We, a group of Arab and Egyptian intellectuals, media figures, and politicians,

express our strongest condemnation and unequivocal denunciation of the dangerous and bloody escalation taking place in Syria, in light of the meetings and agreements held in Paris between the so-called “interim government” and the Israeli side, with the official presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. This clearly reveals the nature of the current political process and its dangerous consequences for the unity of Syria and its people.

It has become evident that the project being imposed on Syria today is an exclusionary and unilateral one, driven by the mentality of political Islam. This mentality does not see Syria as a pluralistic homeland, but rather as an arena for subjugation. It does not recognize Syria’s religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity, but rather seeks to impose its model by force, violence, and symbolic and physical cleansing.

We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks carried out by extremist factions and remnants of ISIS and al-Qaeda, which are effectively embedded within the ranks of the so-called “Interim Government Army.” We hold this government fully politically, legally, and morally responsible for the crimes committed against civilians, including murder, kidnapping, displacement, and systematic targeting.

In recent months, we have witnessed horrific crimes against civilians in the Syrian coast and Suwaida, targeting Alawites, Druze, and Christians. Today, we are witnessing a repeat of the same scenario in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, predominantly Kurdish areas, in a clear continuation of the systematic targeting of Syrian communities, one after another.

The killing of civilians because of their religious or ethnic affiliation, whatever that affiliation may be, is a war crime and a crime against humanity. It cannot be justified, covered up, or ignored politically or through the media.

We also strongly condemn the targeting of hospitals and places of worship, including:

Khaled Fajr Hospital, Othman Hospital, and Yassin Hospital,

in addition to the targeting of mosques and churches, and the killing of doctors, nurses, and paramedics, in flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian laws, and of all that remains of the meaning of civilization and humanity.

We also condemn the role played by some media outlets that mislead public opinion, conceal the truth, justify the crime, and support the killer instead of standing with the victims and innocent civilians.

We reiterate that what is happening today is also a direct result of the interim government’s evasion of its commitments under the agreements of April 1 and March 10, its disregard for the path of dialogue and understanding, and its choice of force over politics, and violence over national partnership.

What the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh have expressed, as have the people of Suwaida, the coast, and others, is not a rebellion, but rather the free will of a Syrian people who refuse to submit to the project of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and who refuse to reduce Syria to a single identity, or to subject it to the logic of militias, guardianship, and political takfir (excommunication).

Therefore, we demand:

1. An immediate cessation of all military operations against civilians in all Syrian regions.
2. A return to the signed agreements and a commitment to the path of comprehensive political dialogue.
3. The opening of independent international investigations into the crimes committed against civilians and medical personnel.
4. A call upon Arab states, the Arab League, and the international community to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and to work diligently to stop the massacres, protect civilians, and advance a just political solution that guarantees Syria’s unity, diversity, and the dignity of its people.

Syria will not be built on exclusion, ruled by weapons, or unified by violence, but rather through recognition of its diversity, justice, partnership, and politics, not killing.

Glory to the innocent victims,
Freedom for Syria,
Justice for all its people.