Syriac Cultural Association condemns Syrian Transitional Minister of Culture Muhammed Saleh’s statement referring to Syriac as an ‘Arabic dialect’

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — Aurelia Gabriel, head of the Syriac Cultural Association in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, strongly condemned recent statements made by Muhammed Saleh, Minister of Culture in the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), in which he claimed that the Syriac language is merely an ancient Arabic dialect.

Speaking to SyriacPress, Gabriel denounced the remarks as a reflection of “blatant ignorance” and a distortion of the identity of an entire people. She emphasized that Syriac is not a dialect but an authentic Semitic language that is thousands of years old. Gabriel highlighted its deep cultural significance, noting that Syriac is the language of a great civilization with its own literature, heritage, and enduring influence on the culture of the Middle East.

Responding further to Saleh’s assertion that the name “Syria” has Arabic origins, Gabriel refuted the claim, explaining that the name is historically tied to the ancient civilizations of the region and bears no connection to modern Arab or Western roots.

Gabriel concluded by expressing the Association’s complete rejection of the Minister’s remarks, calling them a direct insult to the history and identity of the Syriac people. She urged respect for all components of the Syrian population — particularly the indigenous Syriac people — and called for the recognition of their language and culture as an integral part of Syria’s national identity.

Syriac and Arabic

Syriac and Arabic are both Semitic languages with shared linguistic features like root-based morphology, similar grammar structures, and related vocabulary. Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, was a major literary and liturgical language in the Near East before Arabic rose to prominence following the Islamic conquests of the 7th century.

Syriac played a key role in transmitting Greek knowledge to Arabic during the early Islamic period, influencing Arabic scholarship in theology, science, and philosophy.

Although they use different scripts, both writing systems ultimately derive from ancient Aramaic, reflecting their deep historical and cultural connections.

However, despite related origins, the cross-adoption of loan words, and the use of related writing systems, they remain distinct languages.