Washington Kurdish Institute
February 21, 2018
The Washington Kurdish Institute (WKI) interviewed Mr. Bassam Ishak, the Head of the Syriac National Council of Syria (SNC).
WKI: Thank you for this opportunity, could you tell us a bit about your council? Who do you represent?
Bassam Ishak: The Council was established in 2012. It is an umbrella for Syriac civil society groups worldwide. Mostly civil society organizations that are concerned with issues of the Syriac people. These organizations coordinate their activities for a common cause which is the preservation of the Syriac identity in the Middle East. Given the recent tragic events in Syria, we naturally focused much of our attention on Syria’s future to ensure the protection and sustainability of the Syriacs of Syria. We also advocated for a Syria that is based on equality of citizenship regardless of people’s religious and ethnic affiliations. We represent the interest of minorities in general and the Syriacs in specific. In brief our goals represents the interests of the Syriacs and other minorities in the Middle East.
WKI: How did your alliance with the Kurdish factions started in Northern Syria?
Bassam Ishak: We followed in our council the development of the three cantons in Northern Syria with admiration. It was an experiment based on realistic pluralistic vision that was appealing to our aspirations. The social contract of the Democratic Self administrations recognized the identity of the Syriac people and their language as one of the official languages in the Jazira canton. The Syriacs who took part in the self administration were held high positions and exercising responsibility equally with their other countrymen. The new model, most importantly, provided for the security and protection of Syriacs and other all peoples in the cantons regions. We realized that this model could benefit and be key for achieving unity in broken Syria through recognition and utilizing diversity rather than trying to impose unity through denial of diversity.
WKI: What is the role of your council in the self-administration system that was established by the Kurds?
Bassam Ishak: Our council does not have any direct relationship with the self-administration in northern Syria federation. Meaning we don’t hold nor seek positions for our members in the self administration but we morally support the participation of Syriacs in the self administration and Northern Federation of Syria.
WKI: Many Kurdish officials from Northern Syria praise the model of decentralization for all of Syria in the future. Do you share the same views?
Bassam Ishak: Our Council supports a vision of decentralized Syria because as Syrian people, we have suffered from centralized Syria even when we had democracy in Syria. Under centralized Syria minorities such as Kurds have suffered. Moreover, I believe that a decentralized Syria will weaken the possibility of having another dictator in Damascus.
WKI: What is the population of the Christians? Have many left Syria since the beginning of the current conflict?
Bassam Ishak: As far as the population of the Christians in Syria, before the Syrian revolution started in 2011 different credible reports had put the Christians in Syria at 13%. After the revolution, not only the Syrian Christians but all Syrian groups have suffered migration and displacement. So it’s hard today to estimate the percentage of the Christians in Syria in the absence of real government and proper institutions to conduct a census. The population of the Christians and all others people in Syria have decreased since 2011.
WKI: How do the Christians and other minorities approach the Turkish intervention in Syria, especially the current military campaign on Afrin?
Bassam Ishak: The Christians in Syria similar to other groups are unhappy to see a neighboring country invade their land and cause a humanitarian suffering of Syrian citizens. So generally I think it safe to say that the Christians in Syria are sympathizing very much with the people of Afrin and would like to see this invasion stop and all non-Syrian troops withdrawn including the armed factions who are being sponsored by Turkey. Afrin has been a region that has reflected the true Syria spirit of pluralism where you have 500,000 of the original people of Afrin opened their homes and welcomed other Syrians of Arabs who came and sought refuge and security in Afrin. Afrin has been a region of peace and security and it is sad to see Turkey coming and trying to capture this land under the name of its national security. It is ironic. Therefore we have great sympathy for the people of Afrin. Many Syriacs from Al Hesaka and Qamishli cities have traveled the last few days to Afrin to express support for its people. Also the Syriac Military Council (MFS) have sent troops to support their brothers and sisters in their defense of Afrin.
WKI: What are the reasons for the Syrian opposition factions to be scattered? Is there a hope for regime change or at least reorganizing the opposition?
Bassam Ishak: There are two aspects to that: One is internal and other one is external. Internally the different political factions in Syria have failed to have dialogue within the Syrians parties and agree on and articulate a futuristic vision for the country that could be appealing and unifying. The external aspect is the different Syrian political groups who are in alliances with powers from outside Syria. A good example of it is the relationship of the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria with Turkey, and so on. There are many different Syrian groups who get support by from different countries, including the Syrian regime, and consequently become prisoners of the different agendas of these countries that collide most of the time and become and become an obstacle to Syrian unity.
WKI: Do you see the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as diverse as the Kurds claim?
Bassam Ishak: It is a diverse force. And as far as I know, the Arab component is the largest group of the SDF. In fact the SDF is the only pluralistic military force in Syria that includes Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Turkmens, and others. We know that some regional countries, even the regime, paint SDF as Kurdish but they do so to serve their own agendas. They want to discredit the experience and make it look as a separatist plot. But in reality SDF is not just a Kurdish project.
WKI: After 7 years on infighting in Syria, how do you think the U.S. should approach Syria especially in the era post ISIS?
Bassam Ishak: I think the U.S. should have a long term view. In Syria we need to have a model. We need to have a common vision. As you mentioned in your previous question, why the opposition is fragmented, we need to have a vision that unifies Syria. Giving the diversity of Syria, the only way we can have a unity as Syrian is through admitting and recognizing others rather than oppressing them. In northern Syria we have a model that is developed. In fact after the defeat of ISIS and end of the military phase, we need to support the economic, social, and political development in that region. We need to push for internal dialogue among the different Syrian groups without being exploited by any outside the actors. Empowering the Syrians in a way to articulate together. On how they will live together is a need to empower Syrians to dialogue together and decide on it. I think this is the best way to undermine the dictatorial Assad regime. Geneva needs to be more representative of the Syrian people and regions and different visions. Right now its not because of the interference of regional powers to silence and omit some important Syrian voices. If we want stable and peaceful Syria we need to have full representation of all Syrians.