WASHINGTON, DC - Prominent religious freedom advocates on Monday urged the Donald Trump administration to push for a more inclusive political settlement in Syria, warning that the country’s new transitional government risks replicating authoritarian patterns and marginalizing minorities under its current constitutional framework, as violence has left thousands of minorities dead. “The US government needs to rethink the way they approach Syria and the legal situation right now,” Nadine Maenza, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), told Rudaw. “The most recent constitution in March really made the minorities second-class citizens... It gives all the rights to Sunni Muslims… and this is really signaling to the rest of the country that minorities are not the same as the majority community,” she said. In mid-March, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa approved a 53-article constitutional declaration that granted him sweeping powers, including the authority to appoint one-third of the legislature and all judges of the constitutional court - the only institution capable of holding him accountable. The constitution prioritizes Islamic jurisprudence as a legislative foundation. Maenza warned that the current framework risks fueling violence and persecution if inclusive governance is not ensured. “What the United States needs to do is advocate for equal citizenship and a new constitution that lets local communities be involved in their own governance and their own security,” she said. Her comments come as the US House of Representatives last week passed the Syria Sanctions Accountability Act, a bill aimed at maintaining pressure on Damascus while providing leeway to support the country's transitional authorities. According to the US Congress website, the legislation seeks to maintain and expand targeted sanctions on individuals and entities associated with rights abuses, drug trafficking, or efforts to undermine transitional justice. It also calls for greater economic oversight at institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank and ties future sanctions relief to specific progress, including ending attacks on civilians, releasing political prisoners, and ensuring humanitarian access. IRF Ambassador at Large Nominee Mark Walker, a former congressman, told Rudaw on Monday that the administration is paying close attention to abuses targeting minorities across Syria. “Yes, what we see is religious minorities being persecuted, being attacked, and even worse throughout the country,” he said, pledging to work closely with Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio to raise awareness and “hopefully expose and eventually eradicate much of this.” After the Bashar al-Assad regime was toppled in December by a rebel coalition led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which installed Sharaa - formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - as interim president. He has prioritized lifting international sanctions and restoring ties with foreign governments. During a visit to Riyadh in May, Trump announced the effective lifting of most broad sanctions on Syria and met with Sharaa during a summit hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The European Union also moved to lift Assad-era sanctions the same month. US officials have tied long-term support to inclusive reforms. “I’ve urged Sharaa to embrace a more inclusive political approach in the wake of recent sectarian violence,” US Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack told Reuters in a recent interview. That violence includes a wave of deadly clashes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, which began on July 13. More than 1,300 people have been killed in the fighting, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel intervened militarily in support of the Druze, striking Syrian government positions and targeting the defense ministry in Damascus. A US-brokered ceasefire on July 18 halted the fighting. Sharaa later ordered a truce between the Druze and the Bedouin tribes in an attempt to contain the crisis.
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