Needless to say, the issue of what the international community’s response should be to the Syrian uprising has even our brightest political leaders perplexed. The leaders of the main Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Council, have used this UN meeting to bring out their new found diplomacy skills in full force, demanding that the Security Council pass a resolution condemning Bashar Al-Assad, and demanding some sort of (diplomatic and economic) intervention.

While the focus is on Syria, however, it is the Arab League that has enjoyed the spotlight, as it has formally led the campaign “for” Syria within the international community. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been the most grateful out of anyone for the Arab League’s leadership, and as diplomats have organized further meetings to pass a resolution about Syria, Clinton has continued to parade the Arab League’s initiative as the path that Syrians and the international community should follow. The initiative itself calls for Bashar Al-Assad to step down and relinquish power to one of his vice-Presidents, who will then form a “unity government” within two months. At last, one might say. A specific plan. A path. Maybe one that we can waltz down. Syrians should breathe a sigh of relief.

A proposed UN resolution, then, would throw some support to this Arab League initiative, but the how, where, and why of it has member states quabbling. Russia has stood firm against any explicit calls for Assad to step down, nor would it accept an arms embargo or sanctions of any sort. As it stands, the debate over the resolution will continue into the weekend as Russia attempts to navigate away from calling for “further measures” should Assad fail to comply with the resolution after 21 days. Russia would prefer the word “steps” over “measures”.

And so the waltz music screeches.

Watching this debacle, I don’t know what to think, except that I’m vaguely reminded of the Palestinian bid for statehood in the General Assembly last September. Sure, some action is better than no action, some might say, but is this action actually just spinning us in circles? The United Nations is a corrupt, inept bureacratic system rigidly set up in a way to protect the interests of more powerful nations and preserving the status quo. When Palestine was voted as a state in the General Assembly, Israeli guns did not stop shooting, and Palestinian bodies did not stop suffering. Instead, a specific, PC idea of Palestine led by the Palestinian Authority was oh so graciously allowed to participate in the same system that disenfranchised it to begin with.

That is not waltzing. That is monkey in the middle.

Rather than reassure me that everything will be all right in the end, this recent game of diplomatic charades has me worried about who do these people really think Syria belongs to. The only reason I’m not more worried, is because I know they’re useless. And my worry will begin when anyone thinks that they are of some use. As much as I would appreciate an arms embargo that stops Russia from feeding Bashar’s killing machine, and as much as I want to believe that targeted sanctions will chip away at the regime, I refuse to be the monkey in monkey in the middle and thank everyone for letting me play.

The United Nations, the United States, the Arab League, and the whole damned lot have no interest in the lives of Syrian people, not in Syrian freedom and not in a electrical powerful, free and fair and shouting out loud Syria. When I hear the condemnation of Assad, I know they’re not speaking the same language that I am. They’re not dancing.

It does not matter if Russia rolls over and plays good doggy to American demands. (Seriously though it’d be nice if they stop this whole arming business.) It does not matter if a resolution is passed tomorrow. Syrians are fighting for a new world of possibility, and the United Nations and Arab League are the picture perfect representation of the old one. Whats more, it takes away the emphasis of Syrian liberation belonging in Syrian hands and places the responsibility for ousting Assad on the shoulders of diplomats rather than the shoulders of protesters. The Syrian National Council is the mechanism for which this happens, by making diplomacy and tragedy the public face of the Syrian revolution, rather than grassroots mobilization, individual sacrifice, and a unity among the Syrian people the likes that has never been seen.

Don’t get me wrong, protests alone will not bring down Bashar Al-Assad. But neither will playing games. Although the priority right now must be the downfall of the current regime, Syrians must not allow the current “support” of regimes as corrupt as Bashar’s to influence the creation of our new political consciousness. The debacle at the UN may cause some good, but will definitely cause harm, if Syrians themselves are not the very strong leaders of this very complicated dance.

When an entire people are systematically oppressed and marginalized, small actions to make their story heard can have dramatic consequences. Similarly, small actions to silence their voice can have dramatic and tragic consequences.

RojTV is one of the only international Kurdish language channels available to Kurds. It broadcasted everything from children’s programmes to Kurdish music and film. But most importantly, it filled the large gap of Kurdish news and politics, information that is ignored or censored from mainstream media. For over a year, RojTV had been embroiled in a long legal battle after being accused of violating Danish anti-terrorism laws. Perhaps you’ve read an article related to the case over the last year, or had been following it avidly. Or maybe the first time you ever heard of RojTV and its legal battle was when the case was closed. Kurds celebrated when RojTV kept its license, despite being found guilty of “terrorism” and charged a hefty fine.

Kurdish celebration was short lived, however. On January 19, Eutelsat Communications decided to stop broadcasting RojTV, effectively shutting down one of the biggest sources of Kurdish news in the world.

With the closing of RojTV, Kurds lose a powerful voice, one that frequently was the only one on their side. With the closing of RojTV, Turkey will no longer be held accountable for the arrest of hundreds of journalists, activists, academics, and even children. Iran can continue to hide the murder of Kurdish migrant workers on the Iranian border, and the arbitrary detention and execution of Kurdish activists. Images of Turkish massacres, like the most recent in Roboski, will no longer flicker across the screens of thousands of people, who can then mobilize to demand justice for their dead.

To you, perhaps, the only emotion you felt was “good riddance”. RojTV was provocative, some say. Or worse, an incitement to terrorism. Its messages had no place in anyone’s living room, you claim.

Dear reader, we’re here to tell you your claims are wrong.

Differences in political opinions should flourish. We’re not telling you to think exactly like us. But the dangers in silencing any political opinion are always more dangerous than any political opinion itself. The censorship of RojTV by the Danish courts, Eutelsat Communications, and by the pressures of Turkey itself extend far beyond the closure of this one Kurdish station. With the closing of RojTV, the voice of the Kurds has been silenced, and because Kurds are humans, who proudly claim their basic human rights, a voice of humanity has been silenced.

For you see, the Kurdish struggle isn’t just the Kurdish struggle, just like the Palestinian struggle isn’t just the Palestinian struggle, and the Egyptian struggle and Bahraini and Syrian. Wherever people sacrifice their time, and their lives, for greater freedom for their people, all of us who are invested in human rights and social justice gain. We, the authors of this letter, aren’t Kurds. One of us is Bahraini, the other Syrian. We’re from two countries run by dictatorships. Our people understand very sharply how valuable freedom is. It is only because we value freedom in our own countries that we feel a duty to stand with the Kurds. We cannot advocate for our own voices while we accept the silencing of others.

This is what motivates us. This is our cause. We are not terrorists, nor advocates of terrorists. Odds are, the word doesn’t mean what you think it means anyway. But either way, there is no political agenda behind our efforts. We merely speak up against violations of human rights, something the Kurds suffer far too often.

And because we speak up, we, as Arabs, are the target of some of the same attacks that Kurds face themselves. We receive hate mail and threatening comments, usually in the name of extremist Turkish nationalists. Our site has faced numerous hacking attempts. All because we stand up for Kurds. If we, as non-Kurds, face this abuse, then what do our Kurdish brothers and sisters have to put up with, simply for claiming their right to their rich historical and cultural background? For asking to live with dignity?

We realize we are reaching out to an unfamiliar audience. You may have never met a Kurd, or have your own opinions regarding the Kurdish struggle. Regardless of anything else, everyone has a basic human right to a voice, and a voice that is heard. Despite centuries of abuse, despite their very language being banned, the Kurdish voice has never been louder. At the very least, you have an obligation to hear them out. Banning TV stations and imprisoning journalists won’t silence the Kurds, but it will lay the foundations for a dangerous world where we all surrender our basic human rights to the people in power, where surveillance and censorship are valued more highly than dignity and liberty.

The Kurds are facing a painful battle for their freedom, one they’ve paid for with their lives. With your support, crimes against the Kurdish people will no longer weigh on humanity’s conscience. Speak up for a world where everyone can be heard regardless of ethnicity or faith. Freedom is non-negotiable. If these crimes are allowed to go unnoticed and unpunished, you could be next.

In solidarity,
S. Boulad
E. Al Shafei
The Alliance for Kurdish Rights

The involvement of the Arab League, and its recent dispatch of observers to different regions in Syria, have fueled protests throughout the country, including in the Kurdish region. On December 23rd, named “the Friday of the Protocol of Death” in a mockery of the “protocols” that Bashar al Assad supposedly agreed to with the Arab League, Kurdish protesters filled the streets of Qamishlo, waving giant Kurdish flags and Syrian independence flags. This last Friday, the Friday of “God Will Grant Us Victory”, resulted in protests in essentially every Kurdish region of Syria, from Amûdê, Kobanî, Dirbêsî, Hasakeh, Dêrik, Tirbesipî, to Qamişlo.

In this clever protest from Amûdê, a protester dressed as the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi in a mockery of him.

Also in Amûdê, protesters had criticism for both the Syrian regime and for the crimes of Turkey after an air strike killed 35 Kurdish villagers.

The Kurdish cities of Syria have also been enthusiastic participants in the Dignity Strike, which continues to unfold in various stages. In Qamishlo, entire streets have been completely shut down at different points, and even some merchants in Aleppo (which has been the most reluctant city in participating in the protests) shut down their businesses at great risk to themselves, especially in the Kurdish region of Kobanî (Ein al-Arab).

Although Kurds have been enthusiastic participants of the Syrian revolution, the question of the Kurdish role in a future free Syria remains to be seen. The main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, displayed some problematic tendencies in its supposed inclusion of Kurds, including a disturbing statement by SNC president Burhan Ghalioun where he compared Kurds in Syria to immigrants in France. Since then, however, the Syrian National Council has made explicit overtures to Kurdish organizations, including the Kurdish youth organizing committee. The SNC also made a strong statement during its first congress in Tunisia that it will seek constitutional recognition of the national Kurdish identity, and stated that it will seek a democratic resolution to the issue of the denial of Kurdish human rights.

As the Syrian opposition takes shape, a second Kurdish opposition coalition has been formed, explicitly outlining their position on many key issues. Some of their positions are to ensure “dialogue with all Kurdish political powers outside of the coalition, coordination of the efforts to ensure the unity of the Kurds” and “[rejecting] violence and the encouragement of forgiveness, reconciliation, and tolerance among all citizens, as well as respect for all international treaties and conventions, as well as for human rights”.

Protest in support of the Kurdish National Council in Kobanî (Ein al-Arab):

One of the highlights of Kurdish participation in the Syrian revolution has been the emergence and celebration of the Kurdish identity within Syria. Protesters continue to chant in both Kurdish and Arabic, and wave Kurdish and Syrian independence flags. As the regime weakens, Kurdish involvement in a new and free Syria should be of upmost importance.

beautiful hoisted flags in Derbasiyeh sit-in protest

Crowdvoice’s page “Kurdish Protests Against Assad” contains a comprehensive collection of the latest videos, pictures, and blogs from Kurdish protests in Syria.

This post was cross-posted from our website KurdishRights.org. For ongoing updates follow us on Twitter @KurdishRights.

After nine months of brutality and a conservative death toll at 5,000, Syrians are still congregating and protesting in the usual manner, but the local coordinating committees have brought out a new tool for the revolution, one that may very well prove to be the peaceful mortal blow to the regime.

The LCCs have outlined the six different phases of the Strike for Dignity, or Karameh Strike, meant to gradually bring people together in shutting down all of Syria and paralyzing every apparatus of the regime. The LLC site outlined the general stages of the strike:

Stage One: closing sub-lanes, sit-down strike (showing up to work & refuse to perform any tasks), turn off cell phones between 2-6 PM
Stage Two: closing all stores and shops
Stage Three: Universities’ strike
Stage Four: Transportation strike and the closer of all major road and highways between cities
Stage Five: Government’s employees strike
Stage Six: Closing all international roads and highways

The first phase of the Karameh Strike, or Strike for Dignity, began on December 11th after activists in Syria had called for a nation-wide general strike from the hours of 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This was the first stage of the strike, which was unique in that it was the first country-wide organized general strike, motivated by the success of multiple local strikes from throughout the revolution. The strike shut down cities all over Syria, including in some parts of Damascus and Aleppo. In cities like Daraa, regime thugs reacted violently, destroying businesses and threatening owners who refused to open.

Today marks the second stage of the strike. More stores closing, and the first attempts to shut down streets. The LCCs have even coordinated a nation-wide strategy for doing so, to block, run and repeat. So far, every major city has reported at least some participation. Just like the protests themselves, the strike will not be an instantaneous phenomena, but will gradually gain more and more supporters. Just like how youtube slowly filled with videos of protests, it will slowly fill with videos of businesses completely shut down, of streets blocked, of school abandoned, and not just in Homs and Daraa, but in Damascus and Aleppo as well.

The Strike for Dignity is not just a set of actions, or of important days. It is not just a method for bringing down the regime. It is the beginning of a new Syria, and the means through which all Syrians will create a national consciousness of solidarity, of entitlement to their political rights, and of a constant dedication to justice. Every video made by Syrians urging them to take part in the strike is another act of brotherhood and sisterhood, and ever person who responds to that video is taking their place as an agent of change. The very concept of peaceful civil disobedience and of agency in our own self-determination is being birthed with every stage of the strike, and these will not go away once the regime of Bashar Al Assad falls. After 40 years of tyranny, Syrians are teaching each other how to be free.

The Syrian revolution is more than the violence. It is more than the political games being played by the United Nations, Russia, the West, the Arab League. It is about human beings, strong proud Syrians, taking hold of their futures and demanding hope and change.

Support the strike for dignity, and support Syria.

Mass Arrests of Kurdish Intellectuals in Istanbul:

My father-in-law was one of fifty people arrested on Friday morning, and while the police were civil at his house—calling him beyefendi (sir) and taking care not to break anything—in other parts of Turkey they kicked in doors and turned homes inside out. Read more.

Low-Level Torture—A Letter From An Istanbul Prison:

My father in law has been transferred to Kandıra prison in Izmit. They’ve split all the prisoners, sending them willy nilly to different high security prisons around the country. We had hoped for a visit this holiday, but were told that there would be no visits at all this week. Read more.

BDP threatens to boycott Parliament:

Turkey’s main Kurdish political party has threatened to withdraw from parliament due to arbitrary arrests of its MP’s in the past months. Read more.

Offices of Kurdish lawyers raided:

The offices of Asrin Hukuk Burosu in Istanbul were raided by Turkish police, and elsewhere in Turkey 70 people were taken into custody, 48 of them were lawyers. Among them is BDP’s former executive lawyer Huseyin Calisci. Read more.

Busting Moves for the Revolution: Kurdish Songs Against Assad:

As the Syrian revolution runs into its ninth month, protesters on the ground in Syria have yet to run out of ideas to creatively express their discontent with the regime and their demand for freedom. Read more.

Kurdish girl arrested in Iran:

A Kurdish Med student has been arrested in Iran. Rojin Mohemedi was arrested upon her return to Iran. She studied at Manila Medical School of Philippines and has been transferred to Evin prison.

The charges against her include incitement of propaganda against the regime. She is a Human rights activist, and has been vocal about the Iranian regimes horrendous human rights record. Read more.

Kurdish workers attacked by Nationalists in Turkey:

Kurdish workers were attacked in Tokat city, Turkish nationalists chanted “We don’t want Kurds here” as they continued their verbal abuse of Kurdish workers. Read more.

Turkey sanctions Syria for Human Rights Abuses:

Turkey wants to create the illusion that it upholds Human Rights, lets take a look at Turkey’s treatment of Kurds. Read more.

European Lawyers federation urge Turkey to release Kurdish lawyers:

European lawyers federation AED and ELDH have urged the Turkish government to release Kurdish lawyers imprisoned in the KCK investigation. Read more.

76 Kurds put on trial for attending politics classes in Turkey:

Legal action has been taken against 76 Kurdish politicians, including 30 detainees who were taken into custody for taking part in political classes. The detainees are charged with “spreading propaganda for an illegal organisation”. The classes were organised by BDP, which is a legal Pro-Kurdish political party, with 36 seats in parliament. Read more.

More Kurdish politicians arrested in Turkey:

Police raided the houses of many Kurdish politicians in Diyarbakir and Bitlis today. According to ANF, 21 people have been taken to custody. In the past 6 months alone, hundreds of Kurdish politicians, activists and journalists have been detained by Turkish police. Today’s arrests is a reminder of Turkey’s brutal and systematic discrimination against Kurdish people. Read more.

21-year old Kurdish student killed by Turkish police:

Thousands of people turned up to a meeting in Amed, with BDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, BDP deputies and Sur Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş, as well as civil society organisations. Security forces in Amed used tear-gas and live ammunition to disperse an open-air meeting between Kurdish activists. Murat Elibol was shot in the back, and died later in hospital. Read more.

121 Kurdish activists arrested this week — new arrests!

In a new wave of arrests, 24 people have been taken to custody today. Among them five BDP executives, association chair Evrim Konak and executives Murat Kur, Deniz Kırbağ and Hıdır Yıldız.

Earlier this week, 21 people were taken into custody, and 76 were arrested for attending politics classes — a total of 121 have been arrested this week alone in Turkey. Read more.

Kurdish Politician Mahmut Alınak arrested:

Kurdish politician Mahmut Alınak has been arrested on suspicion of being associated or having links with KCK. Last month, he was arrested in Istanbul and later released because it could not be established that he had secret ties with KCK. Read more.

Children jailed for being part of KCK in Turkey:

Dicle News Agency reports that 7 people have been detained, among them 2 children with alleged links with KCK. Earlier this month, 121 Kurdish activists were detained on similar grounds, including a prominent Kurdish politician and former MP Mahmut Alınak. Read more.

Kurdish prisoners forced to say Turkish national anthem:

New report released by IHD Adana branch highlights the Human rights violations of Kurdish activists in prison. The report concludes the following; Children prisoners forced to say Turkish national anthem. Expired or rotten food were given to both children, and women. Read more.

Razan Ghazzawi is a US citizen. Without giving in to the “American Savior” mindset, we must exploit this fact in order to get the United States to put pressure on the Assad regime. At the very least, Bashar Al Assad must know that we know Razan is in his hands, and that we will hold him accountable for every hair on her head. So what can you do to demand the release of Razan and of every Syrian prisoner?

1. Write an email or send a fax to your local politician, Foreign Minister, members of parliament of congress. Use the internet to find their contact details or see this list of emails. Razan is an American Citizen – See herefor a list of US Embassies to contact demanding they take urgent action.

2. Use your profile photo to draw attention to Razan’s arrest and the plight of all prisoners in Syria via Twibbon or you can use this image, or make your own.

3. Use the tag #FreeRazan to share links, videos, news from #Syria – keep attention levels UP, don’t let this important news be overpowered by other stories and fade from view

4. Post news and links to FaceBook, blog, forums, and in comments on videos and news posts about Syria. If you write, please write about this issue.

5. Schedule tweets for when you can’t be online – use Dlvr IT for feeds or Buffer for individual tweets. Also, Razan’s twitter account is currently being managed by her friends and supporters. Follow her if you’re not already @RedRazan for important updates.

6. Join the new Free Razan FaceBook page and share the page with all your friends

7. If you have more ideas, please share them here or here.

Razan Ghazzawi is a true part of the Syrian revolution, not just of the uprisings. She knows that freedom for Syria must come with freedom for everyone. And we know freedom for Syria must come with freedom for Razan. Spread the word about her arrest, and more importantly, honor her bravery by embodying her philosophy of inclusive radical acceptance and freedom for everyone.

Shaam News Network has invited everyone around the world to lend their voice to this months-long shout for freedom that has claimed so many lives. The act is simple. Create a video in solidarity with the Syrian protesters that more or less covers this statement:

I am in solidarity with the Syrian people. I reject the brutality and killing that the Syrian authorities are committing against the unarmed Syrian people. And because silence is participation in this crime, I declare my participation in the Syrian Sit-in on Youtube.

.تضامناً مع مطالب الشعب السوري، ورفضاً للقتل والإعتقال والإستبداد، ورفضاً للطائفية التي يحاول النظام زرعها بين أبناء الشعب السوري الواحد، لذلك، فإنني أعلن إنضمامي إلى اعتصام الأحرار على اليوتيوب، وأدعو جميع الأحرار حول العالم للمشاركة بهذا الاعتصام

Easy as it is to implement, this simple campaign has garnered global support from England, Spain, the occupied Golan Heights, and more places from around the world. 271 people have thus far submitted videos declaring their solidarity with the Syrian people, from Arabs, Kurds, and supporters.

This impressive video of the Syrian community in Spain shows men, women and children shouting their support for the cyber sit-in while waving Libyan, Kurdish and Syrian flags.

Global Voices contributer Leila Nachawati also posted a video “joining the Syrian sit-in because Syrian people are an inspiration for anyone who believes in freedom and justice and human rights.”

The Syrian actress Louiz Abd alKarim also posted a video in Arabic in frustration with the immense bloodshed that has happened in Syrian streets, and she affirms all of Syria’s dedication to a united free Syria for Sunni, Allowites, Christians, Kurds, and everyone.

Participating in the sit-in is as easy as recording a video echoing the above statements and emailing it to syrianhub@gmail.com. The campaign coordinators then post the video to their Youtube account and to their website, where it’ll join hundreds of videos already uploaded that denounce the crimes of the Syrian regime and support the Syrian people. There is no comparison to the brave acts of protest that women and men carry out on the streets of Syria every day, but it does send an important message of support to people within Syria that the world is still paying attention, that their struggle is being noticed, and the regime will eventually fall.

Show your support with the cyber sit-in in solidarity with Syria. The Syrian regime can pretend not to hear us, but the rest of the world can.

Yes, we do. We support the Syrian people and their righteous uprising against tyranny. Why do we? Because despite the fact that we are permanent neighbors, we suffered the same pain they have. We, as some students from the American University in Iraq-Sulaiamani, believe that all people around the world are in need of a better world, especially in our region. This is a good opportunity to start what should have started many years –or centuries- ago. That’s why this Thursday, we’ll gather to protest against the brutality of the Syrian regime. We want to tell the Syrians, yes we feel your pain which gives birth to a new era, and we’ll support you until this new era comes into reality.

Shalaw Fatah
Senior of International Studies, AUIS

But most of the players in this Middle Eastern upheaval don’t have anything to celebrate, not yet. And it remains more important than ever to keep track of the voices that are calling for change within the countries themselves.

Syria’s uprising is still raging, with thousands filling the streets of Homs, Daraa and other cities despite at least 30 deaths a day by the growing brutality of the Syrian regime. Over eight months into the struggle, the Syrian situation continues to change by the day, with bumbling international politics trying to stop an end to the tragic violence that has killed an estimated 5,000 protesters thus far. In spite of this, protests continue to be mainly non-violent, although the Free Syrian Army is playing a growing role, and the revolutionaries have never been more convinced of the regime’s eventual fall.

In Bahrain, protesters continue to struggle against the government despite little media coverage, and practically no nuanced, well represented coverage. The Bahraini regime is expected to come out with its report to assess the “incidents” that have happened between anti-government protesters and the government itself, although few have faith in the commission backed by a government that has tortured doctors and imprisoned political activists for life.

Meanwhile protests in Yemen enter their 11 month, having maintained considerable protests against all odds all year. An estimated 2,000 protesters have lost their lives calling for the downfall of the regime, and thousands more have been injured in attacks by pro-government forces. As Saleh continues to promise an eventual transition of power backed by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, protesters continue to refuse dialogues with Saleh’s regime and to demand his ouster before embarking on a more democratic path.

Moroccan protesters are still out demanding significant changes, despite the regime co-opting some of the protesters’ demands so as to stave off a full blown revolution.

The road to a freedom in these three countries, and freedom from tyranny and oppression throughout the Middle East, will be a long one, one that will claim more lives and more time. But already, not even a year into the uprisings, people are growing tired, overwhelmed, or otherwise losing interest in tracking these efforts towards freedom. Losing interest or patience is a luxury that people on the ground in Syria, Bahrain, Morocco and Yemen can’t afford themselves. We all must take part in our responsibility to amplify these voices of change across the Middle East, and to support them however we can. We must continue to keep track of what is happening on the ground, and not letting these people’s struggles be forgotten.

The Syrian Arab News Network unsurprisingly twisted news of Tamo’s death, claiming that armed terrorists ambushed his home in an act of sectarian violence, and mourning him as a member of the national opposition, despite the fact that he had been in prison just a few months prior to his death.

Protests erupted in cities across Syria in an enthusiastic display of cross-Syrian solidarity. Saturday and Sunday were officially named “Qamişlo and Amûdê” in honor of the Kurdish cities. Qamişlo and Amûdê themselves erupted into massive demonstrations after the death of Tamo, bringing a renewed revolutionary energy to the Kurdish minority. Tamo’s death may also become a critical moment for the Kurdish role in toppling Assad. The Kurdish establishment has been sluggish in supporting the protests despite enthusiastic support from the Kurdish youth. The Assad regime has been deliberately lenient towards the Kurds in their crackdown on protest precisely so that it would not mobilize a massive population for the revolution.

Meshaal Tamo’s death did exactly that. Protests in solidarity with the slain activist and the Kurdish minority emerged throughout the country and abroad. In Qamişlo, Tamo’s funeral turned into a rally with upwards of 50,000 protesters, chanting in Kurdish and Arabic and waving Kurdish and Syrian flags. Violence from security forces during the funeral resulted in an estimated five casualties from Tamo’s funeral and nine other deaths that day throughout Syria. Qamişlo and other Kurdish majority cities also implemented a general strike throughout the weekend.

On Sunday, Tamo’s son Feras Tamo sent a clear message to Syrians from his home in Iraq, describing the assassination of his father “is the screw in the regime’s coffin”. He called on Syrian Kurdish groups to take a more active role in the country’s nearly 7-month-long uprising, and both Kurds and Arabs alike heeded the call. The weekend was marked by massive demonstrations throughout Syria, from Deir ez Zor, to Damascus. Protests emerged in every major city calling for the down fall of the regime and for solidarity with the Kurds.

These protesters in Homs sing a mournful song for Meshaal Tamo.

In addition to sparking protests within Syria, the death of Meshaal Tamo sparked outrage abroad. Kurds protested at multiple Syrian embassies around the world, including in Vienna, Beirut, London, and Berlin. Although the Beirut protest ended peacefully, participants were supposedly attacked later that evening. Seven were arrested after a protest at the Syrian embassy in London, and 200 people held a rally in Stockholm in support of the Syrian protests, with no arrests. Both the U.S. and Turkey condemned the attacks, calling them “vicious and unprovoked”. The wide reaction to Meshaal Tamo’s death has been seen by many as a new stage as Kurds become more involved and more welcomed within the protests, and may be a significant influence on the international community. With the establishment of the Syrian National Council set up as a legitimate alternative to the Assad regime, other minorities may see increased Kurdish involvement as a positive sign, although only the coming weeks will reveal the appeal of such a move.

Nonetheless, it is clear that all eyes are on the Kurds after Meshaal Tamo’s tragic death, and that their importance within the revolution will only increase. CrowdVoice has put together a page dedicated to the emerging situation of Kurds in Syria, as a means of gathering the latest news, videos, and blogs about the issue.

[This article first appeared on the Alliance for Kurdish Rights.]