Anti-imperialism

I was 15 when Britain and USA invaded Iraq in 2003. That was the first time I experienced anger at western governments for imposing their power onto other counties. One million people protested in London to voice their anger at such an invasion yet despite the numbers that protested, Tony Blair continued with invading Iraq and occupying the country for years. I was sceptical that weapons of mass destruction existed at the time yet I was naive to western interests in the region.

I've not read much about life in Iraq under Saddam Hussein though I often heard how much of a brutal dictator he was, that there are many who are glad to see him go though not under the circumstances surrounding his departure. I often wonder now whether Iraq would be experiencing an uprising this year, like that of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria and Yemen if it weren't invaded. If Iraq hadn't been invaded, would more people be protesting in the streets of Syria?

These past few years, I learnt more and more about western colonialism and imperialism. I never fully realised the impact that western countries had on the world. Western countries never had pure intentions but rather they saw the world through hungry eyes.

There was always competition between leading countries (Britain being of course one of them) to be the 'leading superpower', always striving to be bigger and stronger. It doesn't matter which country was stepped on, was trodden on and robbed, along the way, as long as you belong to a leading superpower, all is well. I first noticed (like many do) whilst studying WW1 and 2 during history class. The British at least, were very patriotic and during the world wars there was a lot of British nationalism going around (maybe its purely a result of the the British propaganda); a lot stronger than it is nowadays I feel. There was always a sense of "We are big and mighty in this world" in classes which appears to have produced a fairly small set of ignorant and racist people within society, along the likes of the EDL (English Defence League).

The Balfour Declaration is often overlooked during history lessons even though it was formed around WW1 - a period of time in history which was studied for weeks. Not once was it ever mentioned, despite its effects it caused on the world. The Balfour Declaration was a letter sent from the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour to Walter Rothschild in 1917 allowing Palestine to become a national home for the Jewish people. Bear in mind that this took place prior to WW2 before the massacre of Jews in Europe. The letter stated:

"His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palesine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

The British government at the time hoped that the declaration would rally Jewish opinion to the side of the Allied powers against the central powers during WW1 as well as hope that the settlement in Palestine with a pro-British Jewish population would help protect British interests in ensuring a vital communication in Egypt along the Suez Canal along to India (a colony of Britain at the time). The Balfour Declaration was endorsed and approved by the League of Nations in 1922. In 1939 the British altered its policy in a White Paper stating a limit to immigration numbers; a policy that was very much condemned by Zionists as to them it appeared that the British favoured Arabs. The White Paper recommended that only a further 75,000 would be allowed to immigrate by 1944 after which no further immigration would be allowed unless the Palestinian Arabs consented. Due to the consequent events of WW2, this was overlooked and the state of Israel was formed in 1948. Immigration to Israel is continuing, where there are many illegal settlements taking place. Israel constantly violates international laws yet without any repercussions to their actions. I will at some point dedicate a post to Israel and Palestine in the future, since it's a central issue to all Arabs across the area, though I won't in the foreseeable future as I want to concentrate my time presently on events in Syria.

I've mentioned the Iraq war, though I would also need to mention the war on Afghanistan, which would further highlight my point. The USA (under Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan administrations) funded armed mujahideen in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union during the 1990s only for it to backfire against them in the form of the 9/11 bombings and the Taliban in present day Afghanistan . What lead the Al-Qaeda attacks against western countries (USA, London, Spain, Turkey...) was a form of protest against western desire for imperialism and colonialism. In Al-Qaeda's eyes, Saudi Arabia was occupied by America and were also annoyed by the occupation of Palestine. Remove your presence from every Muslim country and stop interfering in Middle Eastern countries' affairs was and still is Al-Qaeda's demand. Many people see the west's meddling in foreign affairs as the root of all Middle Eastern problems.

More recently I came to learn of how USA overthrew Mossadeq, the Prime Minister of Iran between 1951 and 1953. Mossadeq was democratically elected into power by the Iranian people though in August 1953 at the request of British M16, he was removed from power by a coup. Britain had grown increasingly distressed over Mossadeq's policies and were particularly annoyed over the loss of control of the Iranian oil industry, which resulted in asking America for assistance. Despite initially not complying to British interests, eventually America took up the issue for fears that Mossadeq was, or would become, dependent on the pro-Soviet Tudeh Party at a time of expanding Soviet influence. As a result, the United States and Britain began to publicly denounce  Mossadeq's policies for Iran as harmful to the country. Of course Mossadeq was aware of Britain's issues; he declared Britain as an enemy in October 1952 and subsequently cut all diplomatic ties. Though it appears that it was at this point that British intelligence officials suggested to American intelligence that the prime minister should be ousted. He was succeeded by Fazlollah Zahedi. Mossadeq was imprisoned for three years and subsequently was placed under house arrest until his death.

It's evident from looking through recent history how much power western countries have over the rest of the world. I hope by mentioning the above examples highlights that of course there will be a considerable amount of effort by western countries to meddle in other countries including Syria.

Syria is in a pivotal area of the region. It shares a border with Isreal, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan. It's allied to Hamas, Hizbollah as well as Iran, which pretty much makes Syria despised by U.S and Israel. It's one of the few countries in the area which isn't a U.S. puppet. The release of U.S. cables over the last year reveals that under the Bush administration (up until 2010) funded opposition groups in Syria, hoping that it could bring about change in the country to produce a more compliant Syria.

The main point I wanted to highlight is that despite international interferences in Syria, the current events in Syria are more as a consequence of the Syrian people. Bashar al-Assad whilst in his reign felt that by the only thing that mattered to his supporters was the anti-western stance. Of course Syrians despise the American government and all other western governments though if he really cared about the country and the Syrian people, reforms would have come about on their own from national dialogue that should have already been implemented, not as a result of protests to stop further protests only so he could stay in power. If he didn't genuinely believe that there were true protests, why did he offer concessions to appease those protesters, such as the end of emergency laws, the citizenship of Kurds and amnesties releasing some political detainees? Nobody would offer concessions to criminals, so he was aware that there are genuine protests. If he really does care about the people, why is he trying hard to suppress protests that didn't initially call for him to leave but to reform?

Bashar al-Assad is playing on the conspiracy in order to keep his supporters, because that is the only credible factor he has to keep them supporting him. The possibility of a large scale conspiracy against Syria is small. Let me put it this way. If this is a conspiracy, then wouldn't it have occurred sooner? The American government has been funding some opposition groups for 6 years though what has it achieved? Ask Syrians if they've heard of Bayada TV (the TV channel that opened by an opposition group in Syria, that was funded by the US) and you will get an overwhelming 'no' response. So much for money well spent. The regime does vary who it wants to blame for the conspiracy, ranging from Israel to Saudi to Salafis. I yet to see any evidence behind these claims. For a country so infamous for its intelligence services, you would expect mountains of information in regards to these so-called terrorists and then be able to catch them.

This topic would naturally lead to the issue of foreign intervention in Syria, which is on every Syrian's mind. You're either for or against it. There are increasing calls within Syria for foreign intervention, more along the line of a military intervention or a No-Fly Zone. Only a couple of days ago was there an article suggesting that a military intervention could be in Syria within weeks. If I did support foreign military intervention, I would say now is not the time for it. Though at the moment, I do not support one. I do not support western countries. at whatever time, to come in to rid Assad since I blame western governments for all the bad in the region. I would want us Syrians and us Arabs to fix our own problems, because otherwise more problems would stem out if the western world intervened. At the end of the day, it's not my call, but it's up to those protesting on the streets all over the country, who are being shot at, who are being tortured, who are experiencing the death of loved ones. It's not one person's decision but a collective decision by all those taking part. I feel that eventually, violence is needed to overcome the violence we see. I don't feel that peaceful protests are enough to overthrow the regime, however opposed I am to the use of violence.

Colonialism, imperialism and capitalism are indeed problems in this world and has affected the Middle East as a whole for many years. However, the actual events of Syria in these past 8 months are not to due to conspiracies but because of Syrians wishes for a free future without Assad and his gang. Human rights abuses are undoubtedly occurring in Syria against the people by the regime, with mounting evidence to support it; no one can refute that.

Change for the better

Recently, I've come across a lot of negative comments in regards to the Syrian uprising in relation to the current events and about the opposition so the commenter(s) consequently support the Syrian regime.

The Syrian regime are thugs using barbaric treatments and methods to suppress the country into submission. The Syrian opposition is far from perfect, but in a society where opposition has been outlawed for decades forcing all  'underground' and into exile, how can they expect a great opposition? I wish we had a more organised opposition; we have the SNC and the NNC, we have the Syrian Free Army...how can we have a right answer on how to plan our path to freedom? There will always be different opinions, which should be allowed and there will always be different options but to side with a regime because they don't like a particular opposition is wrong. It's not the case of choosing between one or the other but instead we should be saying no to human rights abuse and that's it!

Another thing lately, is that we're hearing of sectarian violence, that there are certain people who are promoting sectarian violence (killings/rape etc.) against Alawies. I'm not sure how true these reports are, whether these stories are generated by the government to gain support but nonetheless these acts are wrong and shouldn't undermine the efforts of Syrian activists trying to promote freedom and peace. These acts are of course not accepted by anyone at all and are wrong, and we should all condone all acts completely. Such people should be punished, without question. But again why should we accept a brutal regime because of a few (if they exist) that cause trouble? It's not like the regime has caught these people and punished them to actually gain any support.

As a society and a community, we should seek to remove the regime. That's a starting point for our future Syria. They're not the only problems in our society but they do symbolise corruption, a lack of respect towards its people and are a disease to our country. With a true leadership which should hopefully evolve over the next few years, we should strive to improve our community and ultimately our society. We can not improve a country if we can not improve ourselves (but that doesn't mean we accept Bashar and his thugs for the time being; we deserve better). It will be hard but its necessary whilst we improve our country but with a good leadership that will happen and we will obtain leaders over the next years that we will be proud of. We will not get perfect leaders straight away but the aim of this uprising is to rid the country of a brutal dictatorship and allow ourselves a new beginning where we can build up our country from scratch. To build a new constitution and new laws and generate great leaders.

No one is asking to accept the SNC as the next government of Syria for the next 40 years. No-one should stay that long at all. But we should be allowed an opportunity to try to improve the country and to move forwards. Without opportunities how do we improve? We should all stay united and contribute our efforts in order to bring about change for the better.

We are not born knowing everything...we learn to stand before we walk and we learn to walk before we run. Our first step is to remove the Ba'ath party and the steps after that include altering constitutions and laws as well as working on our 'opposition' further. We will get there in baby steps but don't side with a regime because you want it all happen at once; it won't. Bashar al Assad will not give the country its reforms; he speaks of empty promises. Parliament isn't to be inherited within the family and until that is fixed, how can we eliminate corruption from the country?

Doesn't it seem that these people who complain are only people of talk? They never seem to actively engage or help with the uprising in a positive manner, which is a shame.

Since when did silence serve us?

Thousands have disappeared in Syria under the Ba'ath party, in it's 42 year rule, especially since March 15th (though don't be disillusioned to think that many weren't detained prior to the uprising). Among the thousands are men and women, young and old, of various professions, including students. Why? To oppress people into silence; to not question authority or to raise their voice against a brutal regime.

I hope to make a blog post for those who have died, for those who have disappeared and also for those who have been detained, to honour their courage and bravery and also the sacrifices and risks they've taken for a better future for us all. I will never be able to do justice to any of them nor will I be able to cover the vast numbers who have been killed or detained though I do hope you'll bear with me whilst I'll try to cover as many as I can. As I've mentioned, thousands have been detained by the Syrian regime and many more whose whereabouts are unknown. I hope that by sharing individual stories, not only will we be able to honour each and every individual who's sacrificed so much for us, I hope that it will also vocalise a silent majority, who are still too scared to speak up their views; since when did silence serve us?

Yesterday, I wrote about Yaman Al Qadri, an 18 year old dermatology student at Damascus University, who was brutally assaulted and consequently arrested. I hope to continue to highlight the many people who've been detained, tortured and killed.

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Hussein Ghrer, a prominent Syrian blogger, disappeared after leaving his home on 24/10/2011. Circumstances of his arrest, condition and whereabouts are unknown, according to the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression. Days prior to his disappearance, he wrote on his blog: 

"Silence doesn’t serve us after today. We don’t want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words." 

He also writes: “As bloggers, we have nothing but our writing to express a very little part of what hurts us so much. Our hearts ache in front of this monster that´s called corruption, protected by the force of security law, which is above any other law in this country.” 

His blog focuses on news about detained bloggers in Syria (his last post being on he arrest of Syrian blogger Anas Maarawi, who has since been released), the ongoing revolution, and Israel's occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories, as well as other topics. 

Among his last words on his blog were “Note to intelligence and security forces: If you don’t like what I’m saying and you want to arrest me, send me a message and I’ll give you my full address so we can finish this according to your way.” 

Activists have put together a Facebook campaign calling for his release as well as calling for Syrian authorities to disclose information about Hussein Ghrer and release those detained in violation of the law and human rights. Follow the hashtag #FreeHussein on Twitter to follow more recent updates on his disappearance.

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Yaman Al Qadri

On 3rd November 2011, 10 men from the Syrian security forces brutally assaulted an 18-year old girl in front of her classmates at the University of Damascus where she studies dermatology. Her name is Yaman Al Qadri. After being brutally assaulted, she was forcibly taken along with a classmate to an unknown location. Her classmate was released an hour after the arrest but Yaman is still being held incommunicado.

Yaman faces grave danger and is at risk of torture, as the regime has systematically attacked health workers and professionals who are speaking up against repression and helping the injured.

A Facebook page has been set up, providing regular updates and information. Syrians unanimously demand her immediate and unconditional release as well as ask all concerned people to take immediate and urgent action in support of Yaman. You can send a letter to your local Syrian Embassy; a sample letter has been written (see below):


I am writing to urgently demand the IMMEDIATE and UNCONDITIONAL release of 18-year-old medical school student Yaman Al Qadri from arbitrary detention in Syria’s security system.

Yaman al Qadri was brutally beaten by regime security forces at Damascus University and abducted, in violation of all relevant national and international laws, specifically those pertaining to children. She is arbitrarily detained. Arbitrary detention is illegal according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 7. Syria signed this Covenant on 21 April, 1969.

In addition, torture is illegal in Syria, both under international law as well as according to Article 28 (3) of the Syrian Constitution. The Penal Code of Syria stipulates punishment for anyone inflicting torture on a person. Syria’s security system is thus fully responsible for the safety, health and physical and psychological well-being of Yaman al Qadri. I am particularly concerned that she receive the necessary care for any and all injuries she sustained during the brutal attack on her by security forces.

I hold the Syrian government exclusively responsible for the safe return of Yaman al Qadri, and for all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners currently held in Syria’s detention and prison system. All such detainees should be released immediately and without condition.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Events & protests in Syria - 04/11/2011

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Women in the frontline, women in the rear: the revolution in Syria

The following article by Vanessa Ortiz was published in 'Waging Non violence' on 31st October 2011. I thought it was a good article in that it showed that women are every much involved in the Syrian Uprising.

Bits and pieces of information about the growing uprising in Syria are coming our way through mainstream media sources like Al Jazeera. But dig down deep, and you’ll find a revolution with women forging the way, and with a news gap that’s being filled by Syrian expatriate females.

Let’s begin with a little known fact: The youngest known convicted prisoner of conscience in the world is a Syrian citizen. Her name is Tal al-Mallouhi, a young blogger who has been in prison since 2009, when she was 17 years old. Tal’s poetry and political interests and activism chaffed with the authorities. After being held in jail for more than two years, in February 2011, Mallouhi was sentenced to five years in jail after being convicted of spying for the U.S. The case of Tal became part of Syrian consciousness, particularly among women. The idea that young people were increasingly disappearing, often later found tortured or killed, sounded an alarm in villages across Syria.

During a recent conversation with Rafif, a female Syrian expatriate activist living in Northern Virginia, I learned some of the deep grievances that were at the core of decades of citizen activism in Syria. “There is a kind of gang mentality in Syria that goes beyond politics. You either support the government-supported mafias, or you are excluded from ‘inner circles’ that allow you some economic leverage. All major industries, like tourism, mobile communications, and petroleum industries are regime-controlled. In any business, you have to strike a deal with the regime in order to operate without too much government interference,” she explains. “It is a culture of bakhsheesh, meaning tip or bribe. Those who cannot afford to pay off every level of government or businesses are excluded, and therefore don’t benefit economically.”

The case of Mohamed Bouazizi, a young fruit vendor in Tunisia who set himself afire outside a local municipal office and sparked Tunisia’s revolution, resonated for average Syrians who too had been suffering such indignities all their lives. It is a system of total psychological, social and economic repression. For the average Syrian, it is total humiliation—long waits for basic services, bribes each step of the way, and a long chain of corruption. Syrian activism for decades had been around ending this system of corruption, and this unifying theme was slowly shifting.

I am told that Syrians watched the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in awe. Early this year, a few young students aged 8 to 15 years old were emboldened by the unfolding events in the region and wrote graffiti in their school in Dar’a, a poor area south of Damascus. The youngsters were arrested for scrawling the word “freedom” on the school wall. They were beaten and dropped off to their families. As Rafif describes it, “The city went crazy.” Many demonstrations and marches followed as people publicly expressed their outrage at the regime’s tactic to suppress a revolution: the torture of children.

Several weeks later, Hamza al-Khatib, a 13-year-old boy, again from a village in Dar’a, became the symbol of the Syria’s blossoming revolution. He was tortured to death for participating in a demonstration. Dar’a citizens staged massive demonstrations. For so many years, people had been mobilizing around reforming the system, but suddenly the focus shifted to the overthrow of the regime, as was happening in Tunisia and Egypt.

The women of Syria, both young and old, have been courageously leading many protest activities throughout the country. For them, it is personal, and they are deeply invested in the idea of change. In, April in the city of Bayda, nearly every adult male was imprisoned in an attack on the town to repress government opposition. More marches and protests followed.

Women have also been active in funeral processions, traditionally the domain of men. (Women normally mourn at home.) When women began coming out in large numbers, they too became victims of the regime’s violence. And they adapted. Syrian women traditionally do not cover their faces in public, but they are doing so during protests to protect their identities, as are many men. A clever adaptation to the face veil can be seen here, as women use the Syrian flag as a face cover, doubling as protection and a message to a regime that accuses them of being part of a foreign-led regime change plot.

Women, both expats and in the country, are extremely active. Still, protestors on the streets are mostly men. And the aspiring transitional government, the Syrian National Council, are mostly men. Between the protestors and the aspiring government, there is the wide middle wherein lies a huge network of people, many of whom are women. That network is helping document disappearances, deaths, forced detentions and torture. And they are communicating the news to the outside world through technology tools like social media and video posts on YouTube. Women are recording their actions on the ground and sharing that information with Syrian expatriates in London, Paris, Northern Virginia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, New York and New Jersey.

“I didn’t realize how Syrian I was until this uprising began. I am a U.S. citizen by birth and have spent only a few years in Syria, as a child and later as an adult. I was disappointed,” my friend reflects, often with tears welling. “Now I realize that what I hated about my country: it was the system.” Another Syrian expat woman, Mohja Kahf, writes regularly and provides analysis, video and photos of the ongoing revolution—particularly women in resistance. Their work is full of risks. Many Syrians expats who are active in the movement understand that they are being watched by Syrian intelligence agents. Rafif and other Syrian women from around the world translate news and spread it through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They spread awareness globally and also offer information to the insiders on effective civil disobedience.

Rafif explains her motivation to take part in the uprising: “I get to do this while Syrians inside the country are getting shot at. Seven and eight year old children who even speak of freedom are considered enemies of the state. When they take to the streets, it’s like a suicide mission. But they’d rather die than be silent. I look at how these children are being harmed, and I think, ‘that child could be my son or daughter.’ As a mother, a woman, and a human being, how could I not get involved?”

She recognizes that some may see them as supporting the revolution from “9 to 5.” Rafif acknowledges that she gets to go home each night in relative safety. But she is confident that many Syrians on the inside are appreciative of the support from their fellow Syrians on the outside. “We are helping broadcast the revolution and building global awareness,” Rafif explains between tears and determination, gripping her laptop full of first-hand accounts and resources.