SORGUL ŞÊXO

Qamishlo (Qamishli)- Since the fall of the Baathist regime in Syria, Syria’s interim government led by jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has committed rights violations against the Alawites and the Druze. Footage shared on social media platforms show how armed groups kidnap and torture women.

NuJINHA spoke to Ronak Şêxê, a journalist in northeastern Syria who has reported the genocidal attacks against the Alawites and the Druze in Syria, about the role of media.

‘Syrian women have been subjected to violence for 14 years’

“Syrian women have been subjected to all forms of violence for 14 years,” she told us. “They have been displaced, subjected to physical and sexual violence and faced the patriarchal mindset. Serious crimes were committed against women held in prisons of the Baathist regime. Following the fall of Assad's regime, women hoped that the mindset faced by them would change and they would have a safe life; however, they face more threats now.”

‘Violence in Sweida reveals the goals of the interim government’

Ronak Şêxê described the situation of Syrian women since the formation of the jihadist interim government in Syria as follows: “Since the change of the government, women have been subjected to more violence. The presence of extremist armed groups within the Syrian Ministry of Defense has made the situation of women worse. These armed groups have a long history of crimes; they kidnapped women and sold them in slave markets. Violence in Sweida reveals the goals of the interim government. Women in Sweida have been subjected to all forms of violence and rights violations.”

‘Governments support the interim government instead of holding it accountable’

As a journalist, Ronak Şêxê criticized governments for their silence. “They have kept silent against many crimes such as the crimes on Syrian coastal areas. They kept silent against the kidnapping of Alawite women. Although the perpetrators were documented in reports, governments ignored the reports. In addition, they supported the ineffective investigations launched by the committee of the interim government against the crimes committed in Syrian coastal areas. The crimes committed by the interim government in Syrian coastal areas and Sweida have gone unpunished. This impunity will pave the way for rights violations against other ethnic and religious groups in Syria. Governments support the interim government instead of holding it accountable for its crimes.”

‘Media has played no role in exposing rights violations’

Ronak Şêxê believes that the media has an important role in society. “During the rule of the Baathist regime, freedom of the press was restricted and journalists were banned from reporting the truth. The new interim government in Syria has also restricted freedom of the press. In Syria, journalists have been questioned or threatened while reporting. Due to restrictions on freedom of press, the media in Syria has played no role in exposing rights violations against ethnic and religious groups.”

Call for solidarity

Ronak Şêxê concluded her speech, calling for solidarity. “What we need is solidarity while going through a very dangerous period. We can all be subjected to rights violations at any moment. We must make more efforts against discourses that incite hatred and sectarian division.”