With Syria’s state and constitution, a broader idea is being eliminated furthermore.
With Syria’s state and constitution, a broader idea is being eliminated furthermore.
By Yunus Soner
I travelled several times to the Arab Republic of Syria during the war. To check out Western propaganda that Syria was a sectarian dictatorship, I used to ask people, both in political meetings as well as on the streets, to which religious group they belonged.
The answer was always astonishing: ‘I refuse to answer this question. I am an Arab’, both politicians and ordinary people responded. They did not miss the chance to display their rejection of such identities as public, social positioning.
This reaction was a reflection of the still dominant ideology, enshrined by the constitution. In a recent article, I mentioned that, abolishing that constitution was a declared Western goal.
The preamble of the constitution of 2012 says:
“The Syrian Arab Republic is proud of its Arab identity and the fact that its people are an integral part of the Arab nation. The Syrian Arab Republic embodies this belonging in its national and pan-Arab project and the work to support Arab cooperation in order to promote integration and achieve the unity of the Arab nation.”
It’s article 1 states:
“The Syrian Arab Republic is a democratic state with full sovereignty, indivisible, and may not waive any part of its territory, and is part of the Arab homeland; The people of Syria are part of the Arab nation.”
One might, with reason, question, in how far these formulations were actually guiding principles of domestic and foreign policy. Still, they reflect, and be it as remnants, the ideology of Pan-Arabism, with Syria being thus the “Arab (!) Republic of Syria”.
Though the constitution based said “Islamic jurisprudence shall be a major source of legislation” (article 3), at least in ideology, the state and its constitution were blind to religious groups, especially different interpretations of Islam. Fully blind were they regarding the existence of different ethnic groups, such as the Kurds.
In our recent article, we mentioned that Western countries’ main goal was to establish an “inclusive constitution”. In other words, opening the state’s eyes for the existence of different sects and ethnic communities, which is intended to be legalized, politicized, organized at constitutional, political and administrative level.
The constitution of 2012, that has been eliminated with the fall of President Bashar Al Assad, foresaw half of the People’s Assembly, the parliament, for workers and peasants. (Article 60).
Again, one might duly doubt how far these representatives were truly representing workers’ and farmers’ interests, if necessary, against the government.
If they weren’t, we face a correction between reality and ideology, but one where a new reality is created. And within that, it would no wonder if half of the People’s Assembly will be reserved to sectarian and ethnic groups.
Recent clashes around Alawites
Tne Kurds in the nortest of Syria have been receiving strong support by the United States that also included teaching in local administation. Their separete political identity is widely recognized, despite resistance of Türkiye against the role of the PKK in it.
The group of Alawites, a strong minority within the syrian society, have on the other side been traditionally strong Syrian and Arab nationalists – as were the Christians.
To push them into their new political framework foreseen by Western powers, one outside the Arab Civilization and limited to a sectarian scope, the nationwide dominance of the Heyet Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), a previously Al Qaeda affiliated, extremist Sunni organization comes just right.
Despite calls of its leadership for restraint, the HTS local elements as well as other groups allied with it will display an exclusive Sunni approach which, on their declared counterpart, will reinforce Alawi identity and organization.
Take a look what Joshua Landis, a US expert on Syria writes on Twitter:
“My Alawite mother-in-law in Latakia, #Syria explained to me that HTS soldiers calmed down the large demonstration in Latakia, protesting the burning of Khasibi’s mausoleum, by chanting with the demonstrators.
She was full of praise for the HTS men, who have been doing the right thing, in her opinion.
She is critical of the Alawite demonstrators. Other Alawite friends lament that there is no Alawite leadership and believe that Alawites must find a voice and stand up for their needs. Assad destroyed any Alawite leaders as surely as he destroyed Sunni leaders or those from other Syrian communities.”
Landis, an important adviser for US Syria policy, laments the lack of “Alawi leaders”.
Thinking of Syria’s population in terms of sectarian and ethnic categories – and be it in their foreign induced domestic conflict. Soon, in public discourse, there will be no Arabs in Syria left.
Cover graphic: Traditional Arab Liberation Flag. Introduced by the Free Officers in Egypt, the flag became symbol of Arab nationalism and republicanism. It’s till in use in Egypt, Iraq, Sudan and Yemen and was, with two stars in its center, the flag of the Arab republic of Syria until the downfall of Assad.