Kurdish group renews attempt to impose curriculum on Assyrian schools in Syria's Gozarto Region

The Kurdish group in control of northeastern Syria, under the name of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has once again demanded that Assyrian schools in the Gozarto region adopt its curriculum.

This latest pressure comes after negotiations between the Kurdish entity and the Syrian Ministry of Education in Damascus failed to reach an agreement. Previous attempts by the PKK-aligned group to impose its curriculum on private schools belonging to the indigenous Assyrian population were met with fierce opposition, forcing the unelected administration to back down.

Assyrians in Syria Protest PYD’s Closure of Schools in Qamishli

On the morning of August 28, 2018, militiamen belonging to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Sutoro, a force affiliated with the Syriac Military Council (MFS) and the Dawronoye, entered private Assyrian schools in Qamishli, Syria and expelled all administrators and teachers. When the school staff refused to turnover keys to the school buildings, the PYD Asayish and Sutoro proceeded to break the existing locks and replace them, declaring the schools were closed. The school year is

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Indoctrination, Historical Revisionism, and Fear of Invalid Diplomas

Assyrians oppose the Kurdish curriculum for several reasons. It contains ideological indoctrination aligned with the group’s Marxist ideology, portraying its leader Abdullah Öcalan as a god-like figure. It also promotes historical revisionism, attempting to rewrite the history of the Assyrian region in favor of a constructed Kurdish narrative. Another concern is that no authorities recognize its self-proclaimed administration, meaning diplomas issued under its curriculum are not recognized by Damascus.

Gozarto – A Diverse Region Under Pressure

The multi-ethnic region, known in Assyrian as Gozarto, was historically majority Assyrian but is today believed to have an Arab majority. Since shortly after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the area has been under the control of the Kurdish PYD party, an offshoot of the PKK. Since taking power, the group has embarked on a two-pronged strategy: it has built a pro-Kurdish system of patronage in Assyrian and other groups, financing alternative civil society organizations to compete with, undermine, and challenge the authority of established groups. The PYD also maintains a private Assyrian militia, created ostensibly to protect Assyrians from outside violence, but which in reality serves to entrench Kurdish influence and control, and deflect accusations of oppression against Assyrians.

At the same time, the Kurdish group has resorted to harsh tactics in response to dissidents in both Kurdish and non-Kurdish communities who challenge its control. Its forces have relied on intimidation, threats, arbitrary arrests, detentions and even targeted killings of leaders to coerce the support of indigenous Assyrians.

19-Year-Old Assyrian Woman Detained by SDF Forces in Northeast Syria

The API is alarmed by reports that Samira Habsono, a 19-year-old Assyrian woman from Qamishli, was detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on August 1, 2022 and falsely accused of espionage for the Syrian Government. In the two weeks since her arrest, no charges or evidence have been presented. She has been held incommunicado and has been denied access to legal counsel. According to family members, Habsono is being held at the SDF-run al-Baytarih women’s prison in the city of Al-Hasakah.

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Despite the well-documented reality on the ground, the Kurdish group has managed to project an image of a progressive experiment in local self-rule by claiming to promote the rights of women and minorities to the outside world.