During my time in Syria, sadly there was a great deal of bitterness evident towards Shi'ites (interestingly the word "Shia" came first to people's lips before "Alawites" did). I think this can be partially put down to the fact that there are few Alawite communities in the countryside of Aleppo or Idlib, unlike that of Hama or Homs, where they are much more numerous.
The towns of Fua and Kfarya, in Idlib, and Zahra and Nibol in Aleppo are majority twelve Shi'ite towns which currently act as regime strongholds in these areas. Many people I spoke to mentioned these places by name and the anger and bitterness was all too evident, the bitterness of betrayal. I heard, over and over again, how before the revolution there were no differences between them, and how they'd happily visit each others' towns without incident, and also on how Syrians opened their doors for Iraqi and Lebanese refugees, only for Hizbullah and the Iraqi government to actively aid Assad as he destroys the country.
I remember sitting with a group, and one of them made a flippant remark on Shi'ites, at which I point I mentioned how I knew many Iraqi Shi'ites back in London, all of whom supported the Syrian revolution (although I had not spoken to them for a long while, and who knows? they may well have changed their minds - one good friend told me he could no longer support the armed rebellion in view of Al-Qaeda now being present and qualms about rebel crimes, mentioning Abu Saqqar). He didn't seem very convinced.
But who am I to criticise? I, who did not have a particularly religious upbringing, by a mother completely and utterly against sectarianism in all its forms, am no better. At times over the last few years, I won't deny being consumed with sectarian anger, towards brainwashed Shi'ite sheep firmly lodged in the rectum of their clergy, murderous Alawites happy to butcher children with knives and fence-sitting Christians too cowardly to follow the example of Christ. If Syrians of all stripes had stood together, maybe this terrible juncture would never have been reached, and ISIS would have no place now in Syria.
It all sounds so primitive and irrational, and it is. Yet try as I might, I could not reason my way out of it. And I am sitting in comfort and ease thousands of miles away, thankfully with none of my close family having been harmed the last three years. So imagine what people inside, suffering terribly, are thinking. I'm sure that many, many young Syrian children are now brimming with burning hatred to Shi'ites and Alawites, and will grow up and pass this on to their children. I've come to wonder that such sectarian and chauvinist sentiment is inescapable, and may even be necessary, acting at times as a protective mechanism for the "group".
I have always despised the Saudi regime and the Gulf's treatment of Shi'ites. No-one was happier than me after 2006 where Hizbullah managed to hold their ground against Israel. I would watch Nasrallah's speeches to improve my Arabic and trawl through the net for material on the Party of God. I would say to myself that I would be the last person to abandon support for Hizbullah, and now I find myself hoping that their soldiers get killed in Syria.
I have never lived in Syria, but I do not think that the ridiculous sectarianism which is de riguer in the Gulf was an issue in Syria before the revolution. It is now, and will continue to be so for decades at least. The idiotic Shi'ite political powers in the region have now ensured its place, giving the Saudi royal family the best gift they could possibly wish for.
Obviously many, many of the beloved "Sunnis" are just as capable, probably even more so, but now the perception is there that Assad's supporters from minorities do so out of sectarian tribal sentiment. It is dangerous to indulge such generalisations with all their flaws and limitations, but let us not lie to ourselves either.
So what is the way out? how to cleanse Syrian hearts from entirely understandable and expected hatred?
Even the most disgusting vile shabih may have tiny, innocent children who have done no wrong, and do not deserve to partake in their father's entirely justified punishment and excoriation. The Alawites of Syria need this revolution more than anybody else, far more than the "Sunnah" - the Assads have ensured that Alawi identity is firmly tied to them, with the expectation that they will have a shared fate.
Jeel Al-Huriyeh (The freedom generation) is coming - are they to be brought up as free men and women, able to speak their mind and living in peace with Syrians of all stripes, or are we to start yet another cycle of hatred? (I do not like it when famous brigade commanders refer to Alawites as Nusairis, almost as if reminding them of a time when they were firmly in this shit and under the boot of the majority, for centuries.)
I cannot deny that I have precious little love for those Syrians who did nothing as their countrymen got slaughtered or even actively participated for it, but I refuse to transfer this to the next generation. To paraphrase Bobby Sands, our revenge will be the laughter of our children. All our children.
Lest you think what irrational nonsense this is, you are no better - come and live in Syrian shoes - I am trying, desperately hard, not to cave in to anger and bitterness, because then I would be no better than the thug from the coast who has been incubating that selfsame bitterness for far too long.
Thursday 21 November 2013
Saturday 16 November 2013
Black Flag
I'm sure many Syrians outside in the diaspora, only able to follow events on the ground through the medium of the internet, have noted, with no small amount of worry, the seeming lack of Syrian revolutionary flags, and the prominence of various types of "Islamic banners", be it those brandished by rebel brigades or in whatever peaceful demonstrations still occur in Syria despite it being a time of war now (sadly).
While I am certainly not an "Islamist" in the conventional sense, I would not consider myself a secularist or liberal either (I'm still working it out), so popular religious sentiment doesn't bother me (on the contrary) as it might do for more secular Syrians, be they inside or outside the country. Regardless, it worried me as well initially, because it raised the possibility that the original goals of the revolution were being lost, that of freedom for Syrians of all stripes, to be replaced by a widespread call for an "Islamic state" (a vague concept even for its most vociferous proponents, who haven't bothered to flesh out what it means or entails).
I recently spent a week, working in liberated areas in Idlib and Aleppo governorates. I cannot say that I saw many revolutionary flags, and various flags and banners with the shahadah were much more prominent, at rebel checkpoints or in people's shops or houses. In a large town near Aleppo, the black flag, as I call it, was everywhere. On the walls of people's houses and shops, or flying from lamp-posts and so on.
I would tell you a bit more about the town. During the fight against the regime, most of the population fled, with someone telling me how it was reduced from 25,000 to 2,000, with FSA rebel fighters hiding in the hills on the outskirts of the town. Despite great odds, and precious little help, they managed to liberate the whole town, and capture the town's huge military base for themselves. Thankfully, the townspeople returned, and the population has now swelled to 50,000, what with the obvious influx of refugees.
I'm sure you can imagine how difficult and hellish that period of their lives must have been. Thankfully the town is tens of kilometres from the front against the regime in Aleppo, and the town is entirely liberated and free. While obviously the situation is far from perfect, it is in better shape than most other places, praise God.
The Syrian revolution started out as peaceful protests to try and induce this rotten regime to change, to allow for the freedoms they have denied us for so long. In response, Assad has turned the country into fire and ash, sending it into hell. To me, the revolution is now about something much more profound than simple political reforms and basic freedoms, although these are obviously still essential goals. It has now become a struggle about who we are as a people, and what values we hold. Are we slaves to willingly accept the boot of the thugs and murderers, who happily rape women and butcher children with knives, in response for mere "security"? Or are we to live as free men who refuse to compromise our dignity, and our belief in the sanctity of the lives of people whose only crime was to speak their minds?
When the revolution has now turned into a struggle over the most basic or even primordial rights (for lack of a better word), what will Syrians hold on to? Islam's affirmation of the sanctity of human life is a direct affront to this rotten regime, and to all the other rotten governments of the region, all of whom happily torture and execute unceasingly. In such an existential struggle, are we really surprised that Syrians would turn towards their religion even more than before (Especially in the conservative towns and villages of northern Syria)?
I met and spoke with many people of all stripes, and not once did I hear or get the impression that they were now fighting merely to impose an Islamic state - it still remains a struggle for freedom and dignity, albeit now with much greater urgency. Young men, younger than me, who are married with young children, all go and fight regardless of the risk to themselves. I met someone who fought on the frontline 4 days after getting married, and lost an eye, and he simply, pardon the language, didn't
give a fuck.
Interestingly, after having befriended some people and becoming "friends" on facebook, one thing which is noticeable is that the photos or posts they have on their pages earlier on in the revolution sport the tricolour revolutionary flag, but more recent ones feature the black "tawhid" banner - in the process, they hadn't suddenly become "fanatics", I can assure you.
After my limited time there, with hours and hours of conversation, I finally understand. The one souvenir I took from Syria is pictured below, which I will hang on the wall of my flat alongside the traditional revolutionary flag. It has earned its place.
ADDENDUM
One more thing, I saw the supposed "Al-Qaeda" flag sported by ordinary Syrians, those who absolutely despise the ISIS / Da3esh bastards - remember that that particular flag is an actual banner of the prophet, so don't automatically assume that anyone who waves it is automatically an ISIS supporter.
While I am certainly not an "Islamist" in the conventional sense, I would not consider myself a secularist or liberal either (I'm still working it out), so popular religious sentiment doesn't bother me (on the contrary) as it might do for more secular Syrians, be they inside or outside the country. Regardless, it worried me as well initially, because it raised the possibility that the original goals of the revolution were being lost, that of freedom for Syrians of all stripes, to be replaced by a widespread call for an "Islamic state" (a vague concept even for its most vociferous proponents, who haven't bothered to flesh out what it means or entails).
I recently spent a week, working in liberated areas in Idlib and Aleppo governorates. I cannot say that I saw many revolutionary flags, and various flags and banners with the shahadah were much more prominent, at rebel checkpoints or in people's shops or houses. In a large town near Aleppo, the black flag, as I call it, was everywhere. On the walls of people's houses and shops, or flying from lamp-posts and so on.
I would tell you a bit more about the town. During the fight against the regime, most of the population fled, with someone telling me how it was reduced from 25,000 to 2,000, with FSA rebel fighters hiding in the hills on the outskirts of the town. Despite great odds, and precious little help, they managed to liberate the whole town, and capture the town's huge military base for themselves. Thankfully, the townspeople returned, and the population has now swelled to 50,000, what with the obvious influx of refugees.
I'm sure you can imagine how difficult and hellish that period of their lives must have been. Thankfully the town is tens of kilometres from the front against the regime in Aleppo, and the town is entirely liberated and free. While obviously the situation is far from perfect, it is in better shape than most other places, praise God.
The Syrian revolution started out as peaceful protests to try and induce this rotten regime to change, to allow for the freedoms they have denied us for so long. In response, Assad has turned the country into fire and ash, sending it into hell. To me, the revolution is now about something much more profound than simple political reforms and basic freedoms, although these are obviously still essential goals. It has now become a struggle about who we are as a people, and what values we hold. Are we slaves to willingly accept the boot of the thugs and murderers, who happily rape women and butcher children with knives, in response for mere "security"? Or are we to live as free men who refuse to compromise our dignity, and our belief in the sanctity of the lives of people whose only crime was to speak their minds?
When the revolution has now turned into a struggle over the most basic or even primordial rights (for lack of a better word), what will Syrians hold on to? Islam's affirmation of the sanctity of human life is a direct affront to this rotten regime, and to all the other rotten governments of the region, all of whom happily torture and execute unceasingly. In such an existential struggle, are we really surprised that Syrians would turn towards their religion even more than before (Especially in the conservative towns and villages of northern Syria)?
I met and spoke with many people of all stripes, and not once did I hear or get the impression that they were now fighting merely to impose an Islamic state - it still remains a struggle for freedom and dignity, albeit now with much greater urgency. Young men, younger than me, who are married with young children, all go and fight regardless of the risk to themselves. I met someone who fought on the frontline 4 days after getting married, and lost an eye, and he simply, pardon the language, didn't
give a fuck.
Interestingly, after having befriended some people and becoming "friends" on facebook, one thing which is noticeable is that the photos or posts they have on their pages earlier on in the revolution sport the tricolour revolutionary flag, but more recent ones feature the black "tawhid" banner - in the process, they hadn't suddenly become "fanatics", I can assure you.
After my limited time there, with hours and hours of conversation, I finally understand. The one souvenir I took from Syria is pictured below, which I will hang on the wall of my flat alongside the traditional revolutionary flag. It has earned its place.
ADDENDUM
One more thing, I saw the supposed "Al-Qaeda" flag sported by ordinary Syrians, those who absolutely despise the ISIS / Da3esh bastards - remember that that particular flag is an actual banner of the prophet, so don't automatically assume that anyone who waves it is automatically an ISIS supporter.
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