US must pressure Syria to protect minority rights: USCRIF

WASHINGTON DC - The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended to Washington to condition its assistance to the interim authorities in Damascus on the protection of minorities, one of the commissioners of the organization said. 

“We also recommended to the United States actually to include in their ongoing negotiation with the transitional authorities the issue of the minority communities," Mohamed Elsanousi told Rudaw on Wednesday. 

He added that it is very "critical" to protect the minorities in Syria and it is the responsibility of Damascus to do so. 

“So we also recommend to the United States government to tie the economic assistance and everything else that they're giving to the current transitional authority with the protection and the freedom of religion or belief for the minority communities,” the commissioner noted. 

Damascus has come under fire for its response to the recent clashes between Druze militants and Sunni tribal fighters in Suwayda, which have killed at least 1,300 people. Damascus has been accused of siding with the Sunni tribes and carrying out mass killings in Suwayda. 

In March, violence erupted in Syria’s Alawite-majority coastal areas after armed groups, many loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad, launched attacks on forces allied with the government, prompting Damascus to respond with force.

At least 1,700 people, mainly Alawite civilians, were killed in the waves of violence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said that most of the casualties were caused by government or government-affiliated forces.

Elsanousi said they are concerned about the latest developments in Syria, highlighting the importance of the US “pressuring” the transitional authorities and telling them that it is their responsibility to protect the minorities.