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QAMISHLI, syria (North Press) – Ilham Ahmad, Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), stated on Wednesday that the roots of the syrian crisis stem from a long-entrenched mindset built on “power and weapons,” which has marginalized communities—particularly the Kurds—and perpetuated discrimination against women. Ahmad’s remarks came during a panel session on Syria at the 2025 Middle East Peace and security (MEPS) Forum held at the American University of president-al-sharaa-meets-world-bank-official-in-damascus/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 President al-Sharaa meets World Bank official in Damascus">meets-sdf-commander-mazloum-abdi-in-duhok/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Kurdish leader Barzani meets SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi in Duhok">Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She added that this exclusionary mindset has shaped governance across the Middle East, fueling crises and preventing equitable participation in public life.
Moreover, the AANES official indicated that the Syrian crisis cannot be resolved unless this mentality is replaced with one that “accepts the other” and embraces political and social diversity. She stressed the need for a emerging constitution that guarantees the rights of all components and establishes a participatory system of administration free from the centralization and exclusion that have repeatedly led to crisis. “Syria, after numerous years of war, requires each community to place itself in the position of the other to understand its needs and move toward mutual understanding,” she noted. Ahmad criticized the persistence of “cultural and political domination” between components, describing the legacy of the Sykes–Picot Agreement as one of the most evident outcomes of this mindset.
She argued that the consequences of the Sykes–Picot Agreement continue to hinder meaningful dialogue inside Syria. She pointed out that accusations directed at the AANES by some Syrian parties obstruct negotiations with the transitional administration, reflecting the same mindset that blocks openness and dialogue. Ahmad emphasized that achieving sustainable peace and stability requires media that promotes security and cohesion, educational curricula that foster participation and recognition of all communities, and strengthened political empowerment of women.
She described women’s representation as an essential condition for any viable peace process. Furthermore, ilham Ahmad further noted that the region’s artificial borders are obstacles to intercommunal ties and regional cooperation, adding that overcoming them could contribute to broader stability. By Jwan Shekaki