ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A pastor in Syria’s Hasaka province said on Wednesday that the country’s constitutional declaration, which was leaked earlier in the day and publicized on Thursday, fails to guarantee true religious freedom and risks deepening divisions by placing Islamic jurisprudence at the core of the legislation.
Naim Youssef, pastor of the Christian Union Church in Derik (al-Malikiyah) in northeastern Hasaka province, criticized a leaked draft of Syria’s constitutional declaration before its official announcement by the relevant committee a day later.
In early March, Syria’s interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa established a seven-member committee to draft a “constitutional declaration” for the country’s transitional phase. On Thursday, Sharaa signed a draft version of the declaration. The declaration is set to guide Syria’s transition following decades of rule by the Assad family and the Baath party.
The committee told journalists that the declaration were based on Islamic jurisprudence, adding that it also stipulates that the president of the republic should be a Muslim.
"It is impossible to talk about true religious freedom as long as Islamic jurisprudence is the fundamental source of legislation. This makes all other laws hostage to religious interpretation, which contradicts the principle of full citizenship," Youssef told Rudaw.
Youssef said the concept of religious freedom in the declaration is nothing more than "fake freedom," explaining that "anything that contradicts Islamic jurisprudence will remain rejected."
"True freedom means equality for all, but according to Islamic jurisprudence, a Christian can become a Muslim, but a Muslim has no right to become a Christian. This is a blatant contradiction of human rights," he explained.
Many Syrians and foreign powers have expressed concern that the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that toppled the regime and formed the interim government, may impose strict religious rule and threaten minority groups such as Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawites. Kurds in the northeast and Druze in the south have called for a decentralized and secular system.
Youssef cited recent incidents in Syria where "interference in personal freedoms has become a catastrophe," saying Christians had been harassed for not fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Videos circulating online have shown purported Islamists harassing Christians. On Monday, Christian human rights watchdogs reported that at least four Christians had been killed in the violence.
Assyrian and Syriac Christians in Syria have faced persecution for decades. Before the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Assyrians made up around 30,000 of the 1.2 million Christians in Syria, but attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) and Turkish-backed militants have pushed the community to the brink of extinction in the country.
Last week, Assad loyalists launched attacks on security forces affiliated with the new leadership in western regions. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Monday that around 1,500 people, mostly Alawites, have been killed by government or affiliated forces. Christian human rights watchdogs said at least four Christians were among the dead.
In December, Sanharib Barsoum, co-chair of the Syriac Union Party, told Rudaw that the next Syrian constitution must guarantee the rights of the Syriac and Assyrian Christian minorities.
Youssef also criticized the draft constitution's preparation process, calling it a "one-sided approach" that excluded key components of Syrian society. He said objections would be submitted to the relevant authorities once the draft is finalized.
He voiced support for the recently signed deal between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damauscus.
The deal recognizes Kurds as an integral part of Syrian society, includes a nationwide ceasefire, and facilitates the return of displaced people to their hometowns. It is expected to be implemented by the end of the year, according to the Syrian Presidency.
"When a state includes all its citizens, the rate of extremism and tension decreases. The national army and security forces must represent all components under the banner of the nation, not under religious slogans,” Youssef said.
