IRF Summit Highlights ADFA Report, Nuri Kino to Speak at USCIRF on Religious Freedom in Syria

ADFA
Nov 12
2 min read

The IRF Summit’s latest Monthly Newsletter features ADFA’s compilation of reports, articles, and interviews on the situation of Christians, Alawites, and Druze in Syria — a recognition of our ongoing efforts to document and bring global attention to the plight of Syria’s religious minorities.

Meanwhile, ADFA’s founder, Nuri Kino, will speak on November 13 as an expert witness before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) during the hearing “Religious Freedom in Syria’s Post-Assad Transition.”

Read more and follow the hearing: https://www.uscirf.gov/.../religious-freedom-syrias-post...

IRF Summit writes:

Persecution of Syrian Religious Minorities Amid Elections

In Syria’s first parliamentary election since the overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, 119 out of 210 seats were filled through indirect voting by regional electoral councils. Twenty-one seats representing areas outside government control were left vacant and the remaining 70 will be appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The process notably excluded Kurdish-held regions and used local electoral commissions instead of a direct vote. Only six women and about ten religious or ethnic minority lawmakers were elected—signaling a heavily Sunni and male-dominated legislature.

Our take:

The exclusion of some regions, minimal minority representation, and a large portion of the legislature being appointed rather than elected sets a weak foundation for inclusive governance. For ethnoreligious minority communities in Syria—Alawites, Druze, Christians, Kurds and others—this legislative outcome may foreshadow continued danger and weakened religious freedom protections. The international community should continue to emphasize the importance of inclusive political transition within Syria, with real representation of ethnic and religious minorities as a core element of the effort to create durable protections for religious freedom.

ADFA continues to maintain daily contact inside Syria to better understand developments on the ground and to report directly to decision-makers, diplomats, and international organizations at the highest global level.

We thank IRF Summit for highlighting ADFA’s work, and everyone who continues to stand up for Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities.