The decree, which includes eight articles, established that \u201cSyrian Kurdish citizens are an essential and integral part of the Syrian people.”<\/p>\n
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting Kurdish Syrians full Syrian citizenship and criminalizing discrimination against Kurds on Friday, according to the Syrian state-owned news outlet SANA.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the decree comes as al-Sharaa’s government faces heavy criticism for its treatment of ethnic minorities in Syria, including the Kurds.<\/p>\n
The decree, which includes eight articles, established that \u201cSyrian Kurdish citizens are an essential and integral part of the Syrian people,\u201d declaring that Kurdish \u201ccultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable part of the diverse and unified Syrian national identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fourth article of the decree announced the nullification of \u201claws and measures resulting from the 1962 census in Al-Hasakah Governorate\u201d and the granting of Syrian nationality to \u201call citizens of Kurdish origin residing on Syrian territory\u2026 with their full equality in rights and duties.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny discrimination or exclusion based on ethnicity or language is legally prohibited,\u201d the decree outlined, adding that \u201canyone who incites national strife shall be punished in accordance with applicable laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, the decree includes a commitment to \u201cprotecting cultural and linguistic diversity, and guarantees the right of Kurdish citizens to revive their heritage and arts and develop their mother tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n