I couldn't have been happier today after hearing that the Syrian National Council has been finally formed head by Burhan Ghalioun, who I honestly haven't heard of before the start of the Syrian revolution. So obviously for now I and many other Syrians will be supporting this council, and although it is not representative of all the political parties and other entities in Syria it does represent (according to Mr. Burhan) nearly 80% of all Syrian entities whether political or ethnic.
Following my last post titled "The Way Forward" which points out how the Syrian revolution needs to take a different path than its counter parts in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya by properly planning the steps taken by those in the forefront of the revolution to ensure a transitional phase that will actually be able to accomplish the aims of the revolution, with much less obstacles as compared to other revolutions. I advise you guys to read it, it’s a pretty good read, if you do rush to read it please ignore the typos, And! Maybe you could leave a comment or rate it or something.. you know.
In relation to that previous post I think this National Council will be able to eliminate any uncertainties and fear of the unknown that the silent majority has, and will (if the council does its job properly) create more backing for the revolution from people that are still undecided or those that are currently pro-regime but have been growing tired of the situation.
In any case, what I would like to see from this Syrian National Council next is an action plan and mechanisms by which they will ensure the revolution is successful in toppling the regime (which has been stated as the aim of the council) and the way this council will carry out the transitional phase from a dictatorial regime to a regime that is representative of all the people. What I would also like to see is that the National Council allows other entities that have been formed to support the Syrian revolution or Syrian political parties or Syrian organizations from different backgrounds the ability to take part in the council. According to Mohammad Al Oudat, A Syrian Journalist, 15 political parties within Syria are not represented in the council.
That said, a lot of the people that support the revolution in Syria have decided to support the Council for the time being but have stated that they won't raise their hopes too high and will be watching the steps the council take very closely. It is very possible that this council will lose a lot of its internal support and thus credibility if it carries out things that people believe to be in the wrong direction or are counter-productive. Anything like arguments that break out in the council for any reason that is thought to be insignificant, or making the wrong decisions for example agreeing to hold talks with the current regime or accepting any foreign military intervention or taking the liberty to act on behalf of the revolutionaries rather than acting as a tool to support the revolution.
In any case the Syrian National Council has finally been formed and I support it because for the time being it is the only alternative available.
2 comments:
Dear Arabian Camel
I am writing on behalf of Dr. Imad Salamey Associate Professor of Political Science at Lebanese American University. My name is Naghmeh Mahmoudi, assistant of Dr. Salamey.
As part of a research program inspired by the Arab spring and protest movement in general Middle East, we are conducting interviews with protest movement leaders and activists who have organized mass action in 2011. The research program aims to determine main characteristics of the reform movement in terms of common and different traits across countries.
In connection to this, we would like to seek your assistance in recommending Syrian activists and protest leaders in-country or abroad who are willing to be publically interviewed for academic research purposes. We hope that you can help us locate possible participants. If you are an activist in or outside Syrian, we would like to have you as a participant as well.
The interviews will be carried out via phone or email. We would thus appreciate relevant contact information.
Your support in this regard is very valuable, we’re hoping that the research findings will shed the lights on the main drivers for change in the Middle East and contribute to a greater understanding of contemporary Middle East.
I regret that I had to contact you through your blog, but I hope that you can provide me with your proper email. You can contact me on my email.
Best regard,
Naghmeh Mahmoudi
Research Assistant of Dr. Salamey, Lebanese American University
MA student in Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark
namah10@student.sdu.dk
Imad Salamey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Lebanese American University
P.O. Box 13-5053 Chouran
Beirut, Lebanon 1102-2801
Tel: 961-1-786-456 Ext: 1494
Fax: 961-1-867-098
http://imad.salamey.lau.edu.lb
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