Asma Mohammed

Qamishlo — Arab and Syrian media outlets aligned with the Syrian Interim Government have reproduced policies of division and exclusion that Syria endured for decades, in their media coverage of what occurred in the Kurdish neighborhoods of the Syrian city of Aleppo, by promoting sectarian discourse and reversing facts—not merely distorting them.

The neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zaid witnessed a historic resistance, as residents, alongside the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), repelled for days the attacks launched by jihadists of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and mercenaries of the Turkish occupation (the Amshat and Hamzat factions). These attacks targeted neighborhoods with a predominantly Kurdish population and were supported by Turkish occupation drones, following a months-long siege.

For known and unknown reasons, Arab media—represented by channels with a significant presence in Arab public opinion—gave unlimited support to the narrative of the Interim Government. Thus, the challenges were not limited to direct military operations but also included a systematic media war aimed at justifying the attacks, distorting the facts on the ground, and spreading fear among the population.

Focused Media Mobilization

Commenting on the media war that accompanied the attacks, the co-chair of the Free Media Union in the North and East Syria Region, Afeen Ibrahim, stated:
“The military attacks on these neighborhoods were not limited to combat operations and direct fighting alone; they were accompanied by a systematic and organized media campaign within a clear strategy, primarily aimed at preparing local, regional, and international public opinion to justify the violent shelling, distort the realities on the ground, and spread media disinformation intended to diminish the value of the residents’ resistance and steadfastness.”

She explained that “the transitional government, with direct support from certain regional channels, worked to implement a plan of concentrated media mobilization against Syria’s various components, exploiting historical divisions and the fragmentation that the regions of North and East Syria have experienced for more than fifty years due to Baathist policies. This was done with the aim of inciting discord, turning communities against one another, and creating a state of chaos and internal conflict, in a manner that serves the interests of the attacking party on the ground.”

According to Afeen Ibrahim, the integrated media strategy followed several precise and well-planned stages. It began with incitement against certain components and their selective classification, accusing them of being “remnants of the regime” or “tools of regional hegemony,” and attaching labels of terrorism and sabotage to them—preparing the ground to justify subsequent violations.

She clarified that the next stage involved justifying the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zaid by spreading claims that these areas allegedly housed “terrorist elements,” which was used as a pretext to cover up the violent shelling and brutal attacks on civilians and fighters. “Media-wise, these acts were presented as necessary measures to achieve security and stability.”
The final stage, she said, was “an attempt to spread fear among civilians by circulating rumors that residents were forced to leave their areas, in addition to withholding essential information and core facts related to human losses and violations. Only secondary incidents were allowed to be reported, in order to distort the overall picture and confuse public opinion regarding the truth.”

Confronting the Media War with Steadfastness

Afeen Ibrahim affirmed that residents, fighters, and female fighters confronted this intense psychological media war with steadfastness and resilience, stressing their commitment to their right to remain in and defend their areas with all their strength, despite being subjected to brutal practices that directly targeted them.
“Among these violations, female fighters were subjected to brutal acts that included mutilation of their bodies and throwing them from the tops of buildings, in addition to multiple violations targeting unarmed civilians.”

Official video footage documented and published on free media platforms, she noted, refuted the media narrative claiming that the forces had retreated. Instead, resistance continued in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh. Among the most prominent examples was the video showing military commander Ziad Halab alongside male and female fighters, affirming a spirit of determination and insistence on defending civilians, despite the severe siege, lack of supplies, and significant human losses suffered by both the civilian community and the fighters alike.

A Prominent Role for Media Platforms

In light of the fierce media onslaught against the Kurds, Afeen Ibrahim emphasized the prominent role of media platforms not aligned with the Interim Government.
“Free media played a pivotal role in conveying these realities, exposing media disinformation, and enhancing the awareness of residents and local, regional, and international public opinion. The Free Media Union collected documented evidence, recorded media violations, and issued strong statements condemning these campaigns, calling on the international community, humanitarian organizations, and journalists’ rights organizations to urgently intervene to stop media mobilization and incitement against the population, and to ensure that facts are conveyed in full and without distortion.”

The vision of the Free Media Union, she added, is based on the necessity of building peaceful and objective media founded on pluralism, democracy, and coexistence, away from media disinformation and political bias, so that media becomes a tool for protecting civil society and supporting peace and stability in Syria.
“Free media must be the voice of truth that reflects the will of peoples, exposes violations, and connects the international community with facts on the ground, becoming an effective tool for lifting injustice and holding perpetrators accountable.”

Free Media as a Safety Valve for Truth and Justice

Afeen Ibrahim believes that the resistance of the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh represents a historic model of courage and steadfastness and constitutes a message of peace and resistance for all the peoples of North and East Syria. She affirmed that “free media will remain a safety valve for truth and justice, and the sacrifices of the martyrs and wounded will continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations, and will be immortalized in the memory of the region as living proof of the ability to defend fundamental rights in the face of any aggression or attempts at disinformation.”

To safeguard the truth, she stressed the need to support free media to ensure the continuation of this path: “Continuous media documentation and monitoring of violations constitute the first line of defense to ensure that crimes and violations are not repeated.”

The co-chair of the Free Media Union in the North and East Syria Region, Afeen Ibrahim, concluded by emphasizing that the resistance of the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh will remain an enduring lesson for all the peoples of Syria, and that the voice of free media will continue to defend truth and justice until the achievement of a comprehensive democratic future for all Syrians