|
DAMASCUS, June 8 (AFP) - 6h02 - Spurred by the
Kurds' political advance in Iraq, the Kurdish
minority in Syria is hoping the Baath party congress
in Damascus will help resolve their problems, which
have been compounded by the recent murder of one of
their leaders.
In Iraq, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani has been
elected president, Kurdish parties form the second
largest bloc in the new parliament and Kurds have
their own assembly.
By contrast, many of the 1.5 million Kurds in
neighbouring Syria feel left out of even normal
daily life.
Some 200,000 of them have been denied Syrian
citizenship, making it difficult for them to find
work in the state-controlled economy.
"The Kurds have legitimate demands. They are raising
their voices because they realise that international
circumstances are more favourable (to their
plight)," because of developments in Iraq, says
Syrian Islamist MP Mohammed Habash.
The abduction and killing of Muslim cleric Mohammed
Maashuq Khaznawi has increased tensions, triggering
fresh clashes between security forces and protesters
at the weekend in Qamishli, 680 kilometres (420
miles) from Damascus.
Several protesters were wounded and more than 50
Kurds arrested in the hometown of Khaznawi whose
death was announced last Wednesday by a Kurdish
leader.
On Monday, representatives of banned Kurdish parties
met Arab tribal chiefs in northeastern Syria to try
to calm what some Kurdish leaders have described as
sectarian fighting between Arabs and Kurds.
"The problem is not with the Arabs but with the
regime who push the Arabs into the conflict and use
them as a tool against us," said Kheireddin Mrad,
secretary general of the Azadi, one of 11 Kurdish
parties outlawed in Syria.
Yakiti party chief Hassan Saleh said: "We want a
dialogue in order to solve the Kurdish problem,
particularly now that the Baath party is holding its
congress."
Kurds make up about nine percent of Syria's
population and their leaders strongly refute any
ambition to break away from the country.
"Of course what happened in Iraq has an influence
(on us)," Kurdish Progressive Democrat Party leader
Aziz Daud, "but we want to preserve Syrian national
unity.
"We demand a solution to our problems, including
(Syrian) nationality and the recognition of our
cultural rights such as permission to teach in
Kurdish," he added.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad opened the Baath
party congress on Monday, telling 1,200 delegates
that priority had to be given to improving the
living standards of the people and to battling
corruption.
Iraqi Kurdish chief Massud Barzani advised Syrian
authorities to heed the calls of Kurds and launch a
dialogue with them "before the crisis gets worse".
"Kurds, wherever they are in the world, are brothers
with Iraq's Kurds and we support them," Barzani told
the Saudi-owned, London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.
"We advise ... to deal with this issue through a
dialogue," Barzani said, hoping his message will be
heard because of the "friendly relations" between
Iraq's Kurdish leaders and the Syrian authorities.
MP Habash says "it is not in the country's interest
to delay a solution".
He said that unless the government stepped in
quickly to defuse the tension, other parties, namely
the United States, will try to exploit the situation
to "step up pressure on Syria".
"The solution is for the state to respond to the
Kurdish demands quickly in order to avoid any
exploitation by foreign parties," he said.
The MP is president of the Center of Islamic Studies
in Damascus, whose vice president was the slain
Kurdish leader Khaznawi.
Habash says he is persuaded that the Syrian
authorities had nothing to do with Khaznawi's
murder, despite scepticism on the Kurdish side.
The Syrian government said a "criminal gang"
kidnapped Khaznawi and announced it arrested two of
its members.
Kurdish officials and Khaznawi's family have called
for an impartial investigation.
Qamishli has been on edge since deadly clashes in
March last year pitted Kurdish protestors against
security forces and Arab tribesmen.
AFP
Top |
® 