US congressman urges reconciliation between Damascus, Kurds

WASHINGTON, DC - United States Congressman Marlin Stutzman called on Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to seek reconciliation with the country’s Kurdish population, which has been historically discriminated against.

Kurds “could be an integral part of Syria’s social fabric and a key component in the country’s defense. But they need to find a way to work together. This should be the generation that sets aside past grievances and seeks reconciliation,” Stutzman said.

“The Kurds are great allies of America, and they can have a lot of influence, and I hope that President al-Sharaa opens that door to our relationship with the Kurds,” he added.

In March, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi and Sharaa signed an agreement to integrate all the civil and military institutions of northeast Syria (Rojava) into the federal government. Talks on implementing that agreement stalled during the summer due to disagreements over incorporating the SDF into the Syrian army, but have since resumed.

A point of disagreement between the two sides is the Kurdish-led administration’s push for decentralization, which Damascus has feared may signal separatist intentions. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Kurds, Alawites, and Druze have called for federalism, citing decades of repression under Assad and the violence minorities faced following the regime’s collapse.

While the transitional government initially rejected decentralization, it has since softened its stance. Najeeb Ghadban, an advisor to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, confirmed to Rudaw in early October that “there is openness” in Damascus to the idea.

“We have expectations,” Stutzman said. “Religious freedom is crucial, and Syria must respect all religions. The government must respect individuals, honor heritage and history, and bring people together rather than excluding anyone. The more Syria is divided, the more unstable it becomes.”

Below is the full transcript of the interview with US Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman

Rudaw: Thank you so much, Congressman for being with us.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman: Thank you Diyar. Great to be with you.

I will start with the visit by Syrian president to Washington. It's been almost a month since President Trump hosted him, so how do you describe the trajectory of the Syrian and US relations?

Yeah, well, it's moved quickly. You know, it's been less than a year ago, or just over a year now that the Assad regime fell in Syria and he fled to Russia, and the fact that al-Sharaa has come to power in Syria. You know, one of the things that I would say that is good out of all of this is that, you know, there was barely a shot fired. I mean, you know, there weren't, there wasn't a great civil war between HTS and the Assad government. And so, you know, there were lives, I believe, were spared through all of this. And so now Syria has an opportunity to rebuild the country, and this is really going to be dependent on al-Sharaa’s leadership. Is he going to be inclusive with the entire population of Syria, or is he going to be exclusive? And you know which division always brings conflict, and so my hope is, is that he follows a path of in including all the sects and people in Syria. Syria has a great history. It has a story that you know, many people would love to tell and but at the same time, the conflict, because of the Assad family regime, has obviously created a country in dire need of rebuilding, and there's a lot of devastation there. So President al-Sharaa has a great opportunity, and I'm cheering for them, because the Syrian people are truly tired of war and are looking for prosperity.

Congressman, you visited Syria, and as you said, it's been almost a year. I don't think that it would be too soon to put some assessment on the new Syrian government. What concrete steps have you seen so far in Syria that signals a real reform or change in that country?

Yeah, that's a good question. And you know what I've said consistently from the beginning is that we're going to follow President al-Sharaa’s actions more than his words, and I think that he, while there have been killings along the coastal region and down in Suwayda skirmishes around homes and other parts of the country, there's a I'm also willing to understand. It's going to take a little bit of time for him to form the government. He's being pulled from multiple directions. You know, he's got fundamentalists that are pulling at him. He's trying. And when I met with him back in April, one of the things that I took away from him, that I felt was very promising was the fact that he told me he had he wasn't interested in talking with the Chinese. He had a deal on his desk from the Russians, but he really wanted to talk to the West, that he wanted to talk to President Trump. And so, of course, Prince Salman from Saudi Arabia sets up the meeting for the two to meet President Trump and President al-Sharaa to meet in the Middle East. When President Trump made his trip over there earlier this year, they had a chance to say hello. The fact that President al-Sharaa has come to the to the United States to visit and meet with the President of the United States, it tells me a lot. I mean, because, you know, back home with those who don't want, you know, who say Death to America that puts President al-Sharaa in a very difficult situation with them. And so, he's, he's definitely siding with America. He's willing to work with America. We have expectations. You know, religious freedom is one of those that I've I feel is very important that Syria, the Syrian Government, must respect all religions in Syria. They must respect the individual. They must respect the heritage and the history and bring people together rather than being exclusive.

I will come to that religious freedom and minority freedom, but we've seen Al Sharra visited Moscow too. So, what do you read from his visit to Moscow?

Well, I mean, he's definitely making a lot of visits around the country, around the world, and so, you know, my assessment is, is that there is still obviously unfinished business with Russia, obviously, Assad is in Russia. My suspicion is, is they probably talked about Assad. I was in a had dinner with him here in DC. I don't my feeling is, is that Syria should not worry too much about Assad right now, and that they start focusing on rebuilding the country and al-Sharaa’s comments were very similar to that as well, that that justice will take will, in due time, take its course in dealing with Assad and what Assad did to the Syrian people, but, but I think at the same time, it's very sensitive. This is, you know, really could go either direction, and depending on what happens. And that's why, watching al Sharaa, I felt he was humble. He was willing to listen. He's been willing to have tough conversations. And if there's anyone that can, you know, put the expectations high, it's President Trump. President Trump is the strongest negotiator. He's the strongest diplomat that America has had since Ronald Reagan. And so, I really do believe that President Trump has the insight and the instincts to deal with President al-Sharaa if things were to go sideways.

So, the US has been so open hearted towards Syria. But let's ask about the US position. Does the United States acknowledge a post Assad’s Syria as a single, unified state? If so, then what does that mean for the ethnic and religious minorities and also the political aspiration of a diverse community in Syria?

I mean, I do absolutely. In fact, I think that would be the policy position of the US government, is that we recognize Syria as Syria. And, you know, this is the thing that I find fascinating, is that Syria has such diversity. Very similar to the United States, we have a lot of different backgrounds. You know, people have come to America for the American dream. And I think that's what need, that President Al Sharra needs to focus on, is the Syrian dream, creating a Syrian dream, that it's good for all people, and that if you're willing to work hard, if you're willing to respect one another, that the country can be rebuilt. And it would be, of course, where it's located. It's an incredible location, of course, between the Middle East and Europe and of course, Asia. The transportation and the infrastructure that could be crossed across Syria would be huge economically; the tourism to Damascus alone, where Christians could go to Jerusalem and go to Damascus to follow the Damascus road that Saul traveled on and met Christ, the economic impact would be tremendous. And so the economic opportunities are there, but it all starts with respecting one another. And again, that's why I come back to religious freedom being really the core foundation of Syria to be successful.

We have seen that they published the new constitution, the interim constitution. And in that constitution, they define the Syrian state as an Arab Republic, and we see pretty much is the as a Muslim Arab Republic. So it almost doesn't guarantee any rights for the non-Arab ethnicity and also non-Muslim religious even some of them, they don't have the rights to study in their language. So how do you see that? What do you read from this? Is that a real action that United States expecting from new Syrian government?

Well, I mean, you know, that's something that I think is important. You know, the name that you claim who you are says who you are, and I think that it would be wise for President Al Shara to reconsider the naming of the country, the with the Arab name part of it. I think it really should just be, you know, Republic of Syria and really, again, bring people together, whether it's the Kurds or whether it's the Druze, the Alawite, the Christian, the Muslim, the Bedouin. I mean, there's some tough backgrounds there, and the relationships have been difficult, but I think it's critical. I mean, you know, we live in the 21st Century. You know, people can travel around the world in less than 24 hours anymore. People can communicate instantaneously if Syria, you know, embraces its history, but embraces today's technology and ability to manufacture and to build and travel all of those things, everyone would benefit in Syria. And so, I also think that what's important is the Syrian Americans that live here in the United States have experienced the American dream. And so many people in Syria are educated, but they know what, how it can work in America, it's not always pretty, but at the same time, we should never be assassinating one another. We should never be killing one another because we disagree. And so that's why I think Syria has the potential of being an incredible country in the Middle East.

I think Syria is listening to the United States very much, and they are relying on the United States and the supports that you are offering them. But there's a sticking point between the ethnic minorities, Kurds, Druze, and religious minority, Christians, Alawite, and Yazidis, many of these minorities, from the very beginning are calling for a decentralized and federal governance in Syria. So. do you think a federal system is viable for Syria?

Well, I think that it's up to the people to decide what they can live with, and where they feel that they have a voice at the table. Obviously, that's not the history of Syria, but I sure wish they would, would take a seat at the table. And you know what, give and take. It shouldn't always about be about taking. You have to be about giving as well. What can we all contribute to America? You know? John F Kennedy, of course, famously said, you know, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. That should be the Syrian model right now. And you know what? It's tough right now because there's so much poverty, there's so much I mean, Assad just devastated the country, but there's also a clean slate. And so, Syria, if they do it right, can have the latest technology, they can have agriculture. They can have, you know, new buildings and investment in the country. They can have relationships with, with the United States, with Israel, with Turkey, with others in the region, with Europe and others in Middle East and Africa. They're so the because of what they have just naturally could be incredible if they work together. And so sometimes you just have to ask yourself, is it worth the fight do? Why do I have to fight this fight? What can I find a way to work together with my fellow countrymen, rather than letting the past separate us.

We know Syria is not the United States. We don't have the democracy that we have it here in Syria. And so far, we have seen that all the minorities in Syria have said that they are Syrians, but Syrian Kurds, Syrian Druze, and Syrian Christians. So, do you believe in empowering the local community, and how this would contribute to the stability and unity of the Syria?

Let me, you know, remind you first that United States had its own civil war. You know, we had our own civil war less than 150 years ago, roughly. But you know, and we had to work through that. And that was Brother against brother, cousin against cousin. It was a very dark time for the United States, and the fact that we worked through a civil war. You know, Ireland has worked through a civil war. Very civilized countries have worked through devastating times. And so it's not that it hasn't been done before, but at some point you have to say we're tired of fighting. Let's sit down together and find a way forward and and, you know, what empower each community. You know, in America, you have African Americans, you have white Americans, you have Chinese Americans, you have, you know, we all come from German American. You know, my family comes from Germany and Switzerland, and they came here for religious freedom. So I think that, you know, America is a great example. Again, we will. That's why I believe that freedom is such an important piece to this and respecting one another and finding a solution rather than fighting. And I mean, killing is not the answer.

And do you expect that there will be no killing in Syria without giving the rights of everyone? Because the United States, they got a lesson from the Civil War. And every time you are recalling this, to tell yourself where you came from. But in the Middle East, we have many civil wars, we have many coups, we have some people came into the power, and they will never leave the power, in Syria, we had Bashar Al Assad’s family. They were there since 1970w, so how do you see this in Syria? Do you think that they got that lesson to not repeat the civil war?

well, I mean, you know, history has showed us that the Middle East favors dictators because of all of these divisions and all of the clashing that goes on in the Middle East, you know, the United States, we grew into the big country that we are. But the reason America is prosperous is because America is free and because we don't mind, you know, we take our issues to the ballot box, we don't use bullets, and as soon as you start using bullets, all hell's going to break loose. And that's what we've seen happen. And so, it has to be a mindset. And I know that's hard to say it's going to happen overnight, because it's not. I mean, I we. I understand the atrocities, you know, from family to family, from one sec towards another sect. But one of the things that President al-Sharaa mentioned to me, and I think it was very profound, is that he mentioned there needs to be forgiveness, and I think that that's something that's really important for every human being, that we're all hurt by someone at one point in our in our lives, and we can either,

Was he praying for himself or for other people, or for the country?

Yeah, he said there needs to be justice, but he said there also needs to be forgiveness. And that's that's something that each of us as a human being should weigh heavily, is and obviously, I mean, anytime you lose a family member to a killing from another tribe or another sect. You want justice, and too many times, we want revenge and you know what if we can get justice and then forgiveness? That's the only way we can move forward, is forgiveness.

So, in the last few months, there have been a lot of discussions between Kurds and Syrian government. And the Kurds are the second largest nation in Syria; they are living in their historical landmark. And the Kurds with other minorities in that region established a semi-autonomous region for themselves, and they have sacrificed about 12,000 people in a battle against ISIS, with the United States. Do you think denying their political aspiration would risk the instability in Syria, further instability in Syria?

I do. I think the more Syria is divided, the more unstable it is. You know, I was, I was just in Qatar. And obviously, Qatar is a very small country, 300,000 Qataris, about two million citizens that live there. They have so much money from the gas and so they're able to support themselves. It's obviously authoritarian. But in you know, unless you know a country and Qatar is a little different because of the peninsula that it is Syria really needs to stick together and utilize all of their natural resources and that they need to share it with each other. I mean, it shouldn't be just one, one group of people benefiting at the expense of the other people. And so, we have these same conversations in the United States, you know, making sure that the economy works for all Americans, making sure that there's opportunity for all Americans, you don't have to determine the outcome. The government shouldn't determine the outcome. It should be on each individual to work hard and accomplish those, the goals that they have in their lives. But I think that it's important for the Kurds. The Kurds are great allies of America, and they can have a lot of influence, and I hope that President al-Sharaa opens that door to our relationship with the Kurds. They're obviously great fighters, they're great military. And you know, if they could be a part of the Syrian fabric, they could be the defense of the country in a lot of ways, but they're going to have to find a way. And this should be the generation to say, look, let's put the sins of the past behind us, and let's find a way to work together and find a way to reconciliation.

If I asked you this question last year, you would say that the Kurds are the only local partners that we have in Syria. But how do you assess the future of US and Kurdish relations and cooperation as now we have sanctions lift, and the US has good connections and relations with Damascus?

Yeah, well, I think that we will always remember that the Kurds have been our friends and that they were willing to help us fight ISIS. They were great friends to President Trump in his first term. And you know, their opinion is very strong and but you know, we should take their opinion. And of course, you know, let's take the opinion from the Druze. Let's take the opinions from the Christians and the Muslims and the Alawite. I mean, everybody should have a voice. And while we're never going to disagree complete or we're never going to agree completely, let's agree that they're going to be unified in Syria. Syria is recognized all around the world as one of the oldest countries in the world, existing today, and the history that's there should be celebrated, not avoided. Too many people don't go to Syria because they don't want to go in a dangerous area because of all of the infighting that's happening there, band together, and you know, they could be an incredible force in the Middle East.

When we speak about Syria, we know that some elements in Syria, elements from the ruling authorities in Damascus, they were linked to some extremist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. So, how would having these people ruling a centralized Syria impact the future of Syria and the minority rights?

I mean, there has to be the foreign fighters, ISIS al Qaeda. So, terrorist organizations, they can't be a part of it. I mean, that's not going to work if there is a unified Syria and they eliminate any sort of terrorist organization that is one way to help benefit the country. I mean, you know, prosperity comes when people are unified. Prosperity does not come when you're divided. And so that's why, if they want what's best for their children, what they if they want what's best for their grandchildren, you know, be thinking ahead. The past is ugly in Syria, but at the same time, they can create a new future for their children and grandchildren, for their posterity. That is, could be incredible. I would, I would love to take my family to visit Damascus and to visit Syria, to see where Paul walked, and to see where Christ walked, and to see the history and the relics of the past. It's incredible. And so, I hope that that's, you know, I would just encourage the Syrian people to take that all into consideration and find a way to work together and show love towards one another in spite of differences.

Do you feel safe to take your family and visiting Syria now, or you still need some assurances or safeguards?

I would, I think, you know, for me, obviously, as a member of Congress, I would have certain security, but, but for the average American family, I think that it's going to take, we're getting close, and I think that's why it's important for President al-Sharaa to ensure security for every Syrian, because, you know, you look at our own cities here in America, when you hear of shootings in Chicago, of drug crimes, and you know, the people that have been creating problems in our big cities, I know there's people that are avoiding going to our big cities because they don't feel safe. You have to create safety for every person.

What safeguards and assurances that the United States seeks to ensure that the extremist figures in Syria do not influence the future of the Syrian governance?

Well, I think that's, you know, part of it is, you know, economic growth. I mean, if you if we lift the sanctions, you know, one of the things too, that President al-Sharaa, He's not asking for money from the United States. He's not asking for military he's simply asking for the sanctions to be lifted. He said, we want to build our own country. He's not asking for a handout. I mean, that's, that's very noble on his part. And I know there is millions of dollars of investment ready to go back into Syria because they believe in the country as well. So, my message to the Syrian people is, there's a lot of people that want to believe in Syria. They need to believe in themselves and find a way to work together and live together in peace and harmony.

And does that mean the Syrian is generally prepared for political reform, for giving the minority rights and addressing the decentralization and reconciliation?

It should be. I mean, you know, they should be able to find a way, you know, and I understand, you know, when, when you have a small minority, maybe they're not the governing body or the governing party, but, but that's why elections are important. To be able to have everybody should have a voice. Everybody should be able to be at the table and to contribute. Not that everybody's going to get their way. Nobody ever gets their way. But if everybody, if one person, got their way, that's a dictatorship. So, if they could find a way to be democratic and within a republic. And I'm not saying they have to be the United States. I just my belief and my concern and care are for people. I don't want to see a child losing their father. I don't because of a war. I don't want to see a wife become a widow because her husband was assassinated by, you know, terrorist. You know, peace is much better than war. And so it's the world is watching Syria, and if they can find a way to govern themselves with some sort of Federalist system that respects the rights of the local community and the different sects around the country, I think that would be wonderful if it takes another sort of a system, they should be able to sit down and find a way, but it ultimately comes back to those core principles of free speech and religious freedom. I really believe religious freedom is the biggest piece to this.

What benchmarks should the US use to measure whether Syria is moving toward a more inclusive and stable political system that protects the rights of the religious freedom and the religious minority and the ethnic minority?

Well, I think some of the things that are important is transparency. You know, free press. You know the press should be able to be there, reporting on what they see and what they hear, not only to the nation, but to the world as well. I think transparency in the government is important, you know, again, it's, you know, we make things difficult, sometimes on ourselves. And I understand governing is hard. It is not an easy process, but. But being as transparent as possible is important. And I think the fact that President al-Sharaa is traveling and is visiting with other leaders around the world shows that he's willing. He's looking for partnerships. And so, when he said that he wanted to talk to the United States, I felt that's a very big sign that, you know, if, if we can have a partnership, if we can have a relationship, I believe that the values in America, while sometimes difficult and messy with freedom, sometimes there's a price that comes with freedom. There is a price that comes with freedom. It doesn't always look as clean as what we would like it to look like, but in the long run, I believe that Syria, if they can find a way forward with some sort of system that works for everybody but be unified as Syrians and be able to champion the Syrian flag, that is what's really going to help them be successful.

What would you say, if President al-Sharaa has coming to Washington with having a delegation that included representative of Christians, Kurds and Druze, how would this has changed the calculations here in Washington? Why we didn’t see such a delegation coming with al-Sharaa to Washington and his visits to the other countries?

Well, I would say the same thing about our president. You know, our president went to the Middle East by himself. I mean, he didn't have a delegation of, you know, from all over the country to go with him..

He is elected by the people of the country.

That's a good point. That's true. But I think that, you know, President al-Sharaa is establishing his government. He is the he is the president, even though not elected by all of the people, but you know, he wants to have elections within the next five years. I asked him why five years? And he said, well, because it's going to take time for the refugees to come home and to reestablish, he said, Look at look at Jobar. I mean, Jobar is just utterly demolished. People are going to have to rebuild their country. And so, if he can truly follow what he says that he wants to where he wants to get to, and if he gives the people the ability to rebuild their country until those elections happen, I'm willing to give them that chance. I think that's important. I think President Trump is giving him a chance. There's many of us in Congress that want to give him a chance to establish a government that goes towards a democratic process and that. But in the meantime, just the ability, even by lifting the sanctions, gives the people the ability to rebuild their country. I mean, right now, you know you can't use a credit card in Syria. It's all, you know, it's cash. It's, you know, bargaining out on the streets. You know, young boys are out on the streets filling up cars with gas cans for cash. So, it's not a good economic system. And again, I blame Assad for that. And so, this is something that Al Shara he has. He's got a big job, big job to, you know, 25 million people, and there's going to be millions that probably come back to the country. That's a lot of work for everybody to do. And if he delegates this right and people are sincere and working together, I think he can be successful.

Thank you so much, Congressman, for being with us.

Thank you Good to be with you.