The Man behind “Syria Revolution 2011” Facebook-Page Speaks Out

Administrator of the “Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook Page” Speaks Out. The official spokesman of the cite lives in Sweden and leads Sweden’s chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood according to the Syrian press. His name is فداء الدين طريف السيد عيسى  Fida’ ad-Din Tariif as-Sayyid `Isa, born 1985. Syria Revolution 2011 is the most important webpage of the Syria revolution. It has over 130,000 members. It is the major source of news and Youtube videos about the Syrian revolution.

An account of how the video was captured and what happened to the Syria Revolution 2011 webpage on Saturday 2011, sent to me by a friend.

On Saturday afternoon, the https://www.facebook.com/Syrian.Revolution suffered a sudden technical glitch. The main content page lost most of its content and its membership read only a few hundred rather than the nearly 138,000 members it had had.  Shortly after chrashing, a video appeared on the site.  In this video, a man – the administrator of the site – is seen angrily lashing out against those he believed had hacked the original Facebook page and taken it down.

Approximately 15 minutes later, a new message was loaded on the page. This message explained how it was an error by Facebook that brought the page down.  Shortly after the original page was restored along with the nearly 138,000 members who have joined.  The video accusing the Syrian authorities of having hacked the site was immediately taken down by the owner.  It has been sent to Syria Comment, which will presumably publish it.  The owner of the site “Syria Revolution 2011” is clearly the same man that was mentioned by Champress a few weeks ago. In that article, it was revealed that the gentleman is based in Sweden and that he belongs to the Moslem Brotherhood.

فداء الدين طريف السيد عيسى من مواليد  عام 1985 ومنظم في جماعة “الاخوان المسلمين” ومدير لمكتبها في السويد ، وهو أحد أعضاء من يدعون اللجنة المؤقتة لإعلان دمشق المدعومة من جهات باتت معروفة بعداءها لـ سوريا

Here is another email about Fida’

All I know is that on March 22nd, Champress got it right when they said that he is the admin of the revolution page. Someone managed to get into his Facebook page and got all the photos in that article. Plus according to Champress:

ويظهر في صفحته الخاصة على الـ (فيس بوك) شعارات “للاخوان المسلمين” و صور تجمعه مع قيادات “للاخوان” في مصر ومحاضرات يلقيها على بعض الشباب في أماكن متفرقة.

وكان فداء بدأ بالظهورعلى بعض الأقنية الفضائية دون الكشف عن صورته ، ويحرص على تقديم نفسه بإسم حركي مختصر من اسمه الكامل ، وعمد بعد أخر ظهور له على قناة الـ بي بي سي والتي ظهر فيها بوجهه الحقيقي الى إزالة كافة صوره الموجودة على صفحته الشخصية.

ولدى الرجوع إلى بعض هذه اللقاءات يظهر فداء في لقاء مع قناة “بردى” الفضائية المعارضة في تاريخ 5 شباط الماضي و يتحدث عن دعواته للتظاهر ويزّل بكلمة “جماعتنا” المشهورة الاستخدام للدلالة على “الاخوان المسلمين” قبل أن يتراجع مخاطباً المذيع بأنه لا يريد أن تظهر الدعوة بأنها من “الجماعة” بل يريدها أن تظهر بأنها عفوية وشبابية لمخاطبة شرائح كبيرة من المجتمع السوري لجرها إلى التظاهر.

Also, on his Facebook profile he had photos of meetings he held with Egyptian brotherhood leaders, he had the logo of the brotherhood, but when he appeared on the BBC and exposed his identity, he removed all previous photos from his profile on FB.

Also, he spoke to Barada TV on Feb 5th and called upon the Syrian people to demonstrate in the streets using “جماعتنا” (which is normally used to imply the Muslim Brotherhood.

I don’t know much more, but I have the administrator’s original (first few weeks’) posts and they were big time ikhwan.

See the attached sample where one Egyptian comment says “Dear administrator: I wish you can reduce the heavy use of religious language, we want to attract the whole spectrum of people”

Also, you can check this Egyptian imam’s video (Fadel Suleiman) that the admin posted proudly

It says “to Syrian Alawites … join us or your children will pay a heavy price from now until eternity”

Other videos of Syrian activists within the country

Activist Encouraging Aleppo to Rise Up

Student of Aleppo University Calling for Revolution

Activists Elsewhere

Exiles Shaping World’s Image of Syria Revolt
Rami Nakhle, a Syrian dissident hiding in Beirut, coordinated coverage of protests in Syria on Friday from his apartment.
By ANTHONY SHADID
Published: April 23, 2011

….Mr. Monajed [A London based activist] estimates that 18 to 20 people are engaged in helping coordinate and cover the protests full time, though he boasts that he can find someone in his broader community to translate English to French at 4 a.m. He has a contact in every Syrian province, who in turn have their networks of 10 people. “And the regime can’t do anything about it,” he said. [Here is Monajed’s website: Syrian Revolution News Round-up]

Ausama Monajed

Several say they relied on Syrian businessmen — abroad or in Syria — to finance one of their most impressive feats. After witnessing the Egyptian  government’s success in shutting down the Internet and mobile phone networks in January, they made a concerted attempt to circumvent a similar move by delivering satellite phones and modems across Syria.

Ammar Abdulhamid, an activist in Maryland, estimated that they delivered 100 satellite phones, along with hundreds of cameras and laptops…. Ammar’s site: Syrian Revolution Digest

Mr. Nakhle said he had urged people to use slogans that are free of the sectarian or religious bent popular with Islamic activists. “We have to worry about these people,” he admitted.

The unprecedented power of the long-distance activists to shape the message troubled Camille Otrakji, a Damascus-born political blogger who lives in Montreal. Where others see coordination, he sees manipulation, arguing that the activists’ mastery of image belies a revolt more sectarian than national, and deaf to the fears of minorities. “I call it deception,” said Mr. Otrakji, a somewhat lonely voice in the Internet tumult. “It’s like putting something on the wrapping of a product which has nothing to do with what’s inside. This is all being manipulated.”

Comments (109)


Mali Majnoon said:

why are you exposing this man? he clearly retracted the video……for good reasons.

April 24th, 2011, 11:55 pm

 

why-discuss said:

An illuminated and angry man…. Very promising indeed, Is he the next prime minister?

April 24th, 2011, 11:56 pm

 

Maryam said:

As sad and angry as I am about the government killing the Syrian people, I am also angry with the protesters. I just remember seeing this picture of a mother carrying her 4 year old child to the protests and all I could think was, why the hell would she endanger the life of her 4 year old daughter by bringing her to these protests? Haven’t they heard of what happened in Hama in the 1980s? Don’t they know that the Syrian government is far worse than anything that the Egyptian government could be? Assad makes Mubarak look like a fuzzy little bunny rabbit. But more than anything, I am angry at those who are leading the protests from abroad. I remember that the Syrian Revolution 2011 page told protesters that they had no excuse to stay home, because the fear barrier had been broken–and this was even after people had died. It upsets me, because these leaders living abroad are not risking their lives, but they’re telling other people to do so. Why? The truth is being manipulated by both sides, but because people don’t realize that revolutionaries have political interests, they blindly do their bidding. V.I. Lenin was a revolutionary. Look what happened.

April 25th, 2011, 12:02 am

 

NK said:

Where is the video where this guy angrily lashed out ?, was it that video ? LOL, does this guy sound angry ? really …

April 25th, 2011, 12:05 am

 

Maha said:

Ofcourse he’s angry! Wouldn’t you be after decades of tyranny? He’s risking his life, fighting for a good cause and all you do is hate. You should help him, not judge them. Remember the ex-Google Exec who led the Egyptian reovolution and how he look.
People are being killed AS WE SPEAK!their a cnn.com breaking news right now oh my God oh my God.

April 25th, 2011, 12:06 am

 

syau said:

He is happily sitting with his laptop, angrily condemning, why doesn’t he go into Syria and protest alongside the brothers he is calling on to continue with the ‘revolution’ and the many deaths to come.

April 25th, 2011, 12:09 am

 

nafdik said:

I think you linked the wrong video, I waited patiently to see

“a man – the administrator of the site – is seen angrily lashing out against those he believed had hacked the original Facebook page and taken it down.”

but none appeared.

April 25th, 2011, 12:14 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

There is a major military operation in Deraa,3000 army personel, with tanks and other military vehicles entered Deraa,this is the major event I talked about it wednesday,expect massacre,arrests.
UN must meet and do something about Assad.

April 25th, 2011, 12:14 am

 

AIG said:

SYAU,

Why are you not in Syria fighting to free the Golan?
Why is it so much easier for your idol Bashar, to fire at his own people than at Israel? I guess you only fire at people that don’t shoot back.

April 25th, 2011, 12:14 am

 

nafdik said:

Bashar new motto:

اليوم نأخذ درعا و غداً الجولان

April 25th, 2011, 12:16 am

 

A Syrian Youth said:

Something off about that group was evident from the first time I saw it after an invitation to join through a friend. I read over the content, when there were still very few videos of very small demonstrations here and there. I saw a strong “religious” tone/rhetoric, so I decided not join the group, as it did not speak to me in any way. I personally cannot handle more than one religious phrase in a paragraph. Over that! for that matter the rhetoric used does not represent the ambitions of the youth there. While it DOES show the atrocities being committed by the Syrian security forces along with the revolution’s high-jackers such as the Muslim brothers and “Salafeen” group, it lacked two very important aspects. The first being a lack of an international feel that would speak to an international audience. The Egyptian Facebook groups were much more effective in that regard. The second issue was that it lacked a sense of unity. It spoke mainly to the “bearded” guys (in my opinion). It is not secular, not worldly, not international. Then again, it happens to be a source of information conveying the picture on the ground far away from the circus being shown on the sorry Syrian television.

April 25th, 2011, 12:17 am

 

aqoul said:

So, Syrian mukhabarat blew up the cover of a spokesman of the revolution facebook.

What is the big deal?

How can we dismiss what happened over the last month as manipulation?

And the spokesman turns out to be Muslim Brother. Again, what is the big deal?

Given all the above, the current conditions say one thing and only one thing. There is a wide spread acceptance for such message by the people inside Syria reflecting a firm desire for toppling the regime.

On with the revolution and look not back to barking and desperate mukhabarat.

The regime is teetering and will fall in a blink of an eye.

April 25th, 2011, 12:17 am

 

Mohamed kanj said:

I have been reading your blogs along with the hundreds of friends who are interested I’n your comments. One thing we have noticed recently mr landis, is that you have not been showing the other side of the revolution. Why are you not posting the numerous victims of this “so called revolution”, the martyrs from the Syrian army and police. Why are you not posting the damage done to government budding and property. Why don’t u mention the sticks, rocks, steel bars, the fake videos that have been shown on the Internet with syrians throwing red dye on themselves to make it seem as they have been shot? I think you have been following al jazeera’s lead lately, I’n falsifying the real truth and hidden agenda behind all this. Why didn’t u mention the 5 Syrian army soldiers that were murdered I’n cold blood I’n nawra-darra yesterday? is their only one side to your revolution ?.

April 25th, 2011, 12:19 am

 

Adonis said:

this isnt anything new, he already made several tv appearance on bbc and france24 speaking as spokesman for the page and posted these interviews

April 25th, 2011, 12:22 am

 

syau said:

Aig,

There is not “fighting to free the Golan” at the moment.
Contrary to your beliefs, the demonstrators or armed gangs are firing, there is proof that money and firearms were smuggled in. They have firearms and plenty of it.

On the other hand, a perfect example of someone firing at those who do not shoot back is Israel. They fight sticks with machine guns, stones with missiles, uprises with bombs.

April 25th, 2011, 12:31 am

 

malaouna said:

Josh, have you seen this khutba?

April 25th, 2011, 12:32 am

 

Karim said:

Tech-savvy syrian taliban! … Well to be honest I had been following their Facebook page since the beginning, and those who were not blinded by the purpose had been seeing clearly the religious tone lying beneath!
On another hand , with Moslem brotherhood and salafis in Egypt and Syria! I guess Israel will finally enjoy the new Middle-East they sought for a long time!

April 25th, 2011, 12:36 am

 

suri-amreki said:

The Syrian Regime new motto: “The road to Jerusalem goes through Dar3a!” Shame on the regime who kills his own people!!!

April 25th, 2011, 12:42 am

 

Sophia said:

First video: The guy talks a lot about the blood of martyrs, people who are sent to be killed on the streets of Syria. This is the same logic as 9/11 suicide bombers…

Why is is not possible to make a peaceful revolution in Syria? Because these ‘revolutionaries’ are in a logic of confrontation and not in a logic of reform…

April 25th, 2011, 12:58 am

 

Souri said:

Well, it was obvious to many Syrians since day 1 who is behind the page. The language one uses can easily reveal his cultural background. The language of that page was obviously Islamist despite the effort to conceal that.

There is almost no Syrian who does not understand what is going on in Syria. People will lie in front of the camera and on the internet, but in reality EVERYBODY knows what is going on.

The MB in the 1980’s used to fiercely deny that they were targeting Alawis and they accused the regime of doing that. What is the different now? Dr. Landis do you watch Syrian TV? There are Alawis assassinated everyday. Christians are being threatened and harassed. The Islamists have called for jihad in different cities. We are in a sectarian war already. I don’t know what world the foreign media lives in.

April 25th, 2011, 1:02 am

 

Maha said:

People,what ever you say there is no one like them in the history of the world and no one on earth can change their titlle(dictators).

April 25th, 2011, 1:07 am

 

syau said:

For those who are continuing to insinuate that the Syrian government are putting the fears of sectarianism into the minds of the people, the “sheikh” Fadel Suleiman seems to know otherwise. Stating if the Alawi will not join their cause, “your children will pay the price until eternity” is not sectarian?

A religious leader is supposed to promote harmony amongst people, not state heavy prices will be paid “to eternity” if certain sects do not join them.

The MB rears it’s ugly head again.

April 25th, 2011, 1:08 am

 

Alex said:

Aqoul

I have no problem if they stick to their real character. When they started, their language was clearly Salafi/Brotherhood. The videos their admin used to proudly post were by religious fanatics like this man:
http://youtu.be/nN5MnL9lxHc

So, the admin was proud of an Egyptian ikhwan figure interfering in Syrian affairs .. including threatening Alawites to either join the revolution or “their children will pay until eternity”

How patriotic … and how genuine that Mr. Nakhle said he had urged people to use slogans that are free of the sectarian or religious bent popular with Islamic activists. “We have to worry about these people,” he admitted.”

This is deception and manipulation.

Of course there are many many Syrians who are very religious and they will still be happy to led by this gentleman. But the rest of us need to know.

April 25th, 2011, 1:10 am

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

This clip is very good. Everyone who wants to understand the reasons behind the uprising must watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2dqRmXnmwg&feature=player_embedded#at=14

There are countless similr videos on the internet, but this one comes from Deraa on Great Friday. These are the protesters in the mosque before they went out demanding freedom.

April 25th, 2011, 1:52 am

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

BTW, Atif Najib who is hated the most by the Wahhabis in Deraa is Sunni, not Alawi.

April 25th, 2011, 1:55 am

 

NK said:

Our brave soldiers started operation “Liberate Jerusalem starting with Daraa”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyuGaO2I0lE&feature=player_embedded

Souri333

This video was on the internet for at least 3 weeks now, it was definitely not shot on Great Friday.

April 25th, 2011, 2:02 am

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

I just want to clarify something to the foreigners who will listen to the clip. I am 100% sure that the Druze women who went to Deraa were wearing very conservative clothing, but the Islamists are known for being sexually obsessed and when they see a woman not wearing the Islamic covering and the headscarf they imagine her to be naked. The Islamists often accuse respectful and conservative women of being whores, and this does not mean anything. Syrians in general are socially conservative and the Druze are no exception.

NK,

If this is what they were saying 3 weeks ago, imagine what they were saying on Great Friday!

April 25th, 2011, 2:14 am

 

Moe said:

My family lives in Dahia which was a war zone last night between the army and the peaceful armed demonstrators who wanted to take over army ammunition stations. It is not safe anymore and I’m flying them on the next plane to where I live. I hope the people who sit at cafes and in bed abroad giving us lessons about freedom and asking to destroy the country to go to syria and die and then rot in hell.

April 25th, 2011, 2:19 am

 
 

Off the Wall said:

SYRIAN YOUTH

Thanks for a well thought honest assessment I largely share your assessment.

A view :

The differences between the Egyptian pages and Syrian Pages are worrisome because they tell us more about the lack of political culture in Syria than about the fact that they have Islamist tone. Wael Ghunaim may have been the administrator of the Egyptian main page, but in the back, the movers and drivers of the page’s message, coordination, proposals, and action plans was the April 6 youth and their wide network of well organized reasonably cosmopolitan peaceful political action group. This culture was built over years of hard work and was able to leverage, to the maximum possible level, the narrow margin of political freedoms that were available to Egyptians prior to the revolution. Its members were frequently arrested but they were still able to establish a network of descent that was well coordinated and capable of learning and imparting methods of peaceful activism. That said, there were still salafi statements, sectarian postings, and rather hostile (albeit never as vulgar) regime supporting posters on the pages of the Egyptian revolution. But overall, it was a collective work that was steered (our dear Alex would call it manipulated) by young Egyptians who are in tune with the political street of their country, which even then enjoyed a variety of political parties and civil society organizations, as well as labor syndicates that were fighting fiercely for independence from the ruling party and its cronies.

In Syria, on the other hand, repression of political descent has been legendary. And there has been no reality of political work and no political street to tune in to, no tools, and no tolerance for any message deviating from the party line and little of non-existent grass root collective work other than through the regime’s own Stalinist youth organizations that are simply an extension of the party and a nursery for political thuggery and opportunism not to mention as tentacles of security agencies so that Syrians as young as 13 or 14 years old people can be observed and followed and development of any contrary point is intimidated out of their skulls. It is rather obvious to me that that people like Mr. Nakhleh are more of educators than manipulators. His attempt to moderate the tone is not to hide the true nature of participants, but to allow voices that are more representatives of the politically castrated Syrian street to re-emerge and form alternative dialog. The problem is that there is no grass root movement on the ground to support that. And the regime response, from day one has been very clear. Peaceful or not, they are unwilling to tolerate any challenge to the very narrow ruling elite and they are willing to use every available violent means to repress any minor challenge and to maintain Syrians in this sad drugged state where there is only one message of illogical adoration.

While the current president is not directly responsible for the comatose state of political life in Syria, his inexplicable procrastination is responsible for maintaining it and reinforcing the cult personality as a substitute for politics. Regardless of the causes of his procrastination, and of whether it was a respons to external threats or internal divisions in the ruling family and its alliances (face it, Syria has a ruling family), the results are catastrophic. His failure to recognize that the 21st century is not going to be a continuation of past century is a mistake the price of which is being paid in blood in the streets of Syrian cities. It is clear, with the latest and ongoing onslaught against Daraa, Jableh, and who knows what community is next, that the regime is going for the nuclear option to halt history. Souri should be proud, they are implementing his calls to the letter. It is no longer in the hand of Facebook activists, it is in no ones hand, for anyone who think that violence can be calibrated is a fool.

There is no turning back. And all of these dreaming youth praying for the return of peace where they can enhjoy smoking their water pipes and pretend that they are talking politics are fools. Things are now in the hand of the street, a street that has no unifying message, and has no political culture, no understanding of collective work, and little or no knowledge of compromise. If you are a believer, pray as hard as you can for the lives lost, and for those that will be lost. A street that has so far shown a great deal of restraint despite of its lack of political understanding, but would that restraint last long in the face of brutality and murder. I doubt that.

In a week or so, ICJ is likely to take the Syrian regime to task. I would say Congratulation to the security-minded control freaks of Syria, you have internationalized the Syrian Crisis. Now you can really use your media to talk about real external pressures. It is no lonfer about an incident here or there, it is about a small group of people who want to stay in power not for the sake of secular Syria, but for feer of what will happen to them if they lost power. Having blood on their hands will make them irrational and murderous.

One little thought, some of the regime mouthpieces are now talking about the role of the presidency not the president. I don’t know if it has any meaning, but could it be a sign of things to come?…. May be there is a need to start learning a new phrase …..

April 25th, 2011, 2:50 am

 

NK said:

http://www.elaph.com/Web/news/2011/4/649513.html

أكد أنّ عائلات مقربة من النظام تستعد للخروج من دمشق
معارض سوري: الطائفة العلوية لن تقبل باعادة “مجازر” التاريخ
بهية مارديني

GMT 1:30:00 2011 الإثنين 25 أبريل

اعتبر المعارض السوري وحيد صقر رئيس تحرير موقع “شفاف الشام” في لقاء خاص مع “إيلاف” أن الشعب السوري لم يكن في يوم من أيام تاريخه الطويل طائفياً، مؤكدا أن العشائر العلوية أوضحت موقفها من النظام “معلنة براءتها من جرائم نظام الأسد”.

القاهرة: قال المعارض السوري وحيد صقر رئيس تحرير موقع “شفاف الشام” إن هناك بعض العوائل المقربة من النظام السوري بحماية شيخ إحدى العشائر العلوية تتحضر للخروج من سوريا ورفع الغطاء عن النظام، لافتا الى أنه اذا واجهت الطائفة العلوية أي تهديدات فهذا من صنيعة النظام، معلنا ان ما حصل في سوريا يمكن تسميته “مجازر إبادة جماعية” وعلى الشعب السوري العمل على جمع المعلومات وتوثيقها للوصول الى محكمة الجنايات الدولية، مشيرا من جانب آخر الى أنباء عن أن الخلافات السورية القطرية تعود إلى خلافات مالية وتجارية.

هل هناك تهديد للطائفة العلوية في سوريا برأيك؟ ولماذا؟

بالطبع إن كان هناك أي تهديد فهو من صنيعة النظام والأسرة التي استخدمت الطائفة كوقود للوصول الى السلطة وبعد المجازر المتعددة التي قام بها نظام حافظ الاسد وشقيقه رفعت الاسد في الثمانينات ابتداء من مجزرة تدمر الى مجزرة حماه الى مجازر جسر الشغور وحلب وغيرها. كل هذه الاحداث ولدت تراكمات تسبب بها النظام وزج الطائفة كلها بخلافات هو الوحيد الذي كان المستفيد منها حافظ الأسد ومن بعده بشار لن يتغير شيء من حيث النهج. لكن ما يحدث الآن من أحداث دامية في سوريا واختراع النظام كذبة السلفيّين والمندسيّن والكاميرا الخفية وصولا الى محاولته زج الطائفة برمتها في صراع واقتتال طائفيّ لا علاقة للطائفه به.

أنا لا أنكر هناك حوالي 20% من الطائفه العلوية يستفيدون من النظام وهم يدافعون ليس عن بشار ونظامه فحسب بل يدافعون عن مكتسباتهم ومصالحهم. لكنني شخصيا أحمّلهم مسؤولية الاستمرار في اعطاء هذا الغطاء للنظام وهم سبب من أسباب التهديد التي قد يواجه الطائفة ككل. لكن أنا أعوّل على وعي مجتمعنا الذي أصبح يعي تماما أنّ النظام لا يعني الطائفه العلويّة كلها.

الطائفة العلوية مكونة من عدة عشائر وقد استطاع حافظ الأسد الضغط على رؤوس هذه العشائر بطريقة أو بأخرى بالترغيب والترهيب للحصول على ولائهم، بينما تفتقر القرى والبلدات التي تسكنها العشائر الغير الموالية إلى الخدمات كافة.

برأيك هل الشعب السوري طائفي؟

لم يكن الشعب السوري في يوم من أيام تاريخه الطويل طائفياً ونلاخظ، وقبل وصول نظام الأسد الأب والابن إلى سدة السلطة حتى في القرى البعيدة عن مراكز المدن كان يعيش ويتعايش أبناء العلويين والسنة والمسيحيين في مجتمع واحد تجمع بينه وحدة العيش المشترك كأبناء قرية واحدة يحتفلون بأعيادهم ويتشاركون فيها دون أية حساسيات طائفية بل يتزاوجون ويزوجون فيما بينهم وهناك الكثير الكثير من الأمثلة.

وهذا ما يكذّب إدعاءات النظام أنه يوجد هناك حقد طائفي. فعلى سبيل المثال لا الحصر مدينة الحفة ومدينة صلنفة وقراهم لا تستطيع تفريق العائلات الواحدة فقد يكون هناك أخان واحد علوي والثاني ُسني من أب تزوجته الأم بعد وفاة الأول. وزواج بشار الأسد من سنّية (أسماء الأخرس) هو دلالة قاطعة على المناخ الطائفي الجيد والسليم في سوريا.

هل باعتقادك ان هناك إمتيازات قدّمت لك أو لغيرك كابن من أبناء الطائفة؟

الإمتيازات ُتقدّم لمن يوالي بالمطلق إن كان من الطائفة أو من غير الطائفة لكن النظام الأسدي منذ أربعة عقود يحرص أن يكون المقرب منه من يوافقه فقط دون سؤال، أي بمعنى اخر من يطأطأ له الرأس إلى أن تنتهي الغاية منه يتم استبعاده.

النظام الحالي يعيد التاريخ رفعت الاسد وحافظ الاسد قتلا أكثر من خمسين ألف شخص، وها هو بشار وماهر يعيدان ذكرى مجازر الأب والعم فما حصل في درعا وحمص وبانياس واللاذقية ودوما يمكن تسميته مجازر إبادة جماعية وعلى الشعب السوري العمل على جمع المعلومات وتوثيقها للوصول الى محكمة الجنايات الدولية وهذا سيحصل.

النظام لم يفهم أن العالم قد تغير، و لن يستطيع أن يعيدنا الى الثمانينات ولن نقبل به أن يستمر ونحن من الطائفه العلوية يهمنا من سيكون البديل المهم أن يكون يخاف على سوريا وعلى كل السوريين ولن نقبل بمن يطرحون أنفسهم ليركبوا موجة الثورة السورية امثال ريبال الأسد الذي ينظر لنا نفسه أنه يمد الثوار وهو متواجد في طرابلس ويدخل سوريا دائما بشكل غير رسمي ليزرع الفتنة طامحا لدور لن نسمح له به، الثورة ملك للشباب اللذين ضحوا بأنفسهم من أجلها وليس لا ستبدال طربوش بطربوش اخر، باختصار الطائفة العلوية لن تقبل بأي أحد من تلك العائلة أن يكون له دور مستقبلي في سوريا نريد دماء جديدة وشرفاء محبين للوطن.

لماذا تحاول السلطات السورية اللعب على ورقة الطائفية؟

من الواضح أن النظام يؤمن بالمقولة الاستعمارية: فرق تسد وقد طبقها بقسوة وبكل جور. فحافظ الأسد كان يعلم تماماً أن حزب البعث الذي يضعه كواجهة سياسيّة للحكم هو حزب مفلس فكرياً وعقائدياً ويؤمن بأفكار غير قابلة للتطبيق وقصيرة النظر، لهذا كان يضع الطائفية التي تحارب مراكز القوى السياسية والديمقراطية على المدى الطويل وتخدمه في استغلال ثروات الوطن أكثر بحسب البروبوغاندا التي يتبعها في تقوية ودعم التيار الطفيلي في المجتمع وقسم المجتمع إلى طبقتين اجتماعيتين تتباعد المسافة بينهما بسرعة الصاروخ فطبقة تزداد غنى وطبقة تسقط باستمرار في عمق الهاوية. ويتكون من الطبقتين كل أبناء الطوائف لا على التعيين، ومن هنا فقد وقع الجور على كل الطوائف بغية اضعاف أبناء الوطن وإبقاء حكم الأسد إلى الأبد.

ما رأيك ببيان العشائر العلوية؟

كانت لنا بعد الاتصالات مع أهلنا في الداخل. وتم توضيح موقفهم من النظام، وبعد اجتماع بعض شيوخ العشائر تم تكليفي بتبني بيان أربعة عشائر من الطائفة وإعلان براءتهم من جرائم نظام الأسد لأنهم توصلوا الى قناعة أن النظام استخدمهم وقود لفترة عقود مضت ومنذ توريث بشار بدأت حالة من تمزيق للطائفة العلوية بشكل كلي وللعائلة الأسدية بشكل خاص لا تتصوري أبدا أن كل العائلة الأسدية مع نظام بشار.

أنا أجزم ومن خلال تواصلي مع الداخل هناك ناهيك عن العشائر التي تبرأت من النظام، هذا البيان لقى الكثير من ردود الافعال الإيجابية وأحمد الله ان البيان كان بتاريخ في الثامن والعشرين من شهر فيراير لعام 2011- وهذا يعني أن البيان قبل إندلاع الثورة في سوريا بقرابة ثلاثة أسابيع وهذا ما جعل منه مصداقية عالية للرأي العام.

وأتى البيان بناء على طلب من السادة رؤساء العشائر الذين وقعوا عليه. وهذا إن دل على شيء فهو يدل على أن رؤساء هذه العشائر يشعرون بمدى الخطورة والإدانة التي ستلحق بالطائفة حين سقوط النظام من ناحيةن وبيان موقف هذه الطائفة أنها لم تكن يوما ظهيراً بشكل أو بآخر لنظام بيت الأسد ونظامهم الفاشي. إن بيان العشائر العلوية هو قمة الوعي عند الموقعين عليه.

سمعنا أن هناك عائلات مقربة من النظام تتحضر للسفر ولخلع الغطاء عن النظام ما رأيك وهل هناك أخبار لديك؟

بالطبع تكلم معي شيوخ احدى العشائر التي كانت قد وقعت على البيان، وأكد لي أن هناك بعض العوائل والاشخاص المقربين من النظام والذي كانوا محسوبين عليه أنهم الان بحماية شيخ هذه العشيرة وفعلا هم ومجموعة أخرى تتحضر للخروج ورفع الغطاء عن هذا النظام، وهذا يعطينا دلالة ان النظام فقد العقلانية ووصل الى حد من عدم التوازن في اتخاذه للقرارات الدموية التي سقطت فيها اضعاف الارقام التي اعلن عنها عبر وسائل الاعلام. ومن هنا أقولها بكل تأكيد العائلة التي حكمت سوريا لعبت دوراً في تهميش الطائفه بإستثناء بعض الأسماء التي كانت داعمة للنظام لكن أنا أعلم جيدا أن بشار وماهر وحافظ مخلوف ورامي وتحديدا بشرى الأسد وآصف شوكت لعبوا دورا كبيرا في شق صف العائلة الأسدية. ومن ثم اتجهوا لشق لحمة الطائفة وصولا الى تفكيك المجتمع السوري برمته وهذا ما أدى الى هذه الانشقاقات.

برأيك هل هناك خلاف قطري سوري وما أسبابه؟

بالطبع يسوق السوريون وعبر وسائلهم المتنوعة الهجوم اللاذع على قطر وعلى قناة الجزيرة وربما بات قريباً جدا الكشف عن الخلافات التي هناك أقاويل حولها بالتحديد حول ما يخص خلافات مالية وتجارية اضافة الى الإنتقاد السوري لقطر وطلبها اعتذار من الشيخ يوسف القرضاوي لما جاء في دعمه للشعب السوري، وأنا أرى ان ما قاله السيد القرضاوي صحيح وأن بشار الأسد سيذهب قريبا لكن لا ندري أين وجهته ستكون، لكني أجزم ان العقلانية والحنكة السياسية التي تتعامل بها قطر مع شعبها يحتاج نظام دمشق الى قرون لمجاراتها.

April 25th, 2011, 3:07 am

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

Unlike Ben Ali, Mubarak, Qaddafi, and Ali Salih, Assad is going to stay in power.

Many superficial observers who are sitting in America and Europe and have been hammering us with their shallow and simplistic theories expected Assad to fall, but he did not.

Assad knows his country better than any of those kids (you are really a kid when you provide theories for a country that you don’t live in and obviously have no clue about). Assad will do reform in a pace and style that suits Syria. We want to reform the country, not destroy it. Assad’s first speech was very clear for those who want to understand. My advice to all those boys who are sending theories to us via email from America is to listen to Assad’s speech carefully and try to understand something from it. If you don’t WANT to understand, you will never understand.

As for the ICJ, soak it and drink its water.

April 25th, 2011, 3:25 am

 

Alex said:

Dear OTW

You said: “It is rather obvious to me that that people like Mr. Nakhleh are more of educators than manipulators. His attempt to moderate the tone is not to hide the true nature of participants”

I’m afraid I will insist on describing their work as manipulation.

We really do not expect a Salafi gentleman to be “educated” by a Mr. Nakhleh in a week or two … It takes a bit more than Mr. Nakhleh’s monitoring to change religious ideologues mentality. You can only educate him on how to deceive people into thinking his page is a liberal page that calls for “freedom” …

Let me explain: When the admin posts that Egyptian’s video message that included a threat to Alawites to choose the revolution or else their Children will pay a heavy price … isn’t it a serious manipulation to try later to “educate” the admin to mention “Our Alawite brothers” in his newer messages?

It is obvious what the man thinks of Alawites if he did not feel offended when he chose to post the Egyptian’s video message/threat

Besides, when we say that Mr. Nakhleh is “educating” the religious gentleman, there is some implied superiority in that direction … But we know the outcome when secular revolutionaries work with religious-fundamentalist revolutionaries in the Middle East …

April 25th, 2011, 3:55 am

 

Mina said:

Listened to a report on Deraa today with an interview of a US-Syrian cyber activist who had spoken to someone there earlier and had to admit with embarassement that he did through a satellite telephone, since all communications are now cut in Deraa.
This history of how 5 percent of Leftish I-Phoned brainwashed illiterate got into a Salafi uprising will be written one day, but these guys read no book obviously and I wonder how they will learn from previous experience.
Coming back to Ammar, who was interviewed a few days ago by Joshua Landis, he seems to be reciting the neo-con agenda including the role of churches and communities as the natural chiefs. He simply never mentions the people supposed to demonstrate for him except by their communautarian denomination (Sunnis, Shiis, Druzes, Christians…)

April 25th, 2011, 3:57 am

 

syau said:

Three Tartous residents who travelled to Damascus to sell fruit in Soo2 Ahal, were murdered by the so called ‘peaceful protesters’ or ‘freedom fighters’ or whatever new peaceful name they call themselve today.

Their bodies were mutilated, which seems to be the norm with the way these ‘peaceful protesters’ are behaving. The coroners findings was that other that being mutilated, they were stabbed numerous times and their bodies sprayed with bullets.

May god rest their souls in peace.

As unfortunate as it sounds, these men dont get any recognition from the anti regime people here or dont seem to deserve Al Fatiha by revlon. But then again, that would possibly be because they probably are not affiliated with the Syrian revolution.
They were innocent men who are not officers of any sort, they were farmers.

April 25th, 2011, 3:57 am

 

Mina said:

After watching the video of Fida I am so appaled how that guy seems so nervous about his Facebook page but nothing else. He looks like a 4 year old kid which had a toy broken. This generation lives in a virtual reality. I think it is urgent for governements to consider that at the age of 18 people should have to chose only one passport, because it is not possible to be taking part in the politics of two countries.

April 25th, 2011, 4:05 am

 

alien in terrorland said:

Wave of enforced disappearances in Syria

At least 221 Syrians have gone missing in past three days of the violent crackdown, a rights group says.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011424201513361740.html

At least 221 Syrians have gone missing in the past three days of the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests, said Insan, a Syrian human rights organisation, with many feared forcibly disappeared.

Working with a team of human rights researchers inside Syria, Insan said it had documented the names of 221 Syrians missing since the early hours of Friday morning, none of whom the authorities had acknowledged holding in detention.

“We are not counting people who we know have been detained. We are strictly talking here about people whose families do not know if they are dead or alive. People who have disappeared,” said Wissam Tarif, executive director of Insan.

The rights group and its network inside Syria had spoken to close family members of all 221 missing persons, said Tarif, and while some had yet to make contact with the security services, most families had been told by authorities that their relative was not being held.

‘Abused, beaten, detained’

“Family members have been shouted at, abused, beaten and even detained when asking at political security branches for the whereabouts of their relatives,” said Tarif.

Under the terms of an international treaty, enforced disappearance is defined as the arrest, detention or abduction of a person by the state or agents of the state followed by the refusal of authorities to acknowledge the whereabouts of the missing person, thus placing them outside the protection of the law.

Enforced disappearance is a crime against international law, according to Amnesty International, the London-based human rights watchdog.

“The circumstances of each disappearance vary,” said Insan. “Many were kidnapped from the streets after or during anti-government demonstrations. Others were kidnapped from the streets of their neighborhoods by security forces or by members of the recently established local Baath Party community watch.”

According to Insan, Wissam Araji, one of the disappeared, was last seen late Thursday night in Duma, the town close by Damascus that has become a focus for protests and where nine people were killed on Friday.

“We do not know where Wissam is. I am scared for his life and scared that security comes and raids our house and takes me or any other family member,” said Alaa Araji, Wissam’s brother.

Click for comprehensive coverage on the unrest

“Since Wissam disappeared my mother did not stop crying and my Dad does not know what to do. His disappearance has paralysed us.”

Abdel Aziz Kamal al-Rihawi, an 18-year-old Syrian, was last seen on Friday afternoon in Harasta, a town in the Damascus countryside where three people were killed on Friday.

A relative told Insan Rihawi had contacted him by phone, saying, “They are shooting at everyone. I will go home as soon as we can get out of here” That was the last time family heard anything from him.

“We expect that some of the people on the list are dead. We know there are bodies being held in Tishreen military hospital and in the military hospital in Aleppo,” said Tarif of Insan.

The majority of the missing people disappeared during the wave of protests across towns nearby the capital and its suburbs, while some 68 people went missing in the central city of Homs alone. A further 41 people have disappeared from Daraa and its surrounding villages.

In a meeting last month the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance discussed the case of thousands of Syrians who vanished during the rule of late Syrian president, Hafez al-Assad.

In a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, Radwan Ziadeh, head of the Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies, put the number of Syrians who disappeared between 1980 and 1987 at some 17,000

April 25th, 2011, 4:07 am

 

syau said:

Mina,

Good observation, the organisers of the movement against Syria are all living abroad. It seems so easy for them to promote the revolution for reforms that they admittedly do not care about anymore (they didnt to begin with, it was just a means to an ends)

They are calling on people to be courageous and demonstrate, when they know full well that includes violence. I wonder if they would send their children to fight for the cause. I doubt they have family living in Syria to worry about, and, most of the religious leaders inciting this hate amongst sects and trying to turn it into something it is not are not Syrian.

April 25th, 2011, 4:18 am

 

Mina said:

Those who will write the history of this manipulated uprising will probably have to say something on the failed “war on terror” which resulted in producing more Salafists by prosecuting innocents and allowing Saudi channels to promote hatred all other the world.
This article today of the Guardian has enough to say on people denied basic rights, spied on, etc. but this is a world that does not seem to be known to the Twitter one click revolutionaries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/25/guantanamo-files-lift-lid-prison
Their world is like the one depicted in newspapers and films: either super good or axis of evil.

April 25th, 2011, 4:53 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Souri333

Funny you say that you do not want to destroy Syria when your side is shooting tank shells. Your car seem to traverse the country rather rapidly over the past few days, just be careful of stray shells and bullet. You have been an advocate of violent suppression from day one. So enjoy the show. Sadly, I do agree with your argument more than you think. I believe that in the short term the regime will wither this crisis, and I also strongly agree that I know much less of Syria to make a well informed judgement. I look for informed people, including yourself, to get the broad outlines of what is going on. But you would have hard time convincing me that there was anything similar to a political life in Syria.

I will make sure to print a copy of the ICJ decision on inkjet not laserjet so that I can drink the water, may be I will see the light. Kidding aside, I am not counting on International Interference in Syria, and I will be one of those who would fiercely resist any interference. But i have hard time believing that reforms, trade, and opportunities will be out there without the goodwill of the international community, which would be near impossible when key figures in any government are wanted by the International court. We fought very hard against the charade of Harir court, only for the regime to give the adversaries of the Syrian nation a legitimate reason to isolate and break Syria’s back. Would the president be able to travel on his tours and visit Ankara, who will be bound to arrest him and his senior officials, or would Damascus see a flock of foreign dignitaries visiting him to engage him. He is in a bind, the only way they will tolerate the regime would be if it capitulates completely in the negotiation with Israel, and thus hammering the nail into the coffin of the regime’s legitimacy inside Syria, and among its remaining supporters in the Arab Street. Had the regime opted to engage Syrians and to announce the formation of a national council for dialog, things would have been different now. But It is incapable, as a totalitarian regime of taking such a radical action.

I was one of those who supported Bashar despite of my objection to the comedy of his ascension to the presidency. Many more like me wrote countless posts here and elsewhere defending his stance and hoped that he will not belie us. Until recently, there was hope against all signs that he will unite the country towards progress and will open up political life in a stepwise manners that will ensure a smooth transition to power sharing and to democratic, respectful society. This hope has been dashed.

As for his knowledge of his country, it took less than two months between boasting toe WSJ of his is closeness to the vibes of his people and him sending tanks to reinforce that self deceptive harmony.

You have recently argued that Aleppo is more mature than other cities and that is why it has not joint the uprising. And while i would reemphasize your comment that I do not know the country as well, which makes anything I say less credible, I have reasons to believe that Aleppo is under incredible strain, so is Damascus, a strain that will only amplify with the recent military operations.

The regime in the end will have only die-hards as supporters and many of those are like you and me, armchair analysts who are unlikely and unwilling to carry and use weapons. The difference between you and me is that I am against violence by all sides, and I see it as a threat to the stability and the future of any country not only Syria. Unfortunately to both of us, you seem to agree that violence, practiced by the regime is necessary to combat a trend that both of us are very concerned about. I urge you an others to read this paper by Radwan Ziadeh . His predictions in the conclusion did not necessarily come true, as the fear barrier came unraveled. But given the larger context of his paper, the regime will have very hard time convincing moderates to participate in what you describe as reforms, even of they were very sincere and not cynical attempt to remain at the helm of an authoritarian ship. The regime will only get participation from opportunists who have no credibility on the streets, in homes, and even in moderate mosques.

I am hoping that I am wrong. Way more than you can imagine.

I listened to Assad’s speeches. The first was a cynical threat speech, the second was governance 101 lesson to a cabinet that includes members could teach him advanced courses in governance. It was spiced with threats, less though than his first. I do not have to wait for more, because his third speech has already started. Are you anywhere near Daraa, you can hear it definitely better than me. It seems that your are clapping.

April 25th, 2011, 4:56 am

 

s.s said:

This is the best news I had. It is better than listening to your intellectual discussion here.

FORCE, FORCE is needed now not discussion, and empty talk

The army is now intervening. We have been waiting long for that.

The thugs will be picked up from their beds and bathrooms and brought to justice

This is the begining of the end of the so called SHAMEFUl Syrian revolution

You delusional people are going no where with your dellusions. THe Army will crush you at the end

اقتحام درعا ودوما (YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS)

سوريا أغلقت منافذها البرية مع الأردن(YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS)

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/24/146552.html

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/517A9D26-6EEB-4254-A9D1-1F81702801DA.htm?GoogleStatID=1

April 25th, 2011, 5:50 am

 

ss said:

ياسر قشلق يفتح النار على حكام الخليج البدو أبو شحاطة

April 25th, 2011, 6:02 am

 

… quelques représentations | syriafrance said:

[…] The Man behind “Syria Revolution 2011″ Facebook-Page Speaks Out […]

April 25th, 2011, 6:58 am

 

Jasmine said:

I can understand why dissents and those working for a revolution are conducting their work from behind their laptops, at least initially (I would expect them sooner rather than later, to join those martyring themselves in the streets, partly on their provocation). What I am against is the lack of information we have about those administrating facebook pages like the “Syrian revolution 2011”. It is disingenuous to not post who you are. If you are a member of the Muslim brotherhood, then you need to say so. Furthermore, I understand the safety concerns they have, but because those protesting in the streets are risking their safety; and these administrators are hinging on change through revolution in the streets, they should be in the streets.
I am a Syrian living overseas, I would never claim to know or act as if I know what it is to be in Syria and to live there. For this reason I would never incite activities that would put others in danger from behind the protection of my computer. My feelings are instinctive and logically I understand why these people are working the way they are but I find their efforts more than questionable.

April 25th, 2011, 7:00 am

 

VexedLevantine said:

So let me get this right, what some of you are suggesting is that Syrians should accept and submit to this authoritarian regime along side its dictator until they grow an acceptable and ‘mature’ political outlook that fits your needs.

If Secularist haven’t got what it takes to lead, organize, and mobilize, then everyone is expected to shut the hell up and let the demagoguery continue?
I’m not pro MB by any means, but if you’re too lazy to remove this regime, someone else will. Salafi’s or otherwise, they will not rest and will always look for a window of opportunity to exploit. Meanwhile liberal hippies exhale hot air all day long looking for ways to undermine change in Syria

Future is promising indeed.

April 25th, 2011, 7:04 am

 

Akbar Palace said:

I just remember seeing this picture of a mother carrying her 4 year old child to the protests and all I could think was, why the hell would she endanger the life of her 4 year old daughter by bringing her to these protests? Haven’t they heard of what happened in Hama in the 1980s?

Maryam,

Did you have the same questions about the Palestinians? Why or why not?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1423506/posts

April 25th, 2011, 7:11 am

 

DY said:

There is no need to defend the Syrian regime coz if the great number of fake vidoes that are broadcast by Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, etc, do not mean a thing and if their fakeness is meaningless, nothing would. We Syrians adore Bashar Al-Assad and every honest Arabian would because now Syria does not own a penny to any country or organization, we are the real Arabs who fight Israel.. which Arabian country or kingdom do you think is really Arab?? Egypt with its treacherous treaties with Israel, its gas is given almost for free to OUR ENEMY, i capitalize these words because you forgot that Israel, not Bashar, is the enemy.. who else??? Qatar?? in which there is an American military basement to protect the American interests in the Arab Gulf against Iran?? Saudi Arabia?? whose history expresses itself…. this is not our subject right now, i live in Syria and now i know the real conspiracy against my beloved country.. we pay the price of our conscience.. we do not want “Muslim Brotherhood” to come to regime, how can i accept a religious man a “Sheikh” who call the Durzi women “prostitutes”??? Is this the new perspective in Der3a?? how can i accept a revolution that calls for “Jihad”?? what can i expect from a revolution that destroys hospitals and schools?? that sets fire in the street?? that spreads fear and anxiety among people?? logically speaking, i know that every revolution moves the country forward not backward.. Is the Khilafa a movement forward?? is the new address”grandsons of Omar and Abo Bakr” the new democratic speech?? i ask all the people who read these lines honestly to watch the fabricated videos and analyaze the calls from the eye-witnessors who witness nothing at all.. Nawar Al-Omar and Ayman Al-Aswad were eye-witnessors, then political activists, then journalists in only one month??? Is this logical?? they are the human basements of Al-Jazeera and BBC and others, they are just liars… there is a long list that i do not want to mention cause you can watch Addonia channel which, of course, you will say that it is the regime’s friend but i only help you to see the truth and do not care what the liars and traitors will say

April 25th, 2011, 7:11 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Jasmine

Would you say the same thing about those cheering the regime? Aren’t they in fact the ones advocating brutal violence contrary to those lap-top activists? I am hoping that you will join me in condemning these shady characters..

April 25th, 2011, 7:18 am

 

qunfuz said:

some people propagandising for this criminal regime seem to have a profound fear and hatred of ordinary syrians. some couch it in sectarian terms and end up being more sectarian than their salafi bogeymen. a lot of it is class hatred. it reminds me of the sunni elite contempt for shia in iraq. there are lots of conservative muslims in syria and lots of sectariansim, so we will hear plenty of Islamic and sectarian language from the people. to imagine that this dominates the uprsising, or that mad salafis would be able to represent syria afterwards, is quite another thing. my usual question – the mafia had 50 years to address sectarianism, and failed. time to move over. the slaughter continues in syria, and many people on this website continue to cheer it on.

there are however some brave intellectuals, people of honour and dignity and moral fibre – “A declaration signed by 102 Syrian writers and exiles from all the country’s main sects called on Syrians “who have not broken the barrier of fear to make a clear stand.

“We condemn the violent, oppressive practices of the Syrian regime against the protesters and mourn the martyrs of the uprising.” (Jazeera)

April 25th, 2011, 7:41 am

 

qunfuz said:

the Muslim Brotherhood, by the way, is a major arab political party. it should be permitted to operate in syria. i am aware of the nearly racist misconceptions of people who work on syriacomment with regard to egypt. alex recently gave me a ridiculously one sided and right wing version of what is happening in egypt. I just spent 2 weeks there speaking to analysts, activists, journalists, including christians, and i can assure you that he’s got the whole thing wrong.

the presence of an egyptian here doiesn’t tell us much about syria. syrians who support the murder of their compatriots have also been sending me films of ranting saudi shaikhs. the tactic is very zionist:
– ‘the mufti of jerusalem in the 1930s was an opponent of zionism, the mufti admired hitler, therefore all opponents of zionism are fascists.’

so – if a wahhabi idiot supports the syrian uprising, alll syrain protestors are wahhabi idiots who deserve to die.

syriacomment is really very disappointing. can you not find some in-depth reports, some eye-witness accounts, of what is happening in Jableh, Maadamiyeh, Douma, Harasta, Daraa right now? You havent mentioned the seven year old girl or the two little boys murdered on Friday. I suppose they were salafis and deserved it.

April 25th, 2011, 7:52 am

 

qunfuz said:

http://qunfuz.com/2011/04/24/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9/

I really don’t like the ikhwan by the way, but they represent some syrians, so I must accept their role. yes, they committed crimes years ago. Hizb al-Baath is committing the mst brutal crimes right now.

In Egypt, the Ikhwan has split into at least three political parties. The Turkish AKP is a Sunni Islamist party allowed to mature in a democrtatic environment.

April 25th, 2011, 7:56 am

 

qunfuz said:

people with moral fibre, integrity and dignity, from all sects and backgrounds:

نحن الكتاب والصحفيين السوريين نوجه هذا البيان الاحتجاجي ضد الممارسات القمعية للنظام السوري ضد المتظاهرين، ونترحم على جميع شهداء الانتفاضة السورية ضد النظام، ونؤكد على حق التظاهر، وكل ما يطرح من شعارات الوحدة الوطنية، والمطالبة بالحرية، وذلك وصولاً إلى المطلب الأهم وهو إجراء حوار وطني شامل يضم جميع أطياف الشعب السوري يحقق مطالب التغيير السلمي في سوريا.

وندين في هذا البيان ممارسات الإعلام السوري بالتضليل والكذب وعدم إظهار الحقيقة، ونهيب بالصحفيين والإعلاميين الشرفاء في المؤسسات الإعلامية السورية أن يتوقفوا عن أداء عملهم الرسمي، وأن يعلنوا انسحابهم من اتحاد الصحفيين في سوريا احتجاجاً على هذا الاتحاد الفاشل والأمني، حفاظاً على شرف المهنة الذي يقتضي الوقوف إلى جانب الشعب، وإظهار الحقائق كما هي، وعدم المشاركة في التضليل، وندين بهذه المناسبة صمت الكثير من المثقفين السوريين الذين لم يكسروا بعد قيود الخوف، ونطالبهم بإعلان موقف واضح من الممارسات القمعية للنظام السوري بوصفهم جزءا من الشعب السوري البطل، ومن نخبة يفترض أن تكون سباقة إلى قول الحقيقة وألا تبقى في مؤخرة الركب، وإلا فإنها ستبقى خارج التاريخ وحركته.

24/4/2011

الموقعون :

1- حسام ميرو

2- حسين الجمو

3- عبد الرزاق اسماعيل

4- حكم البابا

5- ابراهيم اليوسف

6- وليد عبد القادر

7- جمعة عكاش

8- حفيظ عبد الرحمن

9- مروان علي

10-محمد سليمان

11-جيانا محمد شيخو

12-لافا خالد

13-ثائر عبد الجبار

14-عبد الباقي حسيني

15-بهزاد عمر

16-صادق عمر

17-محمد منصور

18-بسام بلان

19-مصطفى الجندي

20-حسام عرفة

21-يمان الشواف

22-فراس كيلاني

23-وائل التميمي

24-صادق أبو حامد

25-شعبان عبود

26-رزان سرية

27-راشد عيسى

28-سليمان أوصمان

29-غالية قباني

30-عبد الكريم العفنان

24-محمد العبدالله

25-خطيب بدلة

26-يعرب العيسى

27-رضوان زيادة

28-خولة يوسف

29-عمر الأسعد

30-رائدة دعبول

31-خلف علي الخلف

32-يارا بدر

33-غسان العبود

34-جهاد صالح

35-علي ديوب

36-ياسين الحاج صالح

37-فادي عزام

38-محمد الحاج صالح

39-محمد علي الاتاسي

40-عامر مطر

41-محمد علي

42-ثائر علي الزعزوع

43-سعاد جروس (مع التحفظ على بعض العبارات)

44-رابطة الكتاب والصحفيين الكرد في سوريا

45-خالد عبد الواحد

46- إسلام بو شكير

47-خالد خليفة

48-محمد داريوس

49-منذر بدر حلوم

50-منذر خدام

51-ندى منزلجي

52-نجيب عواد

53-سمر يزبك

54-محمود الزيبق

55-زياد العبد الله

56-خصر الآغا

57-أحمد حسو

58-خولة غازي

59-كندة قنبر

60-صخر الحاج حسين

61-منير شحود

62-منذر المصري

63-حازم العظمة

64-أميرة أبو الحسن

65-حسان الصالح

66-مرح البقاعي

67-حسام الدين محمد

68-محي الدين اللاذقاني

69-فراس حسن

70-سامر رضوان

71-حسين الشيخ

72-مصطفى حمو

73-حسام الدين محمد

74- عبير اسبر

75-ب سام جعارة

76- سناء العلي

77- ياسر خوجة

78- إبراهيم العلوش

79- صالح دياب

80-ناصر ونوس

81-أحمد الخليل

82-تمام التلاوي

83-نجيب جورج عوض

84-ماهر شرف الدين

85-بدرخان علي

86- ممدوح عزام

87-روز ياسين حسن

88-لؤي حسين

89- رشا عمران

91- لينا الطيبي

92-د.احمد الموسى

93- باسل علي

94- فدوى كيلاني

95- منظمة صحفيون بلا صحف

96- جوان أمين

97- مسعود حامد

98- د. علي الشرابي

99- د. عامر الأخضر

100- د. ويران علي

101- ديلاور سليمان

102- ديلاور ميقري

103- عدنان العودة

104- إياد شربجي

105- مها حسن

106- هالا أتاسي

107 – ماجد رشيد العويد

108- حازم سليمان

109 – ألمى عنتابلي

110- فراس سليمان

111- مازن درويش

112- ميلان جمال

113- أحمد موسى

April 25th, 2011, 7:59 am

 

qunfuz said:

the people in the list above are much more relevant to syrian life than the odd egyptian idiot that you might find while trawling the internet closing your eyes as firmly as you can to the hundreds of films of security forces murdering innocent protestors for civil rights.

April 25th, 2011, 8:00 am

 

qunfuz said:

seriously – three syrian towns are under full miltary occupation. there is a major repression going on. continuing massacres and mass arrests, occupations of hospitals, etc. and the best this site can do is some more anti-islamist propaganda. pathetic. i should give up on you entirely and go where there’s some real news.

April 25th, 2011, 8:18 am

 

vlad-the-syrian said:

we’ll crush those ZOMBIES like bugs with whoever stands by them, should there be millions until they all go back to hell where they belong

for they deserve nothing better

by the way, did you notice that peculiar black stain on the head that almost have ? like Shaitan’s stamp . I bet you have it also Qunfoolz

April 25th, 2011, 8:22 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

Bloody murderous regime, crazy violent hooligan supporters,this proves Bashar is not a reformer, he does not belong to this century
what is going on in Deraa and Douma,are massacres,it forces the people to get arms and the regime is the one responsible for escalating the crisis in Syria.

April 25th, 2011, 8:37 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Interesting Debate on Facebook. You decide…

رسالة السيد باسم خزام:
إلى السيد ياسين الحاج صالح

أستاذ ياسين..

تحية من القلب.. سورية خالصة

أعرف أن البعض على صفحتك سيعتبرني من الأبواق كما فعلوا ذلك غير مرة كون رأيي يخالف رأيهم في بعض الأشياء.. ولكني رأي آخر فقط.. تغيبه المعارضة من بين الآراء الأخرى التي تغيبها في إطار إيغالها في التطرف تماما كالطرف الذي تعارضه

أقول لك..

أنا أتابع صفحتك شخصيا وأعجبت بصدق ونبل ما قلته عدة مرات.. وأتعاطفك مع تاريخك الوطني وأفخر بإنتاجك الفكري..

والكل يعلم أن خلفك آلاف المريدين وأنك عرابهم وهذا شيء طبيعي .. لدرجة أن موقفك الذي تعلنه من مبادرات النظام يتبناه الكثيرون.. وهذا يدلل على قيمتك الكبيرة كمفكر وطني..لكنني أقول لك الآن.. إنني من ملاحظتي لما تكتبه على صفحتك ومن إعلان مواقفك فأنا أعتقد أنك تدفع باتجاه إسقاط النظام من اليوم الأول.. وهو رأي شخصي يعبر عني فقط.. بدليل مسارعتك إلى تفريغ مبادرات النظام من محتواها وتسخيفها مباشرة بعد صدورها.. وعدم تبنيك أي مباردة توافقية حتى لو من طرف واحد .. بالإضافة إلى أن صفحتك تشبه تلفزيون الدنيا لناحية كونها تنقل بعض الجقائق وتعتم على بعضها الآخر.. وهذه صفة النقيضين هذه الأيام.. المعارضة والنظام

الآن .. وقد تفاقم الوضع إلى ما نحن عليه.. فإن موقعك الهام على الطرف النقيض من النظام يتطلب منك عدة أشياء لم تفعلها.. على الأقل ليس في هذه الأحداث الأخيرة

– في ظل الأصوات اللي بدأنا نسمعها عن الاستعانة بالخارج.. أطالبك شخصيا بأن تدعو لرفض أي تدخل خارجي في الشأن السوري.. إن كان عسكريا أو استخباراتيا أو تمويلا أو غيره.. وأن يكون كل ما يحدث في سوريا شأنا سوريا داخليا يحله السوريون.

– لم أسمع منك أي عبارة عن شجب العنف الذي تعرض له الجيش والقوى الأمنية والمدنيين على يدي عصابات مسلحة.. أطالبك بشجب كل أنواع العنف وليس فقط العنف الذي يتعرض له المتظاهرون من قبل السلطة.. وإن كنت لا تعتقد بحدوث أي نوع من العنف من قبل المتظاهرين تجاه أي كان.. فأرجو على الأقل أن تشدد على الدعوة لتجنب هذا العنف

لقد وصلت الأحداث إلى ما وصلت إليه.. واستفحلت الشروخ الطولانية والعرضانية في بنية المجتمع السوري..و أعتقد أنه حان الوقت ليتوقف الجميع ويتساءل إلى أين نذهب بالوطن..

أراك سيدي تدفع باتجاه إسقاط النظام دون أن تطرح بديلا ولا برنامجا ودون أن تحل مشكلة الجماهير غير الممثلة في الشارع ومتجاهلا الاحتقان الطائفي الذي طفا بوضوح.. ولا أتفق معك تماما بأنه شيء تروج له السلطات وهو غير موجود.. بغض النظر عن من عززه إلا أنه موجود الآن.. والمطلوب نزع فتيله فورا

قل لي سيدي صراحة هل تريد سقوط النظام أم لا؟؟

مهما كان جوابك.. أطالبك بحكم مسؤوليتك كمثقف وطني ينظّر للكثير من السوريين أن ترسم لنا خطوطا عريضة للمراحل المقبلة وأن تقول لنا ما هو التصرف الأمثل في كل حالة من الحالات التي قد ينزلق إليها المجتمع خصوصا الحالة الطائفية وحالة الفراغ السياسي والظهور المسلح لبعض الفئات .. وأن لا تكتفي بتمنية النفس والثقة بأن لا تقع هذه الأمور..

أرجو أن لا ترد عل كلامي – إن رددت- بحجة أنني أساوي بين القاتل المقتول.. فقد تجاوز الموضوع هذه المرحلة وأصبح وطن القاتل والمقتول في خطر..

دعني أيضا أشكو إليك الأسلوب التهكمي الاستغبائي الذي ينتهجه المعارضون في وجه الموالين.. مما لا يجعل المعارضين أفضل حالا من الموالين.. أنا بالنسبة لي .. لا فرق بينهما.. كلاهما متطرفان إلغائيان ضاربان بعرض الحائط مستقبل الوطن.. وعلى سيرة الإلغاء أرجو أن تشرح لي أكثر ما نقلتَه مؤخرا عن أحدهم:

“أصدقائي الذين يريدون إصلاح الوطن مع القتلة..أصلحوه وحدكم ، واسكنوا معهم، بالرفاه والبنين”

هلا حددت من هم القتلة؟؟ هل هم عصابة أم فئة أم طائفة أم ماذا.. ؟؟ أرجو أن لا تترك هذا مبهما.. لكي لا يفهمه كل على هواه.. وأنت أعلم بتفاوت المستوى الفكري واستقلال الرأي لدى السوريين

أرى أن مواصلة التحريض ضد النظام في ظل عدم وجود بديل واضح وعدم دراسة وافية لما قد تحمله الأيام القادمة.. هو دفع بالبلد للمجهول لا يجب يتورط فيه أي مثقف سوري.. دعم المطالب المحقة للمتظاهرين والمطالبة بحق الشهداء شيء ضروري لكن يجب أن يترافق مع عدم تجاهل المخاطر الكبرى التي قد يمر بها الوطن ربما لعشرات السنوات.. ولا تجاهل المخاطر التي قد تحيق بسوريا لناحية موقعها السياسي العسكري في المنطقة ومشاريع الغرب فيها

حتى لو تعنت النظام وماطل.. أتمنى من موقعك أن تقدم دراسة لكل الاحتمالات الممكنة وأن تعلنها صراحة على الجمهور على شكل مقال مطول أو سلسلة مقالات قاصدا الحل الذي يحمي سوريا كبلد قوي في المنطقة وكنسيج اجتماعي متعايش سلميا..

حمى الله سوريا بلدا للجميع

*******************************************************

رد الاستاذ ياسين الحاج صالح:

الأخ باسم

تحية طيبة…

أرجو ألا تتوقع أن أرد على ما كتبته نقطة نقطة. لقد طرحت قضيتك وعبرت عنها بطريقتك، وسأفعل مثلك، أشرح قضيتي بطريقتي. لكني سأتناول بعض نقاط ردك بصورة مباشرة.

بداية، أنت تحملني عبئا كبيرا لا أستطيع ولا أريد أن أقوم به. لست ممثلا للمعارضة في سورية، ولا ناطقا باسمها. أنحدر شخصيا من المعارضة التقليدية، التي اعتنقت في أوقات سابقة عقائد يسارية وقومية وإسلامية. اليوم هناك معارضة جديدة، هي هذه التي تحتج وتنتفض على الأوضاع القائمة في بلادنا. أشعر نفسي على قرب من هذه المعارضة الجديدة لأن أراها متفوقة أخلاقيا ووطنيا على النظام، ولأن احتجاجها يمثل إنصافا متأخرا لقضية الحرية والديمقراطية في البلاد التي دفعت من أجلها سنوات شبابي في السجن. أو ببساطة لأنها تعلن أن قضيتنا لم تمت، ومعاناتنا لم تضع. وهذه القضية هي حرية الشعب السوري ونهوضه والمساواة بين أفراده. وما يحول دون ذلك أساسا هو هياكل سلطة قامعة، لا تعترف بمحكوميها كمواطنين متساوين في بينهم ومساوين للمتحكمين بتلك الهياكل، وتتعامل معهم بقسوة وغل. وإلى امتلاك السلطة كلها ينفرد الطاقم الحاكم في البلد باحتكار الإعلام كله المخصص كما تعلم لعبادة النظام، ويجمع إليهما في السنوات الأخيرة أكثر الثورة الوطنية. ولا ينكر هذا “النظام” حقوق أمثالنا، بل ينكر وجودهم أصلا. لم يجر التعامل معنا في أي يوم كقوى سياسية بل كمشكلة أمنية. وبعد السجن وحرمان مديد من الحقوق المدنية، لديك المنع من السفر، ومن العمل أحيانا. وحال عموم السوريين ليس أفضل.

هل لك علم بهذه الأشياء يا باسم؟ وهل حصل أن استنكرتها يوما؟ وهل طالبت بالمساواة لمواطنيك وأدنت إذلالهم وطالبت بحصانتهم؟ هذا لأنه، بصراحة، حين لا تكون دافعت عن حرية وحقوق مواطنيك في أي يوم فإن هذا ينال من صدقية انتقادك لهم اليوم.

ليس خلفي مريدين. لا بالآلاف ولا المئات. ولست عرابا لأحد. أنا مجرد كاتب. كنت واضحا دوما في هذا الشأن. لست مفكرا ولا قائدا سياسيا. وإذا كنت أتدخل، وأحيانا بكثافة في الشأن السياسي، فلأن السياسة لا تتركك في بلدنا حتى حين تتركها. ولا أستطيع في أيام مصيرية كهذه بخاصة أن أنأى بنفسي عما يجري في بلدي. أحاول التعليق عليه وشرحه واقتراح مخارج سياسية وطنية وعامة منه. إذا كنت تتابع مقالاتي وتدخلاتي في بعض وسائل الإعلام فستجد أنه لا أساس لما تقول من أني كنت داعية لإسقاط النظام منذ اليوم الأول. في اليوم والأول وفي هذا اليوم أكتب وأتكلم داعيا إلى الخروج من دائرة العنف والتفرقة بين السوريين إلى دائرة السياسة والمواطنة المتساوية للسوريين. هل هذا كثير؟

لا أحمل أي ود تجاه النظام. مع ذلك كنت ولا أزال أتمنى مخرجا سياسيا وتفاوضيا من الأزمة الوطنية الحالية. لكن السياسة التفاوض بحاجة على طرفين. والنظام يتصرف ويفكر أنه الأطراف كلها. نحن من طرح التوافق ومن يمثل التوافق في البلد، ومنذ مطلع القرن، يا باسم. وحالنا كذلك اليوم. وهناك غيرنا هو من يرفضه. احزر من؟

ولست وحيدا في هذه المواقف. هذا في تقديري هو الميل العام للانتفاضة، ولأكثر الكتاب والناشطين السياسيين والحقوقيين السوريين. لكن كلما أسر النظام البلاد في دائرة الدم والعنف غابت أصوات في الجلبة. وكلما اتجهت الأمور في البلاد إلى الانفلات من أية سيطرة، كان محتملا أن يجري الكلام على تدويلها من قبل البعض. لا تستطيع أن تنسب لأحد منا، نحن المثقفين والمعارضين السوريين، دعوة كهذه. لكن إداناتنا لأصوات هامشية توجه هذه الدعوة، بينما يجري الفتك بشعبنا، ودون أن يكلف المهولون بالتدويل أنفسهم إدانة عنف النظام بلغة صريحة، هو بمثابة رضخ لمنطق التخوين والابتزاز بالوطنية. خائن من يتعاون مع جهات خارجية ضد وطنه، وخائن بالقدر نفسه من يقتل شعبه، وقد كان هذا شعارا متواترا من شعارات الانتفاضة كما تعلم.

بلى، أنا متشكك جدا في “مبادرات النظام”.هي فارغة أصلا ولا تحتاج إلى جهد مني لتفريغها، حسب تعبيرك. نحن أولاد بلد، ولدينا شيء من التجربة والإدراك. وهما يكفيان للقول إن من يجرب المجرب عقله مخرب. مشكلتنا ليست قانونية حتى يكون حلها قانونيا (إلغاء حالة الطوارئ ومحكمة أمن الدولة)، ولا هي أمنية حتى يكون حلها أمنيا. ولا هي مطلبية ومعاشية حتى تعالج بتلبية مطالب وتحسين معاشات. هي مشكلة سياسية ووطنية وعامة، تطال نمط وهياكل ممارسة السلطة في البلد: نظام الحزب الواحد، وسلطان الأجهزة الأمنية كلية الحصانة، والحكم الأبدي، وهو ما اقترن على الدوام بإهانة عدد كبير من السوريين، ومعاملتهم باحتقار. هذا غير مقبول إنسانيا ووطنيا في رأيي، وينبغي أن يتغير. ما رأيك أنت؟

وتعرف أن الحرية والكرامة هما أبرز ما هتف من أجله قطاع متسع من شعبك. وتعرف من يستبد بالسوريين ومن يهينهم. الأمر ليس استنتاجا. أنت على علم بالشعار المضاد لشعار: الله، سورية، حرية وبس!

لم تسمع مني شجبا للعنف الذي تعرض له الجيش والقوى الأمنية؟ الواقع أني متشكك كثيرا في الرواية الرسمية. لكني قلت مرارا وتكرارا إن العنف والطائفية محرمان وطنيان. هل توافق على ذلك؟ ودون تمييز بين “نحن” و”هم”؟ وكتبت على صفحتي على الفيسبوك التي يبدو أنك تتابعها جيدا أنه إذا ثبت أن هناك عنفا مارسه محتجون فينبغي أن يدان دون غمغمة أو تردد. العنف ليس ملعبنا (أنت تعرف هو ملعب من)، والطائفية ليست لعبتنا.

أكتب لك هذه السطور وأنا غير آمن على نفسي ولا أستطيع قول كل ما في قلبي. لقد تركت بيتي منذ أسابيع كي أستطيع الكتابة والتكلم بحرية نسبية. لا أريد أن أدوّر الزوايا بينما سورية في أزمة وطنية كبرى. حرصت مع ذلك على أن أتكلم واكتب بلغة تحليلية وليس بلغة تحريضية.

ولا ينبغي أن يفاجئك، في مثل هذه الظروف، أني لا أشاركك هذا النوع من العدالة الذي يضع نفسه بين نظام لم ينتقده يوما وبين معارضة مسحوقة لم يتعاطف معها يوما. بل بين نظام هو من الأشد قسوة في العالم كله، ومحكومين فاض كيلهم، فصار كثيرون، يؤسفني أنك منهم، يتصيدون زلات حقيقة أو متخيلة في احتجاجاتهم العادلة. أنا منحاز للشعب السوري، لكل الشعب السوري، وليس لجزء منه، ولا لمضطهديه بالطبع. ولن تجد في ما أكتبه منذ 10 سنوات ونيف، وفي سيرتي الشخصية، ما ينقض هذا الزعم. ولقد تقبلتُ منحك لنفسك حق امتحان وطنيتي وتقريعي على مواقفي، لأن الأمر يتعلق بقضية وطنية عامة، لا بشأن خاص كان يمكن أن أتصرف بصدده بطريقة مغايرة.

القتلة الذين وصفهم صديقي الذي اقتبست عبارته، فارس البحرة، ليسوا بالقطع فئة أو طائفة. ولا هم عصابة أيضا. هم للأسف الجهات المخولة بضمان أمن السوريين، والتي هي مصنع إنتاج الخوف في البلاد كما تعلم. هل يعقل أنك لا تعلم؟

وأرى عموما أن تصفي قلبك تجاه مواطنيك، وتثق بهم، دون أن تتخلى عن حقك في نقدهم والتحفظ على أفكارهم ومواقفهم. نحن إخوتك مواطنيك، وعليك أن تتدرب على تقمصنا ووضع نفسك في مواضعنا، والشعور بما نشعر به. نطالبك فقط بأن لا ترضى لنا ما لا ترضاه لنفسك.

دمت بسلام، والحرية لسورية والشعب السوري.

April 25th, 2011, 8:46 am

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

Off the Wall,

Your cry and weeping over the radical Islamist terrorists does not arouse my emotions. The army has orders to shoot only at those who shoot at it.

You don’t sound like you really read and listen to Bashar. Perhaps you don’t understand what he means and this is why your perspective is so vague.

Bashar admitted that he was late in his reforms and he has already issued important decrees for political reform. Syria is going to have soon a new party law, new media law, and a new system of local governance. These are huge steps that the Syrians will be experimenting with for the next few decades before they are ready to move on to the next step. I have already talked about how I see the Syrian political system in the coming period. There are huge things happening in Syria that you don’t sound to have a clue about. What you seem to care about is only the terrorists.

April 25th, 2011, 8:51 am

 

joe said:

syrian revolution?? they are the thugs who are cousing instability in syria. hiding behind a word called protest, they kill inocent people who do not fit their religious beleifs. the assad government needs to crack down hard on these thugs for syrian people can walk the streets without fear of getting shot by these anti-religious thugs

April 25th, 2011, 8:52 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Dear MAJEDKHALDOUN

Please please please, let us not talk about people getting arms. I hope that they will prove to be wiser than that. I understand the urge for self defense, but armed rebellion is exactly what these hooligans want. This is exactly the time all honest intellectuals outside the country should show self restrain and cool clearheadedness.

Dear ALEX: Am I manipulating????

Dear Qunfuz:
I broke my promise not to write anymore on SC because I am not ready to leave my neighborhood to keyboard Shabee7a and hooligans. Please visit as frequently as I can and join the neighborhood watch.

Souri333
B.S. and you know it. The army accompanied by the regime’s blackshirts are shooting at civilians and creating fear in whatever way it can. These are the orders. Your pathetic attempts at sanitizing the murders of civilians and the war against Syrian people will not work. I do not need a certificate of anti-radical credential from a reactionary right winger like you.

April 25th, 2011, 8:58 am

 

why-discuss said:

The ninendo game of the syrian revolution
“seriously – three syrian towns are under full miltary occupation.”

The remote nintendo rebels full of their technological superiority have not succeeded in triggering mass demonstrations, they have only triggered slaughters, now they have to deal with another level of power.
They are now calling for international intervention. They are ready to associate themselves with Jewish lobbies and neo-con (Elliot Adams, Lieberman) to push another Libyan style intervention.
Let’s see where they are smart enough to convince the world that Bashar=Ghaddafi and Deraa=Misrata

April 25th, 2011, 9:11 am

 

Louai said:

yes we know that but thank you for finally sharing with other people ,every one knew that MB are behinde it however no one knew this kid before ,he is using a language as if he is going to war ,but hay he is leading a war against the Syrian people .

April 25th, 2011, 9:13 am

 

Mina said:

Why Discuss,
a week ago “Wissam Tarif” was tweeting that there was already more dead in Homs than in Misrata. It does not prevent “journalists” to report his comments every day until now.
In this all-white world no one asks about the dead in South Sudan or in Nigeria in the last couple of days.

April 25th, 2011, 9:18 am

 

Off the Wall said:

WD
The remote nintendo rebels full of their technological superiority have not succeeded in triggering mass demonstrations, they have only triggered slaughters, now they have to deal with another level of power.

Thanks for recognizing the slaughters triggered by face book activists, and committed by the regime..

April 25th, 2011, 9:27 am

 

Sophia said:

There are some uncomfortable truths about the Syrian uprising, like the one posted in this article, and the western press is hiding them, trying to ignore them and not wanting to learn about them, which means for me that they have adopted already the narratives of their respective regimes.

However, in the US right now, there is difference of opinion about what to do with the Syrian regime, not because they care about Syria becoming Salafi, but because they know that once this brand of political Islam takes hold in Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine will follow (Lebanon will resist while the US will eventually be kicked out of Iraq).

The difference of opinion is splitting US politicians between unconditional pro-Israel supporters (neocons) and conditional supporters of Israel (the rest), unconditional pro-Israel are convinced that only Salafi Islam (controlled by Saudi Arabia), and sectarianism as backwardness, guarantee the survival of Israel as an ever expansionist state (because the survival of Israel depends on the level of underdevelopment and backwardness of its neighbors, guaranteed by oppressive and backward political Islam), while conditional supporters know that loosing Iraq and its oil fields on one hand and reducing their alliances among Arabs to Saudi Arabia and Salafis might durably damage US diplomacy in the region.

Syria will prove to be a difficult question for the US administration because it splits Israel’s and US’s policies which are said to be so close that no ray of sun can insinuate itself in between.

April 25th, 2011, 9:33 am

 

محمود said:

من الناحية الأخلاقية لن أمدح أحدا حول الشارع السوري الامن الى شارع خوف و لن أثني على النعامة الامريكية حين تدفن رأسها في التراب ! هل يستطيع أحد أن يجادل في ان النتيجة من التحريض سقوط شهداء ! سيحاسبكم الله ! أمريكا واهمة و اعتدنا على تكرار فشلها في الدنيا! الزمن القريب سيلقن المخطط الواهم بسوء فعلته نتيجة منعكسة عما توقع ! نصر الله قضيتنا العادلة!

April 25th, 2011, 9:50 am

 

why-discuss said:

After having been heavily criticized, Al Jazeera is starting to distance itself from the activists and eye witnesses postings, yet they continue quoting their declaration, but not a single report from any pro-governement eye witness (are there any in Deraa ?)

“Footage aired by an opposition news organisation on Monday, transmitted via satellite, appeared to show Syrian military firing at unseen targets with sniper rifles. Al Jazeera is unable to verify the veracity of the footage.”

“Al Jazeera is unable to confirm the reported deaths”

“Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots since the uprising began, making it nearly impossible to get independent assessments.”

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/20114255333825461.html

April 25th, 2011, 10:06 am

 

Off the Wall said:

SOPHIA
Cheap shot. Despotism, Islamic and otherwise is backward and it always leads to underdevelopment. Some African countries, which have started implementing democratic reforms and are far poorer than most Arab countries, are showing better rates (not yet status) of development than despotic Arab countries. Be intellectually honest and consistent and stand against despotism and dictatorship in all shapes and forms. No one is asking for agitation, but a moral stand is needed.

April 25th, 2011, 10:32 am

 

Mina said:

Off the Wall, you write “Some African countries, which have started implementing democratic reforms and are far poorer than most Arab countries, are showing better rates (not yet status) of development than despotic Arab countries. ”

Could you quote one?

I would really like to see democracy trending somewhere in the world, but it is vanishing even in the West under the threats of the populist/racist parties (after the kick off given by Bush and his anti-democratic policies).

April 25th, 2011, 10:59 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

We should all call for international investigation of what is going on in Syria,this murderous escalation is an action of Maher Assad,he should be tried in the haigue

April 25th, 2011, 11:06 am

 

trustquest said:

I did not like Bush and his policy but I did not call for his execution for his ideas and believes.
I do not find any embarrassment or shame in supporting an Ikhwan or Salafi (even I stand 180 degrees from them) if he is saying the right thing and I would not support him when he says the thing I do not agree with. The other important idea, that anyone who was does not mean he is. The last thing, Syrians people are equals what ever views they have and all have the rights for their country and for democracy, justice and freedom.
So, I wonder what is the message from this post? The guy who ever he is collected 130 thousands supporters, much more than the president with twisted tools and using school kids.

April 25th, 2011, 11:27 am

 

N.Z. said:

This is a regime that is digging its grave deeper and larger.

The senseless killing of the people to instill fear is no longer effective. Fabricating lies is no longer believable. It is the same brutal machinery that was responsible for Hama, is now repeating the same massacre.

If there was no social media, this disgusting regime will not hesitate by wiping off entire villages, as they wiped off entire families in Hama.

The end of Bashar and his killing instruments will be ugly.

The father had two of his sons died of natural causes. History seems to repeat itself. The large amount of monies that they stole, but more importantly the brutal killing that they are inflicting on the protesters will not go in vain.

The same scenario (MB) the same brutality.

This is not a regime, this is a mafia. Where is the head of the army, why does he not come out from his hiding and speak on the mafia tv. the honourable Syrian national broadcasting station as opposed to the zionist aljazeera,

Cowards with machines gun, a spit image of the zionist entity.

April 25th, 2011, 11:28 am

 

From Damascus said:

The conversation on this blog mirrors those taking place on most major media networks. One side, pro-opposition, feels that J. Landis is being too supportive of the regime, not sympathizing enough with the difficult experience of the protesters. Simultaneously, the other side, pro-regime, believes that J. Landis is attacking the Syrian government and siding with the protesters.

Discussion boards on Al-Jazeera are following a similar pattern: of those posting, half blame the network for fomenting hate for the regime, while the other half blame them for not reporting enough brutality & abuses… and both sides are dishing out the insults. I had hoped to find a more intelligent, constructive, and respectful conversation here; after all, though these are emotional times, we are all searching for truth.

People, I think it should be clear that what is happening in Syria is more complex than a simple, “two sides” conflict of “people” vs. “regime.” This is not a black & white issue. Also, there are significant elements of truth to the sentiments expressed by both those who support the protesters, and those who believe that the regime is still Syria’s best option.

I encourage both sides to understand each other, beginning with those who feel the regime is the best option. I think that whether or not the regime should stay, we must recognize that the grievances of protesters are genuine. This has not been a nice government. It has been the cause of great suffering and loss for thousands of families and individuals over many years. If you’re not aware of that, you haven’t yet learned of (or are hiding from) the reality of authority in Syria. The decades of abuses and unchecked selfishness of this government should make any revolt on the part of the populace understandable. Even if the threat of a Brotherhood/Salafi/Wahhabi (in other words, “social exclusivists that may tolerate violence”) element is legitimate, we can understand that Sunnis have experienced abuses, injustices, and oppression, that would only serve to increase their movement toward more fanatical, exclusivist persuasions.

At the same time, while I encourage those who support the regime to acknowledge the feelings of protesters/opposition, those who find themselves highly sympathetic to the opposition similarly need to exercise sensitivity to the fears of the minorities in Syria, who are uncertain about a post-Assad Syria. The Islamist element is real and present; it is not healthy; it will never be healthy; it will never preach a message of loving coexistence with spiritual identities outside the bounds of the “Big 3”; it will never promote loving acceptance or appreciation for what are seen as one’s heterodoxical neighbors.

I find myself very sympathetic with those who oppose the regime. It’s difficult to like it. But when I consider the alternatives, I can’t kid myself about the sectarian nature of this country, the decades-long grudges that oppressed families/groups still harbor, the centuries-long fears held by minorities, some of whom didn’t originally hail from this area, but who found refuge from their own persecutions in the mountains of the Levant.

Let me share an anecdote that can illustrate what many Syrians are feeling in this period. I sat three days ago for breakfast on the balcony of a local friend. She is in her mid thirties. She has no love for this regime. Her father was imprisoned by this government for about 15 years, tortured extensively, and upon his eventual release, was never able to have the same functionality or command over his body or mind, instead needing to be cared for at home, and finally wasting away. He died last year and I witnessed the sobbing of my friend, whose adolescence had been robbed by a regime that we could say killed her father. This shines a light on the true, disgusting character of this government. And now… she tells me that she hopes it will stay. As we sat for breakfast on the mountain (Qasuun) overlooking Damascus, she said “I want the government to be changed, but if this opposition wins, everything we have here,” she waved her hand at the city beneath us, “will be destroyed.” In part she’s referring to the violence that will occur as the regime continuous to fight the opposition, in part she’s referring to the sectarianism that could result from the loss of a security apparatus, and in part she’s referring to the rise of Islamism in a post-Assad period that lacks a prepared opposition having a legitimate plan for governing.

Revolutions are exciting and it’s fun to see something big happening in the news. It’s fun to see the dominoes falling, to speculate about the next country to go. Maybe the inevitable is that Assad power will fall (and maybe this is for the best, maybe not), but please recognize that if this occurs, many people’s lives and futures will be drastically affected, many will experience great loss, many will suffer, and many will never recover.

On Friday, I sat in the Old City, pondering the notable change apparent in the silent streets, the lack of women and families out and about. I sat in a deserted coffee shop. The owner received a call informing him of a disturbance somewhere near Zebletani/Bab Sharqi, and the possibility for it to spread down the Street Called Straight. He closed and told us to run home as quickly as possible. Simultaneously, demonstrations were occurring in Midan, placing our area between two areas of activity. It is not fun and games here; it is life and death. This is not to say that protests should persist or go away, but just to point out the seriousness of these events. I sat in a fancy but deserted restaurant last night, that’s usually bustling. The waiter said, “People are just too afraid to leave their houses.” Maybe the people should continue to rise and depose the regime. Or maybe the regime’s stay will keep more people safe than would a post-revolution Syria. Whether the regime battles it out with the people, or falls and an unprepared society tries to form a new nation, both scenarios spell grave suffering for many.

Many people who (like me) consider themselves pro-democracy, pro-individual freedoms, and pro-human rights, seem to feel that they must–on moral principle–automatically support any pro-freedom movement or oppositional uprising that takes place. Experience is showing me that it is more complicated, and that there is no shame in stepping back, pausing, and asking, what will happen on the other side? Who is prepared to lead? What will the conditions of security be like?
I believe in the rights of Syrians and I sympathize with those who resent the crimes and tortures of the regime. But before you plunge headlong to give your wild, exuberant support for “revolution,” please ask yourself if you can articulate any realistic plan for a post-Assad Syria.

April 25th, 2011, 11:31 am

 

s.s said:

زنکه زنکه دار دار الجیش معک یا بشار
زنکه زنکه دار دار الاسد جایی یا اشرار

April 25th, 2011, 11:34 am

 

Sophia said:

# 64 Off The Wall,

I did not mention despotism. I mentioned backwardness, oppressiveness, underdevelopment, and sectarianism. All these are features of the saudi regime and will be features of Salafi regimes.

Despotim means a solitary power, arbitrary and absolute. Iraq’s Saddam, Lybia’s Qaddafi, can be seen as despots. The Assad regime is not despotic. It is however highly oppressive to individual freedoms.

You did not address the main point of my comment which is how Salafis have been so accommodating to Israel and how Israel would love to transform the Arab world according to Salafi vision so it can claim the high moral ground based on western values in the ME.

April 25th, 2011, 11:39 am

 

Vedat The Turk said:

Let’s be realistic, the Assad Dynasty is not going to last an eternity. It has to come to an end sometime. Every regime eventually falls. Especially corrupt one party Soviet inspired socialist regimes. This is the beginning of the end for this phase of Syria’s history and the start of a new chapter. It may take a while but a new chapter in the countries history has begun.

April 25th, 2011, 11:42 am

 

AIG said:

From Damascus,

The reason there is no organized opposition is because the regime did not let any opposition except a religious one thrive. If for 40 years people could only congregate in mosques, what exactly did you expect?

Just as you challenge the people who support the revolution to come up with a realistic plan for a post Assad Syria, what is your answer to the challenge of how to get freedom and dignity for the Syrian people without violence and chaos? The status quo is just acquiescence with the regime’s blackmail: We are horrible but better than chaos, and we will create chaos if you try to change anything.

April 25th, 2011, 11:46 am

 

Syria Almighty said:

Mr. Landis should stop censoring my messages. I am in constant contact with my family in Syria, and I have valuable information.

April 25th, 2011, 11:51 am

 

Off the Wall said:

MINA
I am trying to find my reference, which I read a while a go. On MDG, north African Countries were doing better than Sub-Saharan Africa on some measures not not on all but that must consider that they started better off. One stat I remember for sure is the significant increase of the number of women in Parliaments in several African countries according to 2007 milestone.

As for the second part of your post. I Could not agree more. If we were in normal situation, I would have probably posted this article. about a highly relevant topic. But you are wrong to attribute it all to Bush, It started with the Thatcher Reagan anti-labor, anti-intellectual unholy alliance. Bush-Blair era was the illegitimate child of that alliance.

April 25th, 2011, 11:52 am

 

Moe said:

Its too late for jazeera to start damage control. They lost their credibility; hats off to bin Jido and Faisal Qasem who. Resigned from aljazeera.
The Americans and Co in the region are with no doubt funding and supplying groups in syria to stir violence and make the scene as bloody as possible and guess what its not costing them a penny. American army in iraq was and still is printing untracable us dollars to fund all their dirty work in the region.
Syria has two options moving forward:
1- civil war with eventual disintegration into four or five independent provinces
2- Bashar will continue stronger than before

I don’t believe that wahabis can take over the entire country but they will have their Imara somewhere.

BR,
Moe (from mobile device)

April 25th, 2011, 11:56 am

 

REAL SYRIAN said:

Islamic radical Muslims announce their Emara(Islamic State) in jableh …In their speech they threaten Sunni peaceful families in Jableh and order them to close their business… or they will kill them……
My question to Prof Landis… what United States or any other country will act if a group of radical Muslims has announced their radical and barbaric Emara
Please read this carefully
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
بيان الجماعة السلفية الجهادية رقم / 1/
أيها المجاهدون الأحرار في جبلة:
إن جهودكم وإخلاصكم للثورة ونضالكم البطولي لنيل حقوقهم ورفع راية الخلافة الإسلامية في سوريا كان ليحقق هدفه لولا وقوف الظالمين المنافقين من بعض أهل السنة في جبلة في وجه الثورة المباركة وهؤلاء الظلاميين هم بعض العائلات الغنية من فئة التجار الذين سرقوا أموالكم وأموال آبائكم وأجدادكم وتركوكم تعانون الفقر والعوز متحالفين مع نظام الحكم وعملوا لديه مخبرين وعناصر أمن زرعوا أنفسهم بينكم ونخص منهم عائلات ثبت تعاونهم مع الأمن وهم الزوزو- العيطة – قناديل (شعيب) – درويش – بسنوي – طالب – السيد – حاج يوسف – يونس – مسعد – الحلبي – هرموش – مريم – الدرجي – مرعب – الآغا – زيات – غلاونجي – علي أديب – حاج ابراهيم – زكريا – ليلا – قسام – معتوق – بيريص – حرب – نور الله خياط – بارود – رعد – الرفاعي – عتال – بصيص – نعنوع – جنودي – عكر- مكية – عزام – غزلات – عبد العال – كركوتي – بكري – حاج نجيب – حوا – صافيا – عميش – شداد – عباس (جميع) – عابدين – مريب – عثمان
جميع هذه العائلات من خلال جشعها وحبها للمال وخوفها على تجارتها فضلت الدنيا على الآخرة وتأمرت على دينكم وخلافتكم الموعودة فجاز محاربتهم وقتلهم شرعاً.
إننا ندعوكم للوقوف في وجه أؤلئك الضالين بكل الوسائل وحرمانهم من فـتح محلاتهم في جبلة بكل الوسائل حتى تحقيق إقامة الخلافة الإسلامية فدمهم مهدور شرعاً ويجب قتلهم وقتل عائلاتهم حتى يعودوا إلى الصراط المستقيم.
وفي حال فتحها لمحلاتهم يجب الاستيلاء على موجوداتها ووضع تلك الموجودات بتصرف أمير الجماعة الإسلامية لتوزيعها وفق الشريعة الإسلامية الغراء.
أيها الأخوة: لاتغنينا الإصلاحات والعطايا ولن نقبل وإياكم بإذن الله سوى إزالة النظام أي كان شكل هذا النظام في سورية حتى تحقيق الخلافة الإسلامية وما يتطلبه ذلك من هذا القضاء على مايسمى بالمؤسسات والمرافق العامة بما فيها المدارس والمعاهد والجامعات والمحاكم ودوائر الدولة وإزالتها نهائياً عن الوجود لعدم الحاجة لها في مرحلة الخلافة الإسلامية المظفرة وليكن يوم الجمعة القادم هو جمعة الثأر من أؤلئك المرتدين حتى يعودوا إلى شريعة محمد”ص”.
الجماعة الإسلامية السلفية الجهادية

April 25th, 2011, 11:58 am

 

majedkhaldoon said:

From Damascus
Please continue telling us about what is going on in Syria,business,social issueshow the people are living in this crisis,and thank you a lot

April 25th, 2011, 12:01 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

I absolutely utterly and totally agree with Robin – Qunfuz.

The Fascists and racist Ba’athists here disgust me. If this is what educated Syrians write (I believe many commentators here are indeed educated), then the future of Syria looks bleak.

This is not Ikuwan revolution. Some are Islamists, but most protesters are simply young frustrated and angry dudes. Staining them and labeling them as Salafists is dangerous and wrong. They should be challenged and confronted in ballot boxes, not on the streets and not through the rifle sight.

This junta will soon understand what the IDF understood a long time ago, that using tanks in towns and cities is counterproductive, and it will backfire.
This regime is doomed no matter how long it will take. Now they only makes the future recovery of post-Baath Syria more difficult.
.

April 25th, 2011, 12:04 pm

 

Souri333 (formerly Souri) said:

Assad made a good thing by pointing out America’s role in what is happening from the beginning. After all this ends, the US will probably impose some sort of sanctions on Syria. They have to do it or they will lose face because Assad was not overthrown like their allies in the region. When the new American sanctions come out, Assad will gain more popularity in Syria because many Syrians already have the impression that America and its regional allies are involved in what happened in Syria, and the American sanctions will only confirm this suspicion. Syrians are accustomed to American sanctions imposed on them at every crisis with America, and new American sanctions will confirm Assad’s point that this uprising was just another American attack on him.

April 25th, 2011, 12:07 pm

 

Off the Wall said:

Dear FROM DAMASCUS

To pontificate to you would be the highest form of hypocrisy and insensitivity. I can only thank you for shedding light and sanity on this complex situation. I would like to join MAJED in asking you to continue posting if you are able to. But please take care and do not risk on our behalf. Syria needs people like you and your friend once the dust settle.

April 25th, 2011, 12:20 pm

 

Syria Almighty said:

Looks like I can finally post again.

This is a comment I wrote yesterday about some information I have learned when I spoke to my family in Syria:

There is no such thing a ‘peaceful protesters’ in the events taking place in Syria. “Freedom” was nothing but a lie, a bluff, and a buzz word. The president called their bluff, and implemented reforms. Now they say that they don’t care about reforms anymore?

The other day, near where my aunt lives, there was a fire in Joubari street. It was ignited by these ‘peaceful protesters.’ They then proceeded to call the fire department. When they arrived to put out the fire, they were met with the bullets of the revolution. They set the fire on purpose, just to drag out the fire department and attack them, to create chaos. And you just know that this crap will be blamed on the Government. Apparently, the government is responsible for the actions of the revolution terrorists.

I was speaking with some family members last night over MSN video chat. These so-called ‘massive protests’ are not as big as the media is making them out to be. You would think that with what the media is saying, that all of Syria is on fire. Protests are actually isolated to small areas (And apparently, the cities in Syria that are mirror images of those in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Lebanon, etc).

Also, the “100,000 people in Sahat al Abasiyeen” was an outrageous lie. I have family that live there, and I asked. Funny enough, Canada’s state-owned news network, CBC, decided to outdo the liars of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, and claimed that ‘Hundreds of thousands of people’ protested in Sahat al Abassiyeen. It is also worth noting that CBC is ONLY talking about Syria and Libya. They mention absolutely nothing about Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, or any other Arab country where there are protests.

April 25th, 2011, 12:22 pm

 

Austria said:

When I look at the pictures in this latest posting, I can’t help it but wonder if these are the faces that would end up ruling Syria in case the regime is toppled. Bearded men talking islamist language and inciting sectarian feelings and divisions among the Syrians.

130000 followers of a facebook page administered by a MB leader in Sweden. That is a huge number given that the net is not widely spread in Syria and clearly shows that the religious sentiment is behind this uprising. Even if some of the followers were arguably not religiously driven, knowing the administrator of the page clearly shows to what extent the opposition sentiment is being exploited and controlled by the extremists.

I also find it highly hypocritical to incite people to demonstrate and endager their lives while posting comments from the safety of Sweden.

Finally if the MB were to rule Syria through a democratic process, how will the Christians, Druze, Alawites, Shiites, etc. be able to live there. Is that the kind of equal citizenship that democracy accomplishes. Is that what the West wants to see happen in Syria.

April 25th, 2011, 12:59 pm

 

EHSANI2 said:

I was recently discussing Syrian politics (what else?) with a die-hard supporter of the leadership. To him, Dr. Landis’s coverage and media appearances have been disappointingly unfriendly to Damascus.

Many on this thread seem to level the opposite accusations towards Dr. Landis. A number of commentators seem to feel that he has not done enough to support the anti-leadership contingency and that he has been too lukewarm in his opposition to the policies of Damascus.

I guess one must conclude that Dr. Landis has hit just the right tone. Speaking for myself, I find him to be by far the most astute and knowledgeable observer of everything Syrian.

As to the above post, it seems to me that it is very important to know who is behind the facebook page and who the key admins are.

The shortcomings of Damascus are many. But, to jump blindly into the alternative without assessing the full implications of this switch seems foolhardy.

I happen to disagree with socialism and would love it to be dropped from Syrian politics and economics. But, what if the proposed alternative is communism? Would I support the original change? The answer is no.

In comment # 47, Qunfuz argued “the Muslim Brotherhood, by the way, is a major arab political party. it should be permitted to operate in syria.”

My question is:

Can we be assured that the MB would use the same principal against other Syrians too? Suppose that the MB were allowed to participate in Syrian politics and that they end up in a leadership position, are we sure that those of us who do not see the world from their prism would get a chance to participate in politics the way the MB aspires to do today. In other words, the MB wants the keys to the palace today. But once they grab the key chain, would they allow other Syrians to participate in decision making or will their view of the world be the law of the land? When the Shah was overthrown, many had a different dream than what transpired since. The Mullahs of Iran have imposed their theocracy on that country ever since. They did not merely “operate” and “participate” in the decision making process. They hijacked it and threw the keys away.

April 25th, 2011, 1:08 pm

 

Syria Almighty said:

Austria, most of the members in that Facebook group are not Syrian, or from Syria. That is why it is so big. It is a grouping of non-Syrians and non-Arabs being duped by the Muslim Brotherhood. That page also received an artificial member increase thanks to Facebook. When that page went down, it had about 120,000 members. It is not a coincidence that it went down after the Bashar page increased by 10,000 members in 2 days. The revolution page went back up, and suddenly they had 138,000 members instantly? Please!

You should take a look at the pro-Bashar page. It has almost 160,000 members. I know the admin personally, and we always talk.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Bashar-Al-Asad/22233463853

April 25th, 2011, 1:10 pm

 

sean said:

I tried to comment here earlier this morning, but that didn’t work for some reason.

In any case, I’ve got a post that might be of interest to you guys:

http://humanprovince.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/sectarianism-syrian-uprising/

April 25th, 2011, 1:11 pm

 

Syria Almighty said:

How has Joshua Landis ‘Hit the right tone?’ He isn’t even reporting half the stuff going on in Syria. He isn’t even reporting when police and soldiers die. Maybe they are not people. Perhaps I should do the reporting. I wonder if anyone has seen this video yet. It shows how Nidal Janoud REALLY died (Hint: He wasn’t shot for ‘refusing to shoot a peaceful protesters,’ like the Muslim brotherhood claims):

April 25th, 2011, 1:14 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

The Two sides of Robin-Qunfuz

I absolutely utterly and totally agree with Robin – Qunfuz.

Amir in Tel-Aviv,

Do you also “absolutely utterly and totally agree with Robin – Qunfuz” when it comes to his support for Hamas and their methods?

Qunfuz has 2 standards of morality, one for Arabs and another for Jews.

I’ve written a great deal about Israel’s crimes. Here I’ll write about what Hamas should do. I won’t criticise its choice to resist, which I see as entirely legitimate so long as there is no real peace process [why? see below], and I won’t discuss its evolving methods of resistance, because I don’t think that’s my business or area of expertise. I won’t criticise the so-called ‘coup’ in which it took sole power in Gaza, because it is now common knowledge that it did this to pre-empt an American-Israeli-Dahlan coup against its democratically-elected government, and to restore some kind of order in the territory. And I’m not writing this in an attempt to be ‘objective’ or ‘balanced’; when faced by obvious injustice I see no point in equating the occupier and ethnic cleanser with the occupied and the refugees.

http://qunfuz.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-hamas-should-do.html

It’s time we stopped playing this game. To recognise Israel’s ‘right’ to exist in security is to deny Palestine’s right to exist in security.

http://qunfuz.com/2010/06/06/when-did-resistance-become-a-dirty-word/

From the Hamas Charter:

Article Thirteen: Peaceful Solutions, [Peace] Initiatives and International Conferences: [Peace] initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and the international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem, are all contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement.

http://middleeast.about.com/od/palestinepalestinians/a/me080106b_3.htm

April 25th, 2011, 1:16 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

Akbar,

Is it possible that I can agree with Qunfuz about Syria, while disagree with him about Israel and Zionism? Nothing is personal. It is about issues.

I think he banned me from commenting on his blog, which is OK. any way, I stopped reading what he writes about Israel. Boring compulsive and repetitive.
.

April 25th, 2011, 1:40 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Is it possible that I can agree with Qunfuz about Syria, while disagree with him about Israel and Zionism?

Amir in Occupied Tel Aviv,

You can write or agree or disagree with anyone you want.

For “special people” like Qunfuz and Professor Josh, who have their own websites and claim above average education, I scrutinize their words a little more carefully.

Hag Sameach,

AP

April 25th, 2011, 1:49 pm

 

Kurt said:

Note to Ba’athists and Landis:

Painting a broad brush narrative labeling all democrats ‘Salafists’ and ‘militants’ can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I’ve seen Bashar’s so-called “reform” in a child’s skull blown apart, and a man’s jaw blown off, kill zones, snipers and occupying towns with tanks.

Spare me this apologia and fear-mongering propaganda.

April 25th, 2011, 7:55 pm

 

George Krikorian said:

Syrie

Mère Agnès-Mariam de la Croix de la Communauté du Monastère Saint-Jacques-l’Intercis en Syrie confie son analyse dans une lettre à L’Oeuvre d’Orient.

Au crible des informations tendancieuses, la situation en Syrie
On m’a demandé mon avis sur ce qui se passe chez nous. Vous le savez je travaille en Syrie à la réhabilitation d’un monastère du VIème siècle tombé en ruine. Notre communauté monastique est dévouée au témoignage et à l’unité de l’Eglise d’Antioche et chargée de servir les pèlerins et les personnes en recherche spirituelle. Nous recevons près de 20000 visiteurs par an. Cette affluence, avec le réseau local et régional d’amitiés de la communauté, nous permet d’avoir une idée assez objective de la situation qui nous préoccupe.

J’aimerai d’abord souligner que la politique n’est pas un domaine où je m’aventure, ce qui m’intéresse c’est l’économie du salut qui, cependant, me fait juger de la politique. Aussi, pour ne pas me fier uniquement à ma propre vision je me suis documentée sur le web. Je suis tombée sur des analyses que j’ai trouvées pertinentes et qui m’ont confirmée dans mes intuitions. Ces sites sont en « marge » des réseaux d’informations officiels qui, nous nous le concédons, pratiquent la langue de bois, ou pire, le lissage sémantique pour parvenir à des fins occultes quant ils ne font que puiser, sans vérification, à des sources douteuses.

Il va sans dire que le Moyen-Orient vit des moments de bouleversements majeurs. Il nous est demandé en tant que chrétiens de lire les signes des temps, ce que le Seigneur, Maître de l’histoire, est en train de travailler –au sens johannique (cf Jean 5,17). Il est important aussi de juger de la situation avec un œil spirituel pour pouvoir s’engager dans la réalité des faits d’après notre responsabilité de témoins du Christ.

Un nouveau-né très médiatisé

Les manifestations qui ont commencé en puis en Egypte pour atteindre le Yémen, le Bahrain, la Jordanie, la Libye et la Syrie, sans oublier l’ Arabie Séoudite, sont acclamées et favorisées dans les médias mondiaux comme des mouvements légitimes et spontanés et mêmes charismatiques et inspirés. Quoi de plus louable et digne de sympathie que des foules qui réclament la liberté, la démocratie et le changement constructif au sein de leurs pays respectifs dont les monarchies vétustes et les régimes désuets au pouvoir désormais héréditaire sont tous tyranniques et corrompus?

On nous annonce avec fracas qu’un enfant vient de naître des cendres de l’arabisme moribond, il s’appelle révolution. Avec l’Amérique pour parturiente, et pour marraines la Ligue Arabe et les Nations-Unies, présidées par la France et l’Angleterre, le nouveau-né a été déclaré enfant légitime de la communauté internationale alignée. Son père est l’anti-nationalisme arabe et sa mère la liberté. Pour asseoir sa légitimité il a eu pour témoins les cousins princiers du Golfe, Qatari en tête. Attendrie par sa naissance la communauté internationale s’engage à le protéger contre tout mal, même au prix d’une ingérence qui sera, toujours dans son cas, strictement humanitaire.

Vraie sosie du Christ coranique l’arabisme mondialisé est un enfant-prodige qui parle dès son berceau la nouvelle langue planétaire. Il est le signe de la toute-puissante providence du sacro-saint monde virtuel qui brasse les idées des hommes comme le chef de cuisine mélange sa sauce au goût du jour. Nourrices consciencieuses du nouveau-né, encore aux tétines dans les aréopages du net, les chaînes satellitaires, viennent à grand renfort de câlins, en aide à son isolement affectif. Elles le bercent de nouvelles cantilènes où il apprend qu’en vertu de la nouvelle paternité internationale il n’est pas orphelin mais seulement libéré de sa mère-vampire. Voilà qu’autour de son berceau une nouvelle arabophonie voit le jour en un phénomène médiatique nouveau qu’on n’a pas eu le temps de voir venir et qui s’impose. On zappe à longueur de journée et c’est le même discours, habilement basé sur les dogmes de la nouvelle religion mondiale.

En fait, ce qui nous pose problème n’est pas le phénomène des manifestations contre les régimes de notre région mais le timing, l’effet tendancieux qui est réservé à ces dernières de la part des chaînes satellitaires. Elles étaient préparées pour l’année, le jour et l’heure. Al Jazzirah, huée cependant par les forces de la coalition en Iraq mais transformée aujourd’hui en porte-parole international des valeurs du nouveau Moyen-Orient ; Al Arabiyah, qui s’exprime, Oh paradoxe, au nom de la liberté à partir du fief de la plus grande théocratie arabe à Djeddah ; Al Hurra, née des cendres du régime de Saddam Hussein par insufflation washingtonienne et leurs homologues occidentaux : CNN, le vétéran de la guerre du Golfe, le très royal BBC New, France 24, à peine adoubé, dans leurs versions internationale et arabe. Ces mastodontes évoluent en parfaite consonance idéologique avec les aréopages du net : les leurs propres ainsi que Facebook, Tweeter, Utube ou autre et sont relayés par la presse écrite en ligne.

Notre expérience en Syrie

Tant que l’information ne nous concernait pas nous ingurgitions passivement les nouvelles savamment orchestrées des autres pays en souffrance. Mais lorsque il s’est agit des évènements éclatés en Syrie, nous avons commencé petit à petit à nous rendre compte que ces chaînes n’informent pas elles cherchent à infléchir le cours des évènements par des moyens virtuels perfectionnés. Ce faisant elles représentent un totalitarisme d’un type nouveau qui manipule l’opinion publique. Il nous a été aisé de découvrir que les données médiatiques sont soumises à un subtil filtrage qui fausse leur sens. On les traite d’une manière sélective pour aboutir à une image donnée de la situation et, ce qui est pire, l’orienter insidieusement dans un sens voulu. Une nouvelle « source » de renseignements pour ces chaines est qu’elles quémandent les messages MMS, multimédia, envoyés clandestinement à partir de téléphones portables. Ces messages téléphoniques sont souvent l’unique source d’information visuelle ou sonore pour retransmettre ce qui se passe dans tel ou tel pays. Nos jeunes ont été sollicités par des SMS ou des mails à envoyer ces documents aux chaînes satellitaires avec, en contrepartie, la promesse d’une rémunération financière.

Par appât du gain et parce qu’il y a preneur, tout et n’importe quoi est offert sur ce marché dérisoire de l’information. Un de nos contremaîtres m’a montré un vidéo-clip local réalisé par des jeunes syriens pour illustrer une chanson arabe. On y voit une bande de jeunes habillés de noir circulant armés dans des voitures décapotables comme des gardes de sécurité. A notre grande stupéfaction cette même vidéo a été montrée sur la chaîne Al Jazira comme étant la preuve de l’arrogance des services secrets syriens !

On s’allongerait beaucoup s’il fallait revenir sur tous les montages et fictions des chaînes satellitaires qui ne traitent qu’une partie de l’information et cherchent à imposer leurs propres vues de la réalité. Comme cela a été attesté sur l’excellent Blog Syria Comment de Joshuah Landis , on arrive à transmettre le contraire de ce qu’attestent les personnes interviewées. Le Colonel ‘Uday Ahmad témoigne qu’il roulait avec son beau-frère le Colonel Yasir Qash’ur sur l’autoroute près de Banyas le 10 avril 2011, lorsque des tirs les ont pris en chassé croisé et ont tué sur le coup Qash’ur et huit autres soldats dans leur camionnette. A qui voulait l’entendre le Colonel ‘Uday a affirmé qu’ils n’avaient pas été tués par l’armée mais dans un guet-apens d’inconnus, on lui a fait dire le contraire.

De même sur ce blog on fait état du journal anglais en ligne the Guardian qui assure que des soldats syriens avaient été fusillés parce qu’ils refusaient de tirer sur la foule et se réfère à une vidéo sur YouTube où, en réalité, l’interviewer harcèle un soldat blessé pour lui arracher l’aveu qu’il avait refusé de tirer sur les gens. Question : quand vous n’avez pas tiré que s’est-il passé ? Mais le soldat ne comprend pas la question parce qu’il venait de dire qu’il n’avait pas reçu des ordres pour tirer sur les gens, aussi répond-t-il « rien, les tirs ont commencé de toutes les directions ».

L’interviewer répète sa question d’une autre manière en demandant « pourquoi tiriez-vous sur nous, des musulmans ? » Le soldat lui répond : « je suis aussi un musulman ». Alors l’interviewer lui demande : « pourquoi alors alliez-vous tiré sur nous ? et le soldat de répondre : « nous n’avons pas tiré sur les gens ont nous a tiré dessus sur le pont ».

Non seulement ces pauvres soldats sont abattus cyniquement par des mercenaires mais les médias s’évertuent à en faire des bourreaux !

Des ingérences étrangères dans les évènements

Il faudrait vraiment se désintoxiquer de la désinformation concertée des ces mega medias. Quel zèle haineux a soudainement envahit leurs comités de rédaction pour qu’ils puissent à ce point mentir dans l’agencement de l’image et du son ? En campagne au nom de la liberté les voici qui commencent par nous imposer un totalitarisme de l’opinion qui surpasse en efficacité celle des pires régimes d’antan. Il est décrété que les peuples arabes doivent se révolter et changer de régime à l’aveuglette et à n’importe quel prix pour exorbitant qu’il soit. Il est clair qu’on cherche à créer un vide sécuritaire et à affoler l’habitant. Parallèlement les médias soufflent sur le feu pour l’amener au paroxysme. Ces agissements sont loin de la déontologie journalistique, ils devraient être stigmatisés.

Alix Van Burren, reporter vétéran de la Repubblica, le journal italien bien connu est à Damas et il a envoyé un rapport sur le rôle possible d’agitateurs à la solde de Khaddam à Banyas. Le dimanche deux personnes de l’entourage de l’ex-vice président ont été arrêtées. Des activistes des droits de l’homme ont confirmé qu’ils étaient en train de semer le trouble en distribuant de l’argent et des armes. Haytham al Maleh, un membre de l’opposition, a été le plus explicite à montrer du doigt l’interférence des gens de Khaddam qui « joue avec le sang des innocents » dans et autour de Banyas. Il a aussi mentionné les chiens galeux, loyaux de Rifa’t al Assad, oncle mafieux et déchu de Bashar El Assad. Ces gens, d’après la Repubblica, sont actifs sur la côte entre Tartous et Lattaquieh.

Depuis l’assasinat de Rafic Hariri au Liban, son fils Saad qui accuse la Syrie d’avoir commandité le meurtre cherche à affaiblir le régime, voir à l’éradiquer par tous les moyens.

Aujourd’hui nous lisons dans Wikileaks que ce même Saad Hariri avait demandé aux USA de mettre fin au régime de Assad stipulant que Khaddam et les Frères Musulmans, aidés de Hikmat Al Shebahi pourraient remplir le vide occasionné. Depuis quelques années nous savons que souvent des armes passent par les montagnes qui nous entourent, limitrophes avec le Liban qui sont difficilement contrôlables par la douane en provenance du village pro-haririen de ‘Arzâl. Pas plus tard qu’hier un tracteur a été intercepté contenant des armes, il a passé par devant notre monastère sis sur le chemin de contrebande à l’orée du village. Depuis les années 60 le fondamentalisme sunnite cherche à émerger au sein des régimes arabes. Réprimés par ces régimes, les frères musulmans et les djihadistes salafistes ont constitué des réseaux occultes qui ces dernières années ont infiltrés des jeunes désoeuvrés. Certains, dans notre village, ont été enrôlés pour se battre à côté de Al Qaeda en Iraq et ont été tués.

Les médias et leurs invités tournent en dérision toute nouvelle concernant l’implication de tierces personnes dans les évènements en Syrie et se hâtent de démentir les preuves de la présence de mercenaires professionnels armés et équipés.

Des informations dignes de foi assurent le contraire. Des mercenaires circulent un peu partout. Le cousin de notre tailleur de pierre allait au restaurant depuis une semaine. Une voiture sans immatriculation passe près de lui et l’abat à bout portant. Hier à Deir Atiyeh, village cossu à quatre kilomètres du nôtres, un groupe armé à tiré sur le restaurant le plus sélect et a endommagé plusieurs magasins. La présence de ces mercenaires a fait que nos jeunes des quartiers chrétiens de Homs, Rableh, Qusayr, Dmaineh, Jousseh, ont formé des comités populaires pour fermer l’entrée des ruelles et villages et s’assurer de l’identité de tout arrivant. Ils témoignent que les forces de sécurité elles-mêmes acceptent d’être fouillées. Nos jeunes de Homs ont poursuivi et attrapé des fauteurs de troubles, qui étaient des étrangers de nationalités irakienne, libanaise ou égyptienne, armés et arborant des téléphones portables type Thuraya (connectés par satellites).

Mais ce qui donne le frisson est le récit que m’a fait ce matin un témoin oculaire. Ghazal B.A.B est institutrice de l’école Al Ghassanieh des grecs-orthodoxes à Homs qui compte cinq succursales dans la ville et plus de 3500 élèves chrétiens et musulmans. Ghazal est digne de foi, elle est membre de notre paroisse grecque catholique et très proche de notre monastère depuis des années: Voici ce qu’elle m’a racontée :

Témoignage de Ghazal

« Les manifestants que nous avons vu déferler le jour des Rameaux ne sont pas de Homs. Ils nous demandaient comment se diriger dans les rues. Beaucoup sont des gamins qui portent des sortes de pantoufles qu’ils égarent dans la rue. Ces adolescents se sont targués devant nous de « gagner de l’argent ». Ils ont fait état de sommes d’argent qui leur ont été distribuées pour participer à la manifestation. Pour quelques-uns c’était 500 livres syriennes la journée, pour d’autres c’était 1000 livres syriennes.

Nous avons entendu nos voisins se répéter les uns les autres : « d’où viennent ceux-là et pourquoi doivent-ils s’exprimer chez nous à notre place ? ». Les gens de Homs avaient peur et se barricadaient chez eux. Les manifestants étaient mal élevés, des Hardabasht. A 18h30 ils se sont arrêtés à l’église Saint Antoine des grecs-orthodoxes à Bab El Sbah et ont parlé insolemment avec les Pères Wahib Bitar et Tohmeh Tohmeh qui faisaient les prières des Rameaux. Ils les ont interrompus et leur ont intimé l’ordre de se dépêcher pour terminer. Du jamais vu en Syrie où la coexistence islamo-chrétienne est idéale.

Nos jeunes étaient à leur poste à l’entrée des quartiers sous le contrôle des comités populaires : A Adawiya, Al Nuzhat, Bab El Sbah, Al Zahra’ et Khaldiyé. Ils ont réussi à empêcher l’accès de nos quartiers aux manifestants.

Les manifestants ont continué leur chemin, cassant des magasins, brûlant des pneus et molestant les passants. Ils proféraient des paroles vulgaires et insultantes. On a fait état de personnes assassinées, comme un général qui allait dans sa voiture faire des achats. On leur a tiré à bout portant puis on les a coupés en morceaux pour causer la plus grande frayeur au public. Le même procédé a été utilisé par les salafistes à Nahr El Bared avec l’armée libanaise, où les soldats eurent les yeux crevés et les membres coupés. Durant leurs obsèques tout Homs était bouleversé et acclamait le Président. Mais les médias étrangers n’ont donné aucune importance à cet incident. Ils attribuent tout à des « coups montés » du régime.

Le lendemain après-midi les manifestants sont revenus. Les services d’ordre ont remarqué qu’un immeuble en réfection était infiltré par des snipers. Ils ont entouré l’immeuble pour se saisir des snipers et ont demandé aux forains d’éteindre toute lumière. Quelques-uns des snipers qui cherchaient à fuir ont été touchés par les balles de nos soldats. Ils ont été transportés à l’hôpital militaire. Je connais le médecin en chef de cet hôpital, Dr. Kasser Finar. Le soir il était bouleversé en nous racontant que ces snipers étaient des syriens venus des villages reculés aux confins du désert. Ils étaient drogués au point de ricaner tout le temps et de n’avoir aucune sensation de souffrance.

Hier l’armée a mis la mis sur une cache d’arme importante à Homs, dans la mosquée de Mreij à Bab El Sbah.

Ce soir les manifestants se sont rassemblés autour de la place de l’horloge qu’ils ont nommées « place de la libération ». Nous les avons entendus vociférer sans arrêt durant la nuit des slogans effrayants : « Le front de Homs proclame le Jihad, habitants de Homs, au Jihad ! ». Mais personne de la ville n’a bougé. Vers 4 heures du matin nous avons entendu des salves d’armes à feu et le matin quel fut notre soulagement de voir que toute cette foule hirsute avait été dispersée. Aujourd’hui Homs est comme en état de siège. Les forces de sécurité ont interdit les motocyclettes. Personne ne peut rentrer à Homs mais on peut en sortir. Nous avons tous vu que ces manifestants étaient des occupants à la solde d’une entité extérieure à la Syrie. On nous dit que ce sont des salafistes. Nous n’avons aucune hésitation à le croire, nous avons vu de nos yeux leurs agissements. Ils ne sont pas des nôtres, ils viennent pour un complot occulte, pas pour une réforme constructive. Que Dieu nous assiste. »

Comment situer ces évènements qui se précipitent à la faveur d’un concert médiatique malintentionné ?

Situons les évènements dans le passé et le présent :

D’abord le passé : Il est inévitable de faire mémoire pour comprendre à quel point nous nous trouvons de notre long calvaire au Moyen-Orient. Par quels labyrinthes mortifères nos peuples ont été obligés de s’engager à cause des alliances et contre-alliances ayant trait au conflit israélo-arabe qui à notre grand détriment n’a pas encore été résolu mais s’est compliqué en une nécrose purulente. Depuis la création de l’Etat d’Israël, nous nous trouvons dans une situation de continuelle réélaboration géopolitique sur l’échiquier de la diplomatie et de la politique mondiale à coup d’actions et de réactions. D’abord le panarabisme de Naguib et de Nasser, puis la politique des petits pas de Mr. Kissinger autorisant la partition de Chypres, le dépeçage confessionnel du Liban avec, en arrière-fond la chute du Shah et l’émergence de la République Islamique. Ensuite l’invention du fondamentalisme sunnite avec les Ousamma Ben Laden et les Talibans explosant dans le World Trade Centre puis la guerre du Golfe, celle d’Afganistan et celle d’Iraq. On nous prédisait le nouveau Moyen-Orient à partir d’une anarchie créatrice suite au limogeage du méchant Saddam Hussein. Nous y voilà ! Piètre réalisation en vérité. Combien de sang, de morts, de destructions ? Quelle instabilité, quelle misère, combien de voitures piégées jusqu’à aujourd’hui ! Sans oublier la subtile et occulte redistribution démographique qui, comme au Liban, à Chypres, dans les Balkans ou en Iraq, cherche à morceler la géographie en des entités faibles à prédominance confessionnelle afin que se réalise dans toute sa puissance l’hypothèse du choc des civilisations de Samuel Hungtinton.

Ensuite le présent : Les grandes puissances sont soudainement très soucieuses des Droits de l’Homme dans les pays arabes. N’avaient-elles pas pactisé, mieux collaboré, au grès de leurs intérêts avoués ou occultes, pendant des décennies avec les régimes décriés aujourd’hui ? Mais voilà que, soudain, les dirigeants mondiaux deviennent attentifs aux principes de la démocratie chez nous, au point que Messieurs Obama, Cameron et Sarkozy écrivent une lettre conjointe, apparue le 14 avril dans le Herald Tribune pour consacrer dans des termes pathétiques le principe de leur ingérence « humanitaire » en Libye. Cette ingérence à caractère humanitaire ( ?) crée un précédent qui nous fait aussi peur que la guerre du Liban ou celle de l’Iraq. Elle élimine l’Etat de droit et sape les fondements de l’indépendance des nations, mieux la notion elle-même de nation. La rapidité avec laquelle la communauté internationale, Ligue Arabe et ONU, a réagit contre le régime libyen est déconcertante. Alors qu’il s’agissait de « protéger » la population civile contre les tyrannies de Gaddafi voilà que les frappes de l’OTAN sont en fait pour favoriser et accompagner une rébellion armée qui change la donne. Il ne s’agit plus d’un peuple pacifique qui réclame le changement à ses dirigeants mais d’une guerre civile où la communauté internationale prend parti effective avec l’une des factions contre l’autre.

Puisque l’objection humanitaire est la motivation de ce droit à l’ingérence. Mais alors pourquoi deux poids, deus mesures ? Pourquoi intervient-on en Libye en « faveur » des manifestants tandis qu’au Bahreïn on intervient à leur détriment ? Et que dire du calvaire quotidien de la population civile à Gaza qui sert de perpétuelle chair à canons à Tsahal ?

Aussi, pour notre part, sommes-nous loin de reconnaître dans les manifestations qui envahissent le monde arabe en général et la Syrie en particulier les prodromes d’un quelconque printemps, au contraire nous préconisons le maximum de retenue et de prudence. Nous n’y voyons qu’un acte hivernal impitoyable pour nous enrôler dans un nouveau façonnement qui plaie aux maîtres du monde. Et la preuve est à bout portant, nous lisons dans le Figaro du 18 avril que les USA ont financé l’opposition en Syrie : « Selon le Washington Post, la chaîne Barada TV est proche du Mouvement pour la justice et le développement, un réseau d’opposants syriens exilés. Le Département d’Etat américain a financé ce mouvement à hauteur de 6 millions de dollars depuis 2006. L’administration américaine a commencé à financer des figures de l’opposition sous la présidence de George W. Bush quand ce dernier a rompu ses relations avec Damas en 2005. Les financements ont perduré avec le président Barack Obama…. »

Nous lisons aussi à propos des évènements en Egypte, jugés si spontanés que la plupart des commentateurs disent que les USA ont été pris de vitesse.

« Cependant, bien que Moubarak ne soit certainement pas un ange, l’opposition qui lui fit face apparaît avoir été cooptées par des forces qui sont encore plus questionnables » . Quelles sont-elles ? L’article les analyse avec précision : « Freedom House, une fondation US majeure prépare des activistes pour la révolution . La stratégie s’inscrit dans celle de l’administration américaine divisée en néoconservateurs et néolibéraux. Pour l’organisation et le soutien des manifestions a été appliqué le principe de Joseph Nye, un membre de la commission Trilatérale, qui écrit dans son livre Soft Power : The Means to Success in World Politics : « Quand tu obtiens que les autres admirent tes idéaux et veulent ce que tu veux tu n’as pas besoin de te dépenser à droite et à gauche pour les attirer dans ta direction. La séduction est toujours plus effective que la coercition ». Nyse parle de l’importance des ONG comme possible collaborateurs dans l’administration de la puissance douce. L’alliance entre l’ONG Freedom House et le gouvernement américain a entraîné la mise en marche de forces privées qui exercent des influences malsaines dans la politique étrangère et nationale. De plus Freedom House et ses ONG alliés emploient la puissance douce pour faciliter ce que le néoconservateur Michael Ledeen appelle : « la destruction créatrice ». Un concept révolutionnaire et subversif qui cherche à abattre et à reconstruire chaque aspect de la société pour le rendre inoffensif. Pour finir nous dirons que Freedom House n’est qu’une entité dans un réseau d’organisations gouvernementales et non gouvernementales que des élites déviante utilisent pour conduire des campagnes de déstabilisation, pour remodeler le paysage politique, social, économique des pays et punir les dirigeants nationaux récalcitrants et les dictateurs.

C’est bien de destruction créatrice qu’il s’agit. Les architectes de nos nouvelles révolutions peuvent se vanter qu’à un prix dérisoire ils ont pu allumer un incendie qui tient à la fois du virtuel, du sentimental, de la boule de neige, bref, de la suggestion médiatique. Mais pour mettre le feu aux poudres il n’en faut pas plus et la puissance douce peut se changer en volcan qui charrie tout. Car il s’agit bien d’en arriver là ?

Par-delà le factice, il y a des facteurs composés qu’il faut détecter pour être en mesure d’analyser la situation et lui trouver des solutions adéquates en évitant d’idéaliser l’information qui nous parvient de ces mouvements de masse sous forme de désinformation manipulatrice.

Pour ce faire il faut comprendre la spécificité socioculturelle syrienne qui tient sur des équilibres non pas seulement politiques mais humains. Bien que le parti Baas soit idéologique et essentiellement laïc, il n’en a pas moins gardé, comme tous les autres régimes monarchiques, républicains ou parlementaires de la région, des profondes ramifications dans le tissu tribal et clanique, spécifique du Moyen-Orient. Il tient grâce à ces accointances, grâce à un continuel réajustement des relations cordiales à travers les représentants des grandes et des petites familles. C’est cela qui fait sa force ou sa faiblesse, comme celle des autres régimes de la région. Les médias n’ont pas retransmis la réunion du Président Bachar El Assad avec les notables de Daraa par exemple et le témoignage d’un des participants. Accueillis sans aucun protocole, ils ont été touchés par l’intérêt réel du Président et ce contact a réussit à apaiser les esprits et à créer un espace de dialogue et de concorde.

Jamais une ingérence étrangère ne pourra remplacer le dialogue intérieur et serein dans une famille, une région ou une nation. Je rapporte ici le point de vue d’une blogueuse du nom de Nour qui écrit le 14 Avril : «Je crois qu’il serait naïf de croire que ces « révolutionnaires » avec les médias Arabes postent simplement des vidéos pour disséminer une information qu’ils sont incapables de vérifier. Ils ne sont pas de simples amateurs qui font des erreurs tout le temps. Ceci fait partie d’une campagne organisée et concertée pour inciter les gens à la violence et à la haine. C’est pourquoi je la rejette totalement ainsi que ceux qui organisent cette charade. Quand aux vrais protestataires j’ai déjà accepté quelques-unes de leurs requêtes car elles sont légitimes et j’ai assuré qu’ils avaient le droit absolu de manifester pacifiquement. Mais je condamne avec les termes les plus sévères l’usage de la violence (TOUTE VIOLENCE) par les officiers de sécurité contre les pacifiques protestataires. Cependant je ne crois pas que je devrais soutenir toute personne qui s’oppose au régime pour le simple fait d’être opposition avec le régime. Je ne soutiens pas l’usage de moyens déshonnêtes et dégénérés pour combattre le régime parce que les gens qui utilisent de tels moyens ne sont pas meilleurs que le régime » .

Une révolution sans concertation préalable entre les diverses composantes du peuple n’est pas pensable chez nous car elle constitue une attitude schizophrénique stérile. C’est un laisser-aller mortifère qui fait présager le pire des scénarios à l’avenir. C’est l’inconnu et l’horreur du vide, même si les médias et leurs distingués invités semblent confiants dans l’avenir et pressent vers la déstabilisation du régime.

Déjà au XVIIIème siècle l’Orientaliste Sir William Jones, écrivant des Indes coloniales britanniques, argumentait « qu’un système de liberté imposé à une peuple invinciblement attaché à des habitudes opposées serait en vérité un système de tyrannie. »

Ce que nous craignons est bien prédit par le président russe Mr. Dimitry Medveïev parlant de la situation présente : « Ces pays sont difficiles et il est très probable que des temps durs nous attendent y inclus l’arrivée au pouvoir de fanatiques. Ceci veut dire du feu pour des décades et l’extension de l’extrémisme ». . Aussi notre désir est que l’on cesse de mettre de l’huile sur le feu !

Je crois que la position qui serait de mise est vérité, amour, solidarité et fidélité entre les diverses composantes de la famille syrienne. C’est en regardant Jésus agir dans la transparence avec ses amis et ses ennemis que nous avons l’inspiration de marcher sereinement au milieu d’une situation houleuse. Loin de nous diaboliser mutuellement essayons de nous comprendre les uns et les autres. Tout régime tyrannique est le fruit de la peur mais il est composé par des hommes vulnérables. Nous aspirons à la liberté, à la concorde, aux réformes qui servent l’homme. Main à la charrue dans le droit, la justice et la mansuétude.

Mais nous devons nous opposer aux formes dévoyés de toute ingérence tendancieuse qui ne peut qu’être intéressée, et ce faisant aveugle et insensible au vrai bien de la patrie.

Que cette Semaine Sainte nous rappelle que la croix salvifique du Christ Jésus est la grande révolution qui, seule, construit la civilisation de l’amour sur les bases de la réconciliation et du don de soi. Telle est la puissance de la Résurrection. Nous voulons essayer de la vivre et de la partager autour de nous.

Mère Agnès-Mariam de la Croix

Et Communauté du Monastère Saint Jacques l’Intercis

April 26th, 2011, 1:57 am

 

alia said:

WOW,

Mere Agnes seems more informed of the intricacies of mainstream and nonmainstream media coverage, political theory, orientalist literature :)) and up to date political analysis than 99% of the political commentators in the ME. From Wikileaks to Joseph Nye, to Medveiev…. How does she get all that information in the monastery ?

Allow me to express some serious skepticism abput the authorship of this temoignage….

April 26th, 2011, 2:41 am

 

kina said:

@ALIA,

All you have to do is go to the monastery and you will be impressed by her knowledge in many other subjects.

I think it’s very important to consider alternatives for the Christians and other minorities in Syria. Though Syrians claim to be one, minorities are unlikely to participate in the uprisings. In the case of Christians, survival in the wider picture of their history in the Middle East is what matters. In the case of Alawis, they are asociated with the regime though few have any power. Any change in Syria must protect the minorities, but minorities will more likely be protected (when the regime finally falls) if they are a part of the change. Really, this is a no-win situation at this point. Leaders of minorities, that have had no choice but to negotiate trade-offs with the government to ensure their communitity’s well-being, should consider re-negotiating their alliances.

April 26th, 2011, 8:41 am

 

Die Muslimbrüder mischen heftig mit « kopten ohne grenzen said:

[…] Landis, Direktor des Instituts für Nahoststudien an der Universität Oklahoma, bringt in seinem Syrien-Blogam Wochenende eine interessante Geschichte: Demnach sei der Administrator der „Syrian […]

April 26th, 2011, 5:26 pm

 

What Next? | Syria said:

[…] to WikiLeaks, the US has been supporting Syrian opposition groups for years. There has also been some doubt cast on the motives of one of the main sources of online support for the opposition, as the administrator […]

April 26th, 2011, 10:43 pm

 

rahal said:

les orchestrations et manipulations des services de seccurite cette fois ci ne sont pas passees inaperçues ceux qui veulent faire croire qu’il n’y rien sont des idiots google earth vous permet de naviguer sur une ville et l’outil militaire est plus sofistique jusqu’a voir a quelque centimetres seulement du sol donc acte bombarder et encercler un ville en pretendant que les militaires traquent des rebelles au stade ou est la technologie c’est faire avaler une couleuvre au genie des genies les pro bechar sont depasses part le temps .since 1963 It’s time for the assad family to leave the presidence they had made much atrocity to the citizens syriens and for that they had doesn’t nothing for retake the golan

April 27th, 2011, 2:01 am

 

alia said:

I did check Mere Agnes out and she seems to be the real thing…I would love to visit and chat with her next time I am in the area. I do however take with caution her statement “Cette ingérence à caractère humanitaire ( ?) crée un précédent qui nous fait aussi peur que la guerre du Liban ou celle de l’Iraq. Elle élimine l’Etat de droit” : I hope that Mere Agnes is not suggesting that the “rule of the law” existed in the Iraq of Saddam or exists presently in Syria.
As far as your reference to the necessity that the minorities are facing to seek new alliances, I think it is realistic. It should therefore be looked upon objectively without investing it with too much emotions…minorities are minorities even within great democracies- just witness the situation of African Americans in present day U.S.A., without too much effort you can look at the prison population in that great democracy. So the hope is that the alliances will be driven by realism and a movement “towards” rather than simply a movement “away” from everything else that is available. Anyway, the situation of the minorities today is at least partially a reflection of the regime which has thrived upon sectarian principles, it is not a reflection of the ancient diversity and coexistence of the Syrian people ( yes, yes, there were moments of trouble historically but they also were primarily consequences of political manipulation). On the other hand, I ask myself where the ** did all those MBs spring from, I thought they were more or less eradicated by Hafez al Assad? I simply do not believe that Syria is infested with Salafis and Wahhabis, I know it is not; those are scare tactics of the Assad supporters to the tune…” if you get rid of me something terrible will happen to you”…guess what!! Something terrible has happened to us, that is your father and yourself, so please move”.
And finally, the realization has to dawn on everyone that the scenario is infinitely more complex than that of the simplistic good guys/bad guys ones, I do not believe for a second in the good will of the U.S., in the passive role of Israel, what greater maps are being drawn?, where will we all be when all is said and done?. I do not believe that the enemy of the Christian or the Alawi is the Muslim, there are enemies to the Syrian people who want us to believe that.

April 27th, 2011, 1:14 pm

 

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April 28th, 2011, 11:29 pm

 

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April 29th, 2011, 8:06 pm

 
 
 

Mikhail said:

I can say this the minority of syria have already begun to feel the pressure but not from the govrement strange as it sounds but from the rebels. Iv see video clips on aljazera where the mobs of ppl have been shouting syria is Islamic etc i have relatives i syria and every time i talk to them they say that this ppl who call them self rebels have tryed to trouble for the christian minority in theirs home city. like yesterday one liquor store got burned down by som bearded men. I really hope this so called revolotion doesent end up as badly as it did in Iran. Where the country got mor religious and casted back in timelike 100 years. We se today that this new democratic libirated countrys of the arab spring have begun to walk a more religious path.
Syria’s regim today arent religious it is still considred to be the best country for a christian to live in in the all of the arab countrys.

November 13th, 2011, 12:42 pm

 

Mikhail said:

I can say this the minority of syria have already begun to feel the pressure but not from the govrement strange as it sounds but from the rebels. I have seen video clips on aljazera where the mobs of ppl have been shouting syria is Islamic etc i have relatives i syria and every time i talk to them they say that this ppl who call them self rebels have tryed to make trouble for the christian minority in theirs home city. like yesterday one liquor store got burned down by som bearded men. I really hope this so called revolotion doesent end up as badly as it did in Iran so long ago. Where the country got more religious and got casted back in timelike 100 years. We se today that this new democratic libirated countrys of the arab spring have begun to walk a more religious path.
Syria’s regim today arent religious it is still considred to be the best country for a christian to live in in the all of the arab countrys.

November 13th, 2011, 12:47 pm

 

I knä på kaffirer | | birgitta-markinhuhta.net said:

[…] införts….. Visste ni att mesta av propaganda apparaten på nätet sköts av svenskar ? En av dom största siterna  sköts av en bror till Yasir Al-Sayed-Issa ( jfr TV4 intervju)  (vän till Omar Mustafa) detta kände jag ej […]

September 24th, 2013, 6:45 pm

 

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