The Choice: Building Bridges

I am accompanying the Syrian community now since four months on their several rallies in support with their fellows still threatened from Bashar al-Assad's ruthless regime. The demonstrations they organize aren't compatible to the classical protest movement we know here in our Western civilization. They remind more on happenings, with chants, lyrics, live performance but also with guest speeches, common prayers and an enormous get-together atmosphere.

Especially we Germans associate demonstrations as something serious. Therefore it may be unusual at first sight to see a lot of children participating. Two reasons are to be added to explain why minors also join the rallies: First and most important is the fact that the family values amongst the Syrians are held up high. The kids are not excluded from their parents' engagement.

The second point is that it has many to do with the childrens' future. Nearly all of them are having familiar ties inside Syria. Their relatives live under horrible circumstances even not knowing if they might be arrested in their houses or shot on the street. Those ties create a special form of solidarity with their family members even if they have never visited them before. To grant the younger generation a future where they can decide by themselves if they want to return in the land of their roots or not the involvement of the kids in the whole process is necessary. They should be given the possibility of a choice.

As a child my father included me in his actions against the planned nuclear waste storage place in Gorleben. The yellow-red 'Nuclear Energy? No Thanks!' logo still reminds me on the days of my childhood when I experienced that I haven't to agree with all the government told me. I learned having a choice is an important aspect of life. On this way I like to say: Thanks, Dad! Message received!

The warm atmosphere the Syrians always spread at the anti-regime protests refers to their unity. It doesn't matter what religious or geographic background they have; Kurds from the north are holding the big banners together with Damascenes, Sunnis are chanting arm in arm with Alawis and Seculars, Homsis are joking with Turkmens .. Assad's often cited argument from a deep split in the Syrian society which will lead to a civil war after his retreat simply doesn't function. The images from the Syrian expats I've seen are a mirror of the Syrian society: unity is possible even if the regime tries to convince the whole world from the opposite.

The Syrian freedom tour led us this summer also to Hamburg, Berlin and Strasbourg. Everywhere I met amazing people, humble, open-minded and immense grateful about the fact that someone is showing interest for the Syrian culture. Our awareness and our moral support is both helpful and important for them to regain freedom and dignity and to end the rulership of the Assad dynasty which has cost up to now too many innocents' lives.

'Yes we can!' I'm shouting out to my German and European fellows. Yes, we can say hello the next time we meet one Syrian. Yes, we can find out more about the Syrian culture. Yes, we can explore the Syrian music scene (the Syrians are very musical people, believe me!). Yes, we can discover the Syrian cuisine with all its' tasty dishes. With our awareness we begin to build bridges. We have the choice. It's up to us.

A simple plan?

One question is occupying me: Does Bashar al-Assad play chess? Admittingly an unusual question but I believe it is more than justified now and here. As an academic who has spent years in London‘s society life he may know the ,game of kings‘, probably better than Libya‘s former tyrant Muammar Gaddafi.

To explain my intention we have to go back to the beginning of the uprising against the Syrian regime. After the incidents in Daraa seven and a half months ago a protest wave rolled over the whole country, more and more Syrians have torn down ,the wall of fear‘ the dynasty installed in two generations to maintain their power. Spontaneous protests became better organized, a network was set up through activists, the local coordination commitees began to coordinate the impressive but always peaceful rallies against the monocracy of the Baath party. In response Assad ordered a crackdown of the revolt sending police, military units and the secret services in the rebelling districts.

Violence against civilians is nothing new in Bashar al-Assad‘s Syria. His father Hafez has built up an effective totalitarian police state with many inofficial informants. Freedom and human rights are more than illusive, everyone and everything is controlled by an immense apparatus granting the inner security. The former East German Staatssicherheitsdienst appeared against that as a bunch of bloody amateurs.

But the resistance has grown. What took place mainly on Fridays after the traditional prayers continued from week to week widening to a daily protest movement combined with general strikes, flashmob-like events and other forms of non-violent actions to express the demand of the people: The regime has to step down.

In the first months of the uprising Bashar al-Assad presented himself only three times to the public, promising effective reforms without mentioning further details, imploring a necessary dialog with representatives of the opposition (a group of tolerated officials more loyal to the regime) and constructing a crude conspiracy theory around armed gangs and foreign interests. The suppression of the protesters became, basing on the ,armed gangs‘ legend, more brutal, the shabeeha, an organization of well-paid thugs to threaten and intimidate the civil population, was the first time to be seen in uploaded mobile phone videos doing their dirty, bloody and most lethal business.

The goal of the regime was to eliminate the think tank of the uproar. Those who were responsible organizing simple but effective resistance were chased, detained, killed or had no other chance to flee out of the country trying to support the protest movement from their not voluntarily chosen exile. The offspring occupied the empty strategic positions coordinating the actions on the streets and in the places to raise international awareness and sympathy for the protest movement.

With the beginning of this year‘s Ramadan a new wave of regime violence shattered the Syrian cities and provinces. More civilians lost their lives than in the months before, among them, shocking images of women and children being shot randomly were going around the world and the Western nations began to initiate meetings to impose political and economic sanctions against Syria.

In contrary to Gaddafi who raised his voice during the battle against his own people in Libya threatening each and everyone with retaliation Assad remained silent. Only his foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, made from time to time some provoking remarks. Knowing that they‘re back-upped by their mighty friend Russia the regime officials behaved themselves extremely distinguished in view of the increasing violence of the security forces.

On the other side every attempt the regime thugs and the security forces took to discredit the peaceful protesters ended in pure dilettantism. Videos of so called armed gangs were rapidly discovered as fake footages and arranged visits from western journalists ended merely as a public relations disaster for the regime like in Hama where the army was shortly pulled back to present a calm and quiet city and then returned to continue the crackdown with increasing gunfire.

After the meeting with the delegation of the Arab League who gave the regime another two more weeks to change the crackdown policy Assad‘s security forces began to intense the random violence rapidly. Not one single day ended without at least one killed child. The mortal rate nearly doubled in this time and the free world reacted shocked and speechless. The diplomatic tensions between Syria and the United States reached a new bottom point.

In his latest public appearance Assad sold the world public the image of a calm, distanced ruler who has everything under control. Mentioning that not all went perfect according to the crackdown measures he even started the attempt to marginalize the cruel attacks of the regime thugs. I'm not commenting his threats against the Western world in purpose, this would lead to speculations others kept busy with. Reading the interview I really had the imagination of a giant Halwassa pill sitting next to me and telling that the world is a bit strange but generally fine.

That brings me back to my question. What is the real intention of the regime? A good chess player is in the right moment incalculable. The rest of the time he avoids appearing in any form superior. Where Gaddafi completely failed Assad seems to know the chess rules. He made the world believe that he‘s short-sighted and incompetent. But in my opinion he follows the whole time a clear strategy to maintain his rulership and to justify the abnormal violence against the civil society.

After eliminating the second generation of activists and protest organizers who at least thought about the option their successors seem apparently willing to start an armed uprising as only chance to get rid of the regime and to end the continuing crimes. What sounds like the ultima ratio bears at this point an enormous risk: If this happens before big brother Russia may have dropped down his cronies in Damascus Assad‘s tactic unfortunately has a chance for success. All what the regime wants is to turn the historic peaceful movement into a violent one. Provoking the civilians with abnormous crimes against humanity Assad urges the protesters to become frustrated and to hit back. Than the whole process of the last half year would be led ad absurdum.

Some may argue now that it is easy to sit in a safe place in the middle of Europe commenting the situation from outside. That it is arrogant to write about the inhuman incidents without ever being self in such a situation not knowing how the people inside Syria really think and feel about it. The decision in what direction the uprising may head is neither up to me nor to everybody outside. The only ones who can handle it are the Syrians in the country. But I hope that they have the power to resist all the regime‘s cold-blooded provocations. And that Assad‘s tactics will finally fail.

Speech from 29/10/11 in Munich (translated version)

I was asked to write and carry a speech on the solidarity rally for Syria and the other uprisings in the MENA region. I focussed on the terror regime from Bashar al-Assad trying to explain my fellows the dramitic situation. Here's the english translation of my original German recitation:

A small girl is struck by flying metal pieces of a splinter bomb and seriously injured. Screaming after her mother the blood-flooded child is lying on a couch and treated by first assistants.

The motionless body of a young man lies in the midst of remains on the asphalt. Screams and gun fire are to be heard. His friend ventures behind the protecting house wall out to rescue him. He is hit by a bullet and slumps beside the corpse lifelessly.

On a stretcher lies a small boy. A shot hole gapes in his neck. His far torn open eyes are wandering around the first aid helpers. After a little while he dies due to the massive blood loss.

Only a few hours after his little daughter was shot on the open road a man is run over by a tank and dies.

Descriptions we expect from reports about Somalia or Iraq. But this happens in Syria. In the towns and villages such cruel horror reports have become normality.

The culprits are by no means guerrilla warfares or terrorists. They are soldiers and special unities who act on order of the brothers Bashar and Maher al-Assad. Bashar is still the president of the land, Maher has the upper order about the armed forces. Both co-ordinate the actions of the Secret Services of the land, the Mukhabarat and the Shabiha, a bunch of mercenaries, among them also Lebanese and Iranian fight brigades.

Since beginning of the peaceful uprising against the regime in Damascus have fallen victim according to organizations of human rights and activists over 3,500 civilians up to now to the pitiless terror of the state apparatus, under them more than 250 children.

While the world community consults about action measures and has imposed economic as well as diplomatic sanctions, Russia and China still refuse to give up their support of the regime. No vigorous resolution could be dismissed up to now by the hard posture of both great powers on the part of the United Nations.

Also the Arab League is not able till this day to restrain Assad of his inhuman actions by a clear conviction and the necessary measures. The governments of Algeria and Sudan block with her veto urgently required measures for the protection of the Syrian civil population.

Furthermore the Syrian regime shows no signs which point to a dialog or a serious reform. Instead, contrived conspiracy theories as well as the myth of armed gangs are spread about the state-controlled media to justify the crude action against peaceful unarmed demonstrators.

Parts of the Syrian army have separated themselves already from the order and are submerged. Like the demonstrators and the activists in the land they are facing in case of her seizure the sure death. As Free Syrian Army they try sporadically to prevent bigger infringements on civilians. Besides, it concerns by no means provoked fightings, but exclusively pure defensive measures against the government-loyal attackers who not even shrink back from the use of internationally outlawed ammunition.

Every Friday the same tragic ritual recurs from Jisr Ashgour in the north to Daraa in the south: the mainly sunni population proceeds on the way in the mosques for the traditional Friday prayer. Soldiers and marksmen cover meanwhile position and surround the prayer houses. After the services the demonstrators form up in the streets to demand the resignation of the regime singing and chanting. While special unities of the Secret Services and the police carry out arbitrary house searches and shrink not even back from looting and devastation, the first shots fall. Tanks roll through the towns to intimidate the population. Injured can be rescued only at the risk of the own life. Dead people are buried in private property gardens. Minarets are shelled in pieces. Whole house fronts are littered from countless shot holes. The streets destroyed by the armoured chains are partly impassable. Hospitals are searched by security forces and the military systematically after regime opponents. Who performs first help to them, will be either detained or immediately killed.

All that happens in a land whose president is a qualified doctor. The Hippocratic oath is just a little worth like the supposed reforms in whose conversion the regime has no interest. Russia and China can still demand so often a dialog, Assad will continue without reduction with his variant of the policy which reminds of Shakespeare's Richard III: "Why, I can smile .. and murder while I smile!"

This week a counterdemonstration took place in Damascus arranged by the regime which should allow to give cheers to Assad‘s bloody. To both sides of the rally place gigantic Russian and Chinese flags were to be seen. While the national anthem was played, the camera of the Syrian state television turned about the crowd. Countless regime-loyal stretched their right arm to the fascist greeting up, under it many young women. A picture which should cause bewilderment among the Germans whether of their own past. Especially Munich and his inhabitants should put on a clear sign against such pictures because of their appreciated engagement against right-wing extremism of every complexion.

Yes, amongst others Bashar al-Assad and his followers are also radically right-wing. The regime maintains in neighboring Lebanon the Syrian-socialist national party whose flag reminds remarkably of those of the German National Socialists. Assad represents the perverted picture of an uebermensch, as man about life and death which feels in the right to classify others than of minor value. Besides, his brother Maher plays a central role as an executive organ. Mahers cold-bloodedness and indifference towards the human life is documented in a video which shows him after the suppression of a prison uprising how he takes photos with his mobile phone of the tattered corpse parts.

Asked, why he goes forward with such brutality against the people in his own land, Bashar al-Assad answered only recently: „The world lets me do this.“ We are the world. Can we let him really do this? Can our conscience answer for it that the much-quoted ,Fourth Reich‘ exists now and here in Syria? I say clearly no.. It is time to take our personal responsibility in the duty to demand from our officials to do all possible to stop to the mass murder and to support the revolutionary forces in Syria and the Syrian National Congress. The big majority is tyrannized by an unscrupulous sadistic minority, is kidnapped, suppressed to death and systematically tormented. Let us join to the right side and demand the end of the Assad regime. Here and today.

(Photography: screenshot from Dounya TV)