Syria's minorities demand decentralized state and a constitution that guarantees pluralism

HASSAKEH, Syria (AP) — Hundreds of representatives of Syria’s various ethnic and religious groups called Friday for the formation of a decentralized state and the drafting of a new constitution that guarantees religious, cultural and ethnic pluralism.

The declaration came at the conclusion of a one-day conference where some 400 representatives of Syria's ethnic and religious minorities gathered in an attempt to assert the rights of their communities in the country’s evolving political framework following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last December.

The transition is to include elections scheduled for September and the eventual drafting of a constitution — a process that could take years. The post-Assad transition has so far been marred by violence against minorities, raising fear