relatives of the people who were killed by the HTS. They told us the members of the HTS opened the door of a monastery and shot and killed people.”

The people of Syria do not want an authoritarian regime destroying and dividing Syria, Sabah Shabo stressed. “The press does not report what has been happening in the villages of minorities. A few days ago, a girl, whose parents were killed by HTS in the Tartus province of Syria called on the Australian government to take an urgent action against the atrocity of the HTS. What the people of Syria need now is security and peace.”