Kamal Chomani

Jan 16, 2025 | newlinesmag.com | Kamal Chomani

The sudden collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, an event met with jubilation by most Syrians, has opened up an unprecedented new chapter in the country’s modern history. For the first time in generations, Syrians, whose nation suffocated under nearly six decades of dictatorship, have been given a chance to shape their own destiny and build a new political order with the capacity to represent all the country’s citizens.

Nov 13, 2024 | meforum.org | Kamal Chomani

President-elect Donald Trump’s coming second term leads Kurds in Syria to believe they face an existential threat from Turkey. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan considers Syrian Kurds and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria they run to be an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group Turkey labels terrorists, and the U.S. designates as such. The reality is more complex.

Nov 1, 2024 | meforum.org | Kamal Chomani

On October 20, 2024, after a two-year delay, Kurds went to the polls to elect a new Kurdistan Parliament. The results did not surprise; Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Bafel Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) retained the majority in their respective territories. Despite opposition accusations of fraud, most parties accept the election results. Only one Islamist party refused and instead announced it will boycott the new parliament.

Jun 4, 2024 | kurdishpeace.org | Lisel Hintz |Meghan Bodette |Hoshang Hasan |Kamal Chomani

When we talk about the ‘Kurdish question’ in Turkey, two of the major problems being discussed are authoritarianism and anti-Kurdish racism. Kurdish people face state-sponsored discrimination and violence on the basis of their ethnic identity. They also lack access to meaningful democratic avenues by which to effect political change.

Oct 9, 2023 | kurdishpeace.org | Hoshang Hasan |Matt Broomfield |Kamal Chomani |Helez Abdulaziz

Turkish military escalation throughout areas of North and East Syria held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has caused massive damage to vital infrastructure facilities that were already in dire condition after a decade of war and economic crisis. On October 4th, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that all infrastructure in Northern Syria constituted “legitimate targets” for Turkish forces.