Kurdish Council in Syria Warns of "Dangerous" Hate Speech After Pro-Government Rallies

Erbil (Kurdistan 24) – The General Secretariat of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNCS) on Saturday issued a stark warning over escalating rhetoric targeting the Kurdish people, after mass gatherings called for by Syrian Transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa devolved in several cities into sectarian and racist incitement.

In a strongly worded statement, the KNCS said it was following “with deep concern” the content and tone of the speeches delivered during the celebrations organized at al-Sharaa’s invitation. Instead of serving as national occasions to promote unity, mutual respect, and coexistence, the Council said the platforms were used to “spread hatred and target the Kurdish people and other Syrian components.”

The Council stressed that the dominance of “threatening and inflammatory language” in the rallies, and the sectarian color they adopted, poses a direct danger to civil peace, coexistence, and the aspirations of Syrians who have sought freedom, dignity, and change since the outbreak of the revolution.

According to additional information obtained by Kurdistan24, demonstrations held in several Syrian cities at the request of President al-Sharaa witnessed disturbing scenes targeting Kurds.

In both Manbij and Damascus, demonstrators raised a shoeshine box and chanted in unison, “Sabagh, Sabagh!”—a derogatory slur used to demean Kurds by depicting them as a servant class. The KNCS described these acts as expressions of deepening hatred and hostility that seek to erase the Kurdish people’s historical presence in Norther Syria (Western Kurdistan).

The statement emphasized that systematic hate speech circulating on social media and other platforms attempts to deny Kurdish identity, distort Kurdish history, and misrepresent their long struggle for rights and freedom—despite the well-documented contributions of Kurds to Syria’s political and social life long before the rise of the Baath Party.

The Council said such practices “undermine any opportunity to build a civil state that guarantees the rights of all its citizens” and push the country toward further fragmentation.

The statement called for holding accountable all voices that promote hatred and undermine societal stability.

At the same time, the KNCS urged the Transitional Administration in Damascus to take a clear public stance rejecting these speeches and to openly affirm the need to protect the country’s ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity.

The Council reiterated that genuine stability begins with the explicit recognition that Syria is a state of multiple nationalities, religions, and sects—and that its constitution must guarantee the full rights of all components, including the national rights of the Kurdish people within the framework of the country’s unity.

The KNCS added that responding to the invitation of the joint Kurdish delegation for formal dialogue with Damascus would decisively block the path to those “who incite sedition” and would redirect political efforts toward constructive engagement.

In its final remarks, the Kurdish National Council reaffirmed its commitment to working for a decentralized, democratic, and pluralistic Syria—one in which the dignity of every citizen is protected, rights are guaranteed, and diversity is respected. The Council stressed that Syria’s future cannot be built on the language of accusation, incitement, and violence, but through dialogue, mutual recognition, and a national vision that includes all Syrians without exception.