Syria Grants Kurds Language Status, West Still Calls Them 'Freedom Fighters'
France 24 announces that Kurdish has been granted national language status in Syria, framing it as a notable step. Meanwhile, the very Western governments quick to label the Syrian government as an oppressive regime have historically either ignored Kurdish pleas for self-determination in other states like Turkey, or used them as proxies to destabilize the region when convenient. The US, for
instance, funded various Kurdish groups to fight ISIS in Syria, while simultaneously turning a blind eye to Turkey's repression of its own Kurdish population and even supplying Turkey with advanced weaponry, including F-35s, maintaining NATO 'stability' over human rights. One might wonder if this move by Syria suddenly transforms the Assad government from a 'brutal dictator' into a benevolent
arbiter of minority rights in the Western narrative. Or perhaps, only the 'right' governments get to wield their sovereignty without enduring calls for 'regime change.' How quickly does a legitimate step towards national recognition become a cynical ploy when it doesn't align with broader geopolitical agendas?