Rochelle Junior
As Sweida-Women of the city of Sweida in southern Syria expressed their full solidarity with civilians subjected to brutal attacks in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods by jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

“What the Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo have witnessed in terms of shelling and brutality against Kurds brings back memories of what the people of Sweida endured around six months ago—psychological and physical harm,” said Rama Al-Safadi at the beginning of her statement. She emphasized that “the attacks directly targeted civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, and there is documented visual evidence of violations against women, including physical and psychological abuse and humiliation.”

 

A Repeated Scenario

She pointed out that wars should remain between armies and not be waged at the expense of civilians, calling on Syria’s components to stand together hand in hand. “What is happening in Aleppo aims to displace a specific component and empty the area of its people. This is a scenario that was previously carried out against Kurds and is being repeated today,” she said.

She stressed that her words stem from a painful experience they lived through themselves, warning that their previous silence deprived them of their rights and caused them harm, and that silence today will harm others. “Those in power in Syria use their positions to divide the country along sectarian lines. Therefore, all Syrians must stand with innocent civilians from all components, support the people of Aleppo, and stop this barbaric war being waged against the Syrian people.”

“The Scale of Pain Has Become Unbearable”

For her part, Basma Qarouna, a civil affairs worker, said that what is happening to civilians in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh is a “crime,” noting that targeting civilians—especially children and women—contradicts the most basic human values.

She explained that the people of Sweida have previously tasted the bitterness of such experiences, and today they feel the pain of Aleppo’s residents, hoping that what they endured—killing, displacement, and suffering—will not be repeated for others.

She stressed the need to find real solutions and pursue peace after years of war and bloodshed. She also expressed regret over the sectarian fighting taking place in Syria, stating that Syria was never a sectarian country, and that what is happening today is “shameful” and a main cause of the destruction that has befallen the country.

Women and children are the most affected groups, Qarouna noted, adding that Syrians can no longer bear more displacement and killing—no more grieving mothers, no more orphaned children, and no more women who have lost their husbands. “The scale of pain and suffering has become unbearable.”

“We Must Stand United and Demand Our Rights”

In turn, Nagham Nader condemned the criminal acts committed against Kurdish civilians, stating that what is happening in Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud resembles what occurred in Sweida and the coastal areas. She described it as a criminal act “for which the interim government and public security bear responsibility,” affirming that “enough is enough.”

She emphasized that Kurds have long demanded freedom and self-administration for decades, and that the solution lies in standing united and demanding rights—whether freedom, independence, or self-administration. She pointed out that today’s victims are innocent civilians—women, children, and the elderly—who bear no responsibility for what is happening.