By Brian Whitaker

With the protests in Syria apparently growing, President Bashar al-Assad has begun announcing a series of "reforms" aimed at placating two key groups: the Sunni Muslim majority – especially the more conservative elements within it – and the marginalised Kurdish minority. If either or both of these groups were to swing firmly behind the street protests the regime would be in serious trouble.

Kurds account for about 10% of Syria's population and over the last half-century or so the ruling Ba'athists have made strenuous efforts to "Arabise" them by suppressing their distinctive culture and language. Their plight has been documented in detail by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Chatham House, among others.

As a result of a census carried out in 1962 to identify "alien infiltrators", about 200,000 Kurds in the north-eastern province of al-Hasakah are officially classified as foreigners. This has been a contentious issue for years and Assad has now issued a decree granting them citizenship as "Syrian Arabs".


Read full article