Every year, the majority of the region’s populations, Kurds, Iranians, and Egyptian Arabs joyfully celebrate the Niroz day. Except that this year, the ruthless Syrian regime not only violated our Kurdish brothers’ freedoms, denying them the right to celebrate this cultural occasion in different cities like Damascus and Aleppo, but Bachar al-Assad’s oppressive security agents also perpetrated a new bloodshed, killing three young Kurd citizens. And while the Iranian community was given the chance to celebrate the Niroz day this year, as it happens every year, next to the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, Kurds are being brutally killed. Why are these Syrian citizens denied the right to rejoice this occasion in their own country, while the Iranian community is given a total free hand in Damascus and its suburbs? This Iranian community that today owns most of Damascus’ lands, mosques and shrines… This same community that undertakes development plans, not to help the Syrians improve their living standards, but to exploit each and every one of them in order to establish a powerful religious Iranian lobby that would sow sectarian discord every time it is offered the chance too. But despite all this, the Syrian security agents would of course not undermine any of the Iranians’ religious celebrations, but would on the contrary kill our Kurdish brothers who wanted to pacifically rejoice the Niroz day. This deadly regime is therefore to be held responsible for our dear citizens’ slaughter, for it is constantly violating the Syrians’ basic freedoms and liberties.

Below is the statement issued by the Kurdish forces in Syria:

Statement by the Syrian Kurdish Parties on al-Qamishli massacre:

To our Kurdish citizens in Syria, to the Syrian public opinion- all national and democratic forces, and to all those who believe in world peace and welfare,
The Syrian regime has once again targeted the Syrian Kurds, as part of the series of racist and chauvinist policies undertaken against them since the Baath took over power several years ago. The Syrian regime is resorting to more oppression, terrorism and killing against the Syrian Kurds in order to impose its discriminative policies and drive the Kurds to abandon their national rights and cultural identity. On the 20th of March 2008 and during the celebrations of the Niroz day in Qamishli, the regime’s ruthless security agents opened fire against Kurdish citizens, who pacifically went down the streets to dance and rejoice this cultural occasion. Three young citizens were killed: Mohamed Zaki Ramadan, Mohamed Yehya Khalil and Mohamed Mahmoud Hussein. Several others were severely injured, among which: Riad Chaykhi, Karam Ibrahim al-Youssef, Mohamed Mohyi al-Din Issa and Mohamed Kheir Khalaf.

While we strongly condemn the killing of our Kurdish citizens, we hold the Syrian authority responsible for this bloodshed and we declare a national state of mourning. Niroz celebrations will be cancelled this year in all regions inside Syrian and abroad as a protest against this heinous crime. We also reassure that despite the threats, the killings and the sacrifices, the Syrian Kurds will never give up on their national rights and will struggle for their freedoms by all pacific and democratic means, for the ruling authority’s terrorism will never succeed in discouraging the Kurds in their battle for freedom and justice.

We therefore call upon all national and democratic parties in Syria, as well as all those who believe in world peace, justice and human rights to condemn this massacre and to support the Kurdish population in its struggle for its rights, and to denounce the Syrian regime’s oppressive policies against this pacific population.

Al-Qamishli, the 20th of March 2008,

The Kurdish Democratic Front in Syria
The Kurdish Democratic Alliance in Syria
The Kurdish Coordination Committee
The Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria


We, in the National Salvation Front, would also like to join our voice to that of all the Syrian democratic forces in order to put an end to ruling regime’s deadly crimes committed against our Syrian population and our Lebanese, Iraqi and Palestinian brothers.