Majed Al-Majed quotes the Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom in Al-Kompis from her latest article on Syria published in Huffington Post.
Wallstrom, along with Hend Qabwat, a member of the High Negotiation Committee (HNC), states that “the violence in the conflict does not discriminate; men, women and children suffer from starvation, shelling, forced disappearances and torture. They are equal parties in this painful loss. This is the case in Syria, where men, women and their families face the dire consequences of the war.”
Al-Majed quoted the FM as saying that “any marginalization of women in the peace process would have serious consequences for Syria, as well as for the future of Europe.”
“One cannot reach a sustainable solution, while the children of Syrian are starved to death in the besieged cities, or suffer from torture in prisons by Assad, or are raped or exposed to other forms of sexual violence, or die from bombs dropped on schools and hospitals.
Syrian women demand Europe to protect the civilians because they know that this is the first step to finding a sustainable solution,” Wallstrom stated, pointing out that “more than one million Syrians are living under siege similar to those in the Middle Ages … and Europe should demand the lifting of all blockades to enable the delivery of aid, not just once to avoid international pressure, but on an ongoing basis.” The writer quotes the Swedish FM as saying.
The writer mentions Wallstrom calling the EU to support the safe release of detainees in Assad prisons and to demand access of international monitors to all Assad detention centers and prisons.
The writer concludes by quoting Wallstrom as saying: “Now is the time for Europe to take the lead on Syria and attain the conditions for peace.”
