Toys and Christmas decorations are displayed for sale on a market street in Qamishli in north-eastern Syria on December 11. AFP
Toys and Christmas decorations are displayed for sale on a market street in Qamishli in north-eastern Syria on December 11. AFP
Toys and Christmas decorations are displayed for sale on a market street in Qamishli in north-eastern Syria on December 11. AFP
Toys and Christmas decorations are displayed for sale on a market street in Qamishli in north-eastern Syria on December 11. AFP

Qamishli watches keenly for signs of inclusiveness from Syria's new leadership


Yasmeen Altaji
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria

Minority groups are closely monitoring the new Syrian leadership for signs that it will deliver on its promise of a “Syria for all,” perhaps nowhere more so than in Qamishli.

The city, sitting on the border with Turkey in the north-eastern province of Hasakah, is a melting pot of ethnicities and religions, including Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Assyrians, Armenians and Yazidis.

The rebel groups who overthrew former president Bashar Al Assad in early December were led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former affiliate of Al Qaeda, which is now steering the country’s transition from more than 50 years of autocratic rule by the Assad family.

The dominance of HTS has raised fears among minorities, fears that HTS commander Ahmad Al Shara, now Syria’s de facto leader, has sought to allay. He has repeatedly said that the interim government installed by his group is working to protect minorities, and stressed the importance of coexistence in the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country.

So far, that appears to have held true. The interim leadership was quick to condemn the burning of a Christmas tree by rebel fighters in a town in central Syria and promised to punish the perpetrators. On Thursday, the Ministry of Information issued an order banning the propagation of “any media content or news content of a sectarian nature that aims to spread division and discrimination among the components of the Syrian people”.

But Bachir Saadi, deputy leader of the Qamishli-based Assyrian Democratic Organisation, says little is known so far of the new leadership’s plans for minorities, including Assyrian Christians like himself.

International pressure and the involvement of “Syrian democratic parties” are needed “to form a credible, inclusive, and nonsectarian government that responds to international standards for human rights”, he told The National.

Christians stage a sit-in inside the Mariamite church in Damascus after a Christmas tree was set on fire in eastern Syria. AFP
Christians stage a sit-in inside the Mariamite church in Damascus after a Christmas tree was set on fire in eastern Syria. AFP

Sara, a Kurdish resident of Qamishli who requested a pseudonym for fear of retribution, told The National she hopes for the implementation of a fair constitution.

“We need our rights to be guaranteed by the constitution" regardless of one’s background, she said. “Not all Syrians are Arabs and Muslims. We have Kurds, we have Assyrians, we have Armenians, we have Yazidis. I'm from Qamishli, and I need Qamishli to be seen, to be heard. The people from this area must be heard.”

“The propaganda of the [former] Syrian regime was ‘Syria is a mosaic’,” she said. “But they have never worked on this mosaic. Now is a proper time to protect it.”

The toppling of Mr Al Assad, himself a member of Syria's Alawite minority, was widely celebrated in a country devastated by 13 years of civil war.

“We all thought the day would never come,” said Ramcina, a Syrian Assyrian who was born and raised in Hasakah. Like millions of other Syrians, she and her family fled abroad to escape the conflict. She requested the omission of her last name for fear of retribution.

Active with the Assyrian Democratic Organisation before she moved to Sweden during the war, she said the group often co-ordinated underground gatherings in support of the revolution.

“We would meet at night, paint our flags in secret, then go out for a demonstration on Friday morning.”

She said she had seen some signs for concern despite the promises of inclusivity from the new leadership, such as the interim prime minister’s recent televised appearance in front of an Islamic flag, which she described as "very worrying”.

“This is not what we joined for. This is not why we were against the regime. We wanted better life circumstances. We wanted a better future. We wanted our rights as minorities, as Assyrians, also as Christians.”

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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

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'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Infobox

Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August

Results

UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets

Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets

Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets

Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs

Monday fixtures

UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain

Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
%3Cp%3EEtihad%20Airways%20operates%20seasonal%20flights%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20Nice%20C%C3%B4te%20d'Azur%20Airport.%20Services%20depart%20the%20UAE%20on%20Wednesdays%20and%20Sundays%20with%20outbound%20flights%20stopping%20briefly%20in%20Rome%2C%20return%20flights%20are%20non-stop.%20Fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C315%2C%20flights%20operate%20until%20September%2018%2C%202022.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Radisson%20Blu%20Hotel%20Nice%20offers%20a%20western%20location%20right%20on%20Promenade%20des%20Anglais%20with%20rooms%20overlooking%20the%20Bay%20of%20Angels.%20Stays%20are%20priced%20from%20%E2%82%AC101%20(%24114)%2C%20including%20taxes.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: December 27, 2024, 6:03 AM