-
Public anger and protests in Raqqa after appointing one of Assad's most prominent Shabeeha as Director of Education
Raqqa Governorate experienced a rise in popular anger and public protests within educational and social circles in recent hours, following the Ministry of Education’s decision to appoint a new Director of Education and several deputies, including a former candidate for the People's Council during the previous Syrian regime.
In a joint protest statement issued on October 20, the Raqqa Teachers' Union, the Teachers' Syndicate, along with a number of administrative and educational staff and residents of the governorate, strongly rejected the decision, considering it "a moral and societal setback" that conflicts with revolutionary principles and the demands of the transitional phase.
The statement condemned the fact that those appointed are known for their loyalty to the previous Syrian regime, including some who were official candidates for the People's Council. It viewed this as a clear violation of the constitutional declaration and the principles of political distancing, which stipulate rejecting the re-formation of tools of the ousted regime within state institutions.
The protesters also warned that appointing such figures in sensitive sectors like education threatens the course of transitional justice and provides an opportunity to reproduce the tools of the previous regime, especially given the weak reliance on independent and honest national competencies.
The statement denounced the exclusion of qualified scientific professionals from Raqqa in favor of individuals with Baathist backgrounds, considering this a betrayal of the sacrifices of the martyrs and a threat to the awareness of the new generations, which may be exposed to attempts at “educational Baathification” through new methods.
In conclusion, the signatories called for an immediate reversal of the decision and for a review of the mechanisms for educational appointments to ensure transparency and to distance themselves from political favoritism. They warned that silence on such issues could exacerbate waves of anger in Raqqa and other areas of North and East Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights emphasizes the importance of respecting the will of local communities and the necessity for responsible authorities in the education sector to honor the aspirations of the residents in managing their civilian institutions away from the dominance of figures connected to the former regime.
