34 political and civil groups merge in the first political gathering since Assad fall

Thirty-four political, civil, and social forces announced in Damascus on Saturday the establishment of a new political body, the Syrian Equal Citizenship Alliance (Tamasuk).

The alliance, which represents the first political activity after the liberation, consists of 34 parties, forces, movements, and civil and social organizations, based on the slogan "Religion belongs to God and the homeland belongs to all."

The founding statement of the alliance, announced at a press conference held at the Hermitage Hotel in Damascus, stated: "The political forces and civil and social organizations that signed this statement, based on their communication with each other and the consultative meetings they held in Damascus over a period of three months, believe that the national tasks entrusted to the Syrians at this stage require drawing inspiration from the spirit and thought of the forefathers of Syria, the leaders of the Great Syrian Revolution, who rose above narrow, pre-national affiliations (ethnic, religious, sectarian, and tribal), and even political and ideological, and united under the comprehensive national slogan (Religion is for God and the homeland is for all)."

The statement summarized the "major national tasks" as "strengthening the unity of Syria, its land and people, under a single state, with a single national army whose sole responsibility is to defend the country, remain neutral regarding political life, and work in all possible ways to recover the occupied territories, foremost among them the Golan Heights."

It also addressed the need to resolve the Kurdish issue through a just, democratic, and national solution, considering the issue of Syrian women to be a priority. Its rights, and the issue of youth and their role, are a priority for all Syrians.

Preserving and defending civil peace was among the fundamentals of the "major national tasks," by combating vengeful mentalities and hate speech, criminalizing sectarian incitement, criminalizing the denial of the crimes and atrocities of the fallen regime, and learning lessons from the events that occurred on the Syrian coast to prevent their recurrence. This requires a clear and transparent transitional justice process that responds to the tangible situation without replicating the experiences of other countries, and in accordance with the national interest.