SÎLVA Al-ÎBRAHÎM

Manbij- In an interview with NuJINHA, Future Syria Party General Council member Mizgin Gutkar evaluated two-month protests in Sweida, a mainly Druze city located in southwestern Syria.

‘The people of Sweida never accepted slavery’

Emphasizing that the protests led by women in Sweida are revolutionary protests, she said, “The people of Sweida, the Druze, have a long history. They are known for their struggle against injustice and surrender. Sweida has been the home of revolutionaries since the beginning of time. When we look at the history of the Druze, we see that they resisted colonialism and the Egyptian occupation. They joined the uprising in 1963. During the rule of the Ba'ath Party, they never accepted surrender, colonialism and slavery”

‘Nothing has changed since 2015’

Recalling that the people of Sweida also joined the protests of the Arab Spring, Mizgin Gutkar said:

“The people of Sweida joined the protests against the Ba’athist regime. However, the Syrian government used sectarianism to suppress the protests, the uprising, by trying to sow the seeds of hostility between the Druze and other sects. The government claimed that the Druze had burned down a mosque. For this reason, the Druze stopped protesting the regime. When the Syrian crisis broke out, the security forces of the Syrian government launched arrest operations against the Druze, causing many to leave the country. The efforts to improve economic conditions in 2015 stopped the people of Sweida protesting. However, nothing has changed since 2015. This is what led the people of Sweida to take to the streets.”

‘They demand a democratic system’

Mizgin Gutker said that the people of Sweida have demanded a democratic system just as the system of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). “Since the system of the AANES represents security and stability, it has a broad repercussion. This system embraces all people from different nationalities and beliefs. The regions of North and East Syria are considered the safest and most organized regions compared to other regions in Syria. The implementation of this system guaranteeing the freedom of all people requires cooperation. The people of Sweida have demanded this system to be implemented in their region because they know that this system is a democratic system.”

‘The revolution in Rojava become a model for the women of Sweida’

Mizgin Gutkar underlined that women and children are often considered particularly vulnerable in conflict, war and disease situations, “because they protect their societies from disappearing and falling apart. This century is the century of women; women take up arms to protect their homeland and people. In North and East Syria, women take part in all facets of life, including military, politics and social life. Since women led the revolution in Rojava, this revolution is also known as women’s revolution. The women of Rojava have become a role model for all women in the world. The women of Sweida carried photographs of Hevrin Khalaf during the protests and chanted slogans supporting the resistance of the women of North and East Syria and Iran. This shows how they are impressed by the women of Rojava.”

Mizgin Gutkar expressed their solidarity with the women of Sweida and said, “The protests in Sweida are led by women. We are ready to support them and share our experiences with them. They should be determined to demand a democratic system.”