You could sense something was different. The atmosphere was electric, it was filled with bewilderment, cluelessness, shock and fear with a bit of excitement. I was sitting with two of my friends in a coffee shop in Damascus and after saying our greetings and asking how each one was doing the logical and natural next topic was about the situation in the country. We weren't able to hide our excitement; I smiled and so did my friends. One of my friends smile didn't last long though and he asked me "how long do you think it's going to last?"

At that point I didn't really think of that. The excitement that we as a people of that country have finally reached that point where we collectively had enough with it all, was all I was thinking about. I thought about the prospects of finally getting to have some of our freedoms and finally being able to call out the corrupt for the corruption that they have dragged the country into and to be able to fix it and build it was all I was thinking about. A quick thought of the question and how things were going add to that recent experiences in other countries and I said "I guess 6 more months".

My friend looked at me and said "its going to take much more and we are going to suffer a lot before we get rid of this regime".

Five years have passed since then and I am in a country I never thought I would have ever lived in. I've been through things like most Syrians but nothing like the pain and suffering a lot of Syrians had to go through. I left, when I didn't really want to leave but maybe (and this is what I tell myself) I wasn't destined to be there now; maybe I'm supposed to be doing something else and help in other ways that are different from what I have imagined myself doing at the beginning of it all. But I still have to figure that out.

I've thought long about starting to write again on this blog, but because of personal circumstances I couldn't. I still don't think that is a good idea but I'm planning on doing it anyways.

5 years have passed and today everything I believed in before it all happened just seems right now like the biggest lie I have ever believed in. Those that I believed were righteous have turned out to be the most wicked, those that I hoped will stand by the people of Syria have turned their backs; people that I have trusted and always thought as having the highest of morals and conscious turned out to be cold and hard hearted.

5 years have passed and Syrians have divided into a thousand factions when they were two at the beginning, those that were with and those that were against. I don't believe there is a short term solution without one of the sides losing totally to the other and unless that happens more people will have sacrificed their lives and a lot more will have died for no reason.

5 years have passed, and with every heartbreaking news I hear or see I still believe that the revolution will go on and Syrians will get what they want and what they rightly deserve. Freedom, Dignity, Justice.

Conformity and obedience to authority; What makes people do the unthinkable

“On April 4, 2004, a man calling himself officer Scott called a McDonald’s in Mount Washington, Kentucky, U.S.A. He told the assistant manager, Donna Summers, who answered the phone, there had been a theft and that Louise Ogborn was the suspect. Ogborn, eighteen, worked at the Macdonald’s in question, and the man on the other line told Donna Summers to take her into the restaurant’s office, lock the door, and strip her naked while another assistant manager watched. He then asked her to describe the naked teenager to him. This went on for more than an hour, until summers told officer Scott she had to return to the counter and continue her duties. He asked her if her fiancé could take over, and so she called him to the restaurant. He arrived shortly after, took the phone, and then started following instructions. Scott told him to tell Ogborn to dance, do jumping jacks, and stand on the furniture in the room. He did. She did. Then, Officer Scott’s requests became more sexual. He told Summer’s fiancé to make Ogborn sit on his lap and kiss him so that he can smell her breath. When she resisted, officer Scott told him to spank her, which he did. More than three hours into the ordeal, officer Scott eventually convinced Summers’s fiancé to force Ogborn to perform oral sex while he listened. He then asked for another man to take over, and when a maintenance worker was called in to take the phone, he asked what was going on. He was shocked and skeptical. Officer Scott Hung up.”

Conformity in groups is an important aspect of human behavior. When we are in groups sometimes and most people conform to wrong decisions and outcomes just to be part of the consensus reached by that group of people even though it might be the wrong result and you knew that it was wrong.

For the past two years we have seen incredible inhumane acts being carried out by people that support the Syrian regime and we kept on asking, how someone can do such horrendous acts against other people.

I came across a chapter in a book written by David McRaney called “You are not so smart” which considers the psychology of the human behavior in an entertaining way. In one of the chapters it talks about conformity and how it affects us.

The story above is an example of conformity. The writer asks what makes a person follow the commands of another person they have never met or have any proof that he was a figure of authority.

To answer that question the author brings up an experiment that was carried out to demonstrate the effect of decision making in a group of people. In the experiment the groups were given a series of lines of differing lengths. They were asked to match the lines that were of the same length. In one group the majority were actors that were told to match lines that were obviously not the same length. One person was placed in the group to see how that person will react to the decision that group has made. In that experiment 75% of the people that at first disagreed finally caved in and went along with the decision of the group. Not only did they conform without being pressured, but when later they were questioned they seemed oblivious to their own conformity. When the experimenter told them they had made an error, them came up with excuses as to why they made mistakes instead of blaming the others.

The video below shows another experiment that was conducting in 1963 examine the extent of conformity people will go to.

The above video of the experiment was conducted in response to the Holocaust.

The experimenter in the above video wondered if an entire nation could have its moral compass smashed, or if conformity and obedience to authority were more likely the root of so much compliance to commit unspeakable evil.

The experimenter of the above video concluded that “his subjects, and probably millions others, saw themselves as instruments instead of people. When they became extensions of the person doing the terrible act, their own will was put aside where it could remain clean of sin. Conformity, therefore can be manufactured when the person looking for compliance convinces others they are tools instead of human beings.”

“..when you can see your actions as part of just following orders, especially from an authority figure, there is a 65% chance you will go to the brink of murder. Add the risk of punishment or your own harm the chances of conformity increases.”

Going back to the incident of Officer Scott mentioned in the beginning, the writer says that “by the time it was uncomfortable (for the people on the other end of the phone), the situation had grown in power. They feared retribution if they didn’t follow new orders, and once they had crossed the line in to territory their morality couldn’t condone, they phased out of their own personality and into the role of an instrument of the law.”

The writer finally concludes that we should beware of our desires to conform and that conformity is strong and unconscious. Although at times conformity makes things easier for us, especially when it comes to social conventions. However, he warns of the other side of the dark places conformity can lead to and adds “Never be afraid to question authority when your actions could harm yourself or others, even in simple situations...”

The Battle of Damascus

The battle of Damascus has officially started today.

Last week the Free Syrian Army stated that it was ready to intensify its operations in Damascus. But that didn't spark the current situation as the FSA has been till then only defending the areas it was present in when regime thugs raided the areas or carried out other attacks. What has sparked the current confrontations between the FSA and regime thugs (Asad army and security thugs) is the attack that was carried out yesterday and the day before on the Palestinian refugee camp, Al Tadamon, martyring Palestinians and Syrians in the area.

Enraged by the act and the subsequent comments made by the foreign ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdesi (an idiot who said that Palestinians are guests in Syria and that they have behaved wrongly) protests have erupted in Damascus in support of Tadamon and other areas and cities being bombarded and attacked by the regime.

Predictably, the regime decided to deal with this upscale by the people of Damascus with an iron fist only to be confronted by the FSA, whom as previously stated have increased its presence in Damascus and its suburbs. A leaked document from Asad's Army General Command has given all security branches the right to use recently purchased weapons and armored vehicles where each branch sees fit to crush any protest they see. Document on the right in Arabic.

Clashes between the FSA and Asad thugs are reported in Qadam, Midan, AlQazaz, Nahr Aisheh, Sina'a, Dahadel Sayeda Zainab, Al Zahera, Yilda (Damascus Suburbs); whereas protests have erupted today in Midan, Rukn Eldeen, Baghdad Street, Aqraba, Kafr Souseh, Qoudsiya and many areas where protesters have blocked roads most importantly international road to Jordan (Deraa Highway). Images and videos below are from Damascus today, which show different areas where fitting between the FSA and Asads thugs are taking place.

  

An Orphaned Revolution

Its been a long 5 months. The last time I posted people were doubting the existence of the Free Syrian Army, there were still people that believed Asad could turn things around, Damascus was a quiet place to be, Homs still had some streets that were not destroyed and we were counting the number of martyrs everyday. 5 months later we are now counting the number of massacres, Homs is destroyed and is under siege like the siege placed by Israel on Gaza, the Free Syrian Army controls 60% of the country, and Asad and his thugs have completely lost it and have gone crazy.

Yet there are still some things that remain the same. Those things that matter the most that Syrians hoped would have helped in removing this tyrant and help them in getting their deserved freedom. Arabs, muslims and the entire world remained the same. They talk, and Syrians die.

It has been extremely difficult watching things from far, we try to help where we can, but nothing can be compared to the sacrifices those inside the country have made. Those brave, righteous, steadfast, simply amazing  people of Syria, those that have taken to the streets to protest peacefully for change, and later on carried guns to take what is rightfully thiers, are the ones that will forever change the shape of this world. I am not exaggerating. The Russian foreign minister even said it himself, that if the Syrian regime falls there will be a new world order. This just shows the importance of this revolution.

The Syrian Revolution, probably the greatest revolution against the most tyrannical, fascist regimes that ever existed will prevail. Even though the Syrian people have been left to fight out their war alone against this regime that is supported by most of the nations in this world that would rather see this regime stay than have the Syrians create something that will disrupt their plans. Abandoned by most people, abandoned by Arabs and muslims all over the world, this revolution has become an orphaned revolution.

Malek Jandali Freedom Qashoush Symphony

Malek Jandali a famous Syrian composer who has been a supporter of the Syrian revolution, composes this new symphony based on the song that was written and sung by the martyr Ibrahim Al Qashoush. Qashoush's famous song "Go away Bashar" was a turning point in Syrian protests as the song set a new vibrant and explosive rythm and atmosphere to the protests. This is Malek Jandali's tribute to Qashoush who will forever be remembered for his huge impact on the Syrian revolution.

Songs of The Syrian Revolution

A beautiful voice from Hama sings for the revolution.

Can You Still Support?

The question is, can you still support Assads' murderous tyrannical regime with all this happening? Believe it or not, there are still people that do...

The Free Syrian Army is Real

A couple of times I have seen commentators on different news channels saying that the free Syrian Army doesn't really exist or is hyped up and is not wide spread as people may think. But there has been alot recently that suggests otherwise.

Even though, it is true that the members of this newly formed "Free Syrian Army" are not well equiped and probably are less experienced and less trained than Assads 4th division and Special forces units (that are the most loyal to this regime) they are definitely more motivated and a stronger belief in the rightuousness of their struggle. This is evident when we consider that it took Assads forces more than a week before they were able to enter certain areas of Homs.

Today Assads' army is bombarding towns and of Zabadani and Madaya located in the Suburbs of Damascus. This has been going on for nearly 4 days now and still Assads' army has not been able to enter  those areas. Even though it is said that this campaign is being conducted by Assads' elite 4th division led by First Lieutenant Abo Abdo, Mahers' right hand and operations commander. The following video shows fighters of the Free Syrian Army in Zabadani.

On Haykals' Interview

On Aljazeera last night there was an interview with Mohammad Hassanain Haykal. He talked about the Arab Spring and shared some of his thoughts on what is happening. I agreed with most of the things he said regarding Syria, how the middle classes in Syria (mostly in Damascus and Aleppo) are still quiet as they consider what has happened in Libya and Iraq and so on, and being able to persuade those middle classes to fully join the uprising will be the decisive point of the uprising. He also mentioned how the revolution should not be rushed by seeking foreign intervention (like in Libya) and that the revolution should mature in order for it to be successful.

He obviously looked down on the foreign intervention in Libya and said that it was a black period of the Arab spring (or something along those lines) as it didn't come from the people, which I would have agreed with if Qaddafi didn't plan on eliminating two thirds of the population of Libya. 

One thing I found a bit inaccurate was when he said that most of the protests in Syria are happening in cities and towns that are on the borders. He talked about what happened in Jisr Al Shughour, and hinted at Dera'a where the spark to the revolution took place and how close it is to the Jordanian border and threw in there a possibility of Jordanian secret service involvement in what has happened in Dera'a.

The problem is that most cities and towns in Syria are close to some border, even Damascus and Aleppo are close to the Lebanese and Turkish borders respectively. I don't think that that is an argument that can be made so as to show that there was foreign involvement in the uprising. And even though Damascus and Aleppo are close to borders there are no mass demonstrations taking place. Take for example Der il Zor, which is more inland, that city had alot of protests before the military clamp down. The only factor that determines the size of protests in cities and towns is the presence of security not anything else. For example, during the month before ramadan when Hama was security free, there were protests everyday and on Friday's the protests would be in the hundreds of thousands. For an entire month not one person was martyred and not one was even injured.

If three quarters of the cities in Syria are close to the border then the probability that protests will happen in some of those cities is high. Lets not forget that what happened in Dera'a, the spark to all this was a response by the people to the injustice their own children were put through and the humiliating and barbaric treatment that the families of those children received by regime officials at the time for protesting the ill treatment their children received by security forces. I don't see how foreign powers could have caused this in any way. Not to say that Haykal didn't admit that the demands and grievances of the people of Syria are not legitimate but he could have gone just a bit towards the governments story of events. 

Nevertheless, it was a good interview and the he did have some important points about the revolutions in different Arab countries especially about Yemen that I found interesting. Watch it if you can.

Rallies and Vocal Chords

I think I ripped my vocal chords apart today with the excessive screaming that I did. And yes, it was about the uprising in Syria. So let me dive into the subject without much introducing myself and how I'm physically feeling. 

So today was the "Family tree of Syria" event or better officially labeled as a 'carnival' that was being planned by the regime since the Arab league decided to send its envoy to Damascus to find a solution to the uprising in Syria. It was undeniable that a lot of people joined the 'carnival' and I had no problem watching it, just to get a couple of laughs you know. Because If you live in Syria and follow what the regime and those that support it have said in the past and compare it to such events you instantly notice how contradictory these people are. Anyways, I decided to stay home today since the opposition called for a general strike and spend some time watching the news and doing some blogging I thought. Until some family members came around while I was watching TV.. not a good moment, because as soon as they did (they are pro-regime.. actually I don’t know what they are exactly, one day they are here the next there?? ), they start cheering and saying things like "see all these people all Syria supports regime" and "the Zionist conspiracy has been defeated today, Americas plans won't happen after this, We won today, look at all these people!!"  

For me that is fine, I don’t mind people having a different opinion even if to me that opinion or position they take is unethical and immoral but when people don't have the correct picture about what is happening, when they are deluded and receive very little information about what is happening in the rest of the country, I don't blame them. What gets me is when those people start accusing those protesters saying they are traitors and basically worthless people who deserve to die. That is when I lose it. I start screaming like there was no tomorrow.

 

How can anyone accuse these people that are going out knowingly putting their lives at risk so that other Syrians might, just might one day be able to live a better life, one that is better than they would have ever hoped for. How is it that those protesting to defend their honour and families honour from the criminal acts that this regime is imposing on them deserve to die? Those people that have been martyred should all be considered nothing less than heroes, and their heroic acts to liberate this country from this intolerant, unjust and murderous regime should be and will always be remembered. The likes of Ghiath Matar, who during protests used to go up to security army personnel in Daraya and give them water as a gesture of good will and later used to give out flowers, how can this person be worthless? The likes of Hamza Al Khateb, a child with a conscious that went out with members of his town to provide people in a sieged town of Dera'a with food and was arrested and tortured to death, how is he worthless and deserves to die? All those children that have been killed the likes of Hajer Al Khateeb and the other 100+ children are they worthless? Today three more children were killed in Syria, one of them is called Catherine from Homs, I think she was 4 years old or younger. Worthless? 

I can't understand these people. They know that the regime is killing but they refuse to say anything about it or take a position against it. Maybe its because they fear the unknown, these people that support the regime have things to lose, they want to feel safe and the only way to feel safe, the only way they believe will keep them living is if this regime stays. They don't care if members of this regime are stealing the wealth of the Syrian people and spending it on living lavishly, I was told its better that a "Syrian" is stealing the peoples wealth than a foreign state.   

So there are a lot of people that are controlled by fear but is that enough, is fear alone enough to make you defend a regime that is killing other people just so that a couple of people can remain in power? Not really. If you are afraid you wouldn't publicly admit that you don’t support the regime, but when your around people you trust why not admit that you don’t support the regime?  

For this I have two explanations the first one being is that these people are genuinely ignorant of what is going on like I said earlier they don't get the information for them to form the right picture of what is happening. Or, they have become used to following directions that to break out of the shackles and to think freely scares them. If you watched the rally today you can see that even though, and after eight months of protests calling for the end of a regime where one man rules all, both the regime and its supporters are still saying "Bashar is our leader forever" and that it self is stupid and as I said earlier also contradicts what the regime has been talking about like, reform. So, these people have been programmed to think that there is only one person, and one person alone who is able to run this country, one person alone that is able to maintain peace in it and stop it from falling into civil/sectarian wars, and that just happens to be an eye doctor who had a crash course in the military probably becoming the fastest high ranked officer in the world (6 years to become General) who only came back to Syria from the UK because his older brother died and so he was next in line to rule because the second oldest son was seen even by his father, as too moronic and savage to rule. Yes, the perfect person for such a job even for someone who didn’t want to live in this country in the first place. 

There is a good documentary to watch called Tufan Fe Bilad Al Ba'ath (Flood in Baath Country) which shows how the education system in Syria instills these ideas that the ruling party is so great and that our leader is eternal and what not.  

These ideas that have been instilled into the people have completely sealed off and locked down any notion these people might get that there could be an alternative. And thus, you will find people saying "no one better will come if he (basher) goes". But there have been times that I've seen pro-regime supporters escape for a while, when they feel that their conscious can no longer take it and start to speak freely. The next day they come back as if nothing they said a day earlier has ever been said, they apparently have this ability to self suppress any ideas they may get that this regime is doing things that they need to be held accountable for.  

They quickly revert and start saying "No, this regime is fighting terrorists that have come from all borders Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq and are being financed by Bandar Bin Sultan, Hariri, Turkey, Qatar, Aljazeera, Saudi Arabia with billions of dollars and they get the most advanced weapons like laser guns, and they are killing people, because Condaleza Rice said there is a new middle east and regime stood against it, that’s why they made a command center in Hamburg that is leading the protests in the streets, and even Batman is in on this…" ??  

Seriously, this conspiracy thing is going way out of control, people need to understand that there will always be plans by the west to dominate this region one way or another, it has never stopped and probably will never stop. These countries have interests, and they will do what is necessary to reach their aims. The problem is not that these western nations have plans to dominate, the problem is when WE don't have a plan to become strong enough to fight off those plans without having to depend on others to stand by us (Iran) and without having bargaining chips that we can use with the west to ease off pressure and get what we want like Hizbullah, Hamas, PKK, etc.  

I've gone way out of the topic but its all relevant. However this could have been two or three posts even. Nevermind that, this is probably the only time I'm going to have for a while to write this. 

So carrying on with the story I first started with. After ripping apart my vocal chords, I decided to leave the house and go to the office. So off I went, drove past a checkpoint and was going towards the city, only to find out that all entrances to it were sealed off. I ask a police officer how I can get in, he just points towards the other side. So I drive to the other side and to another entrance but it was also sealed off. There, was a man obviously frustrated at not being allowed in, lost it and cursed the police man who was talking to him, the police man shouts at the man with the very famous coastal accent "go away or I'll shoot you right now". The man freezes, looks at the policeman and says "Do it". At that point I still didn’t grasp what was going on, I was watching but also being still angry at the earlier argument I had, and the fact that I didn’t have much fuel in the car and trying to figure out how to get to the office, all this was distracting me. I think if I wasn't distracted I would have gone out and picked a fight with the policeman.  

Anyways It rained in Damascus soon after and I assume that people left the rally early. I met with a couple of friends soon after,one of them works in some government department, tells me how employees were forced to attend the rally. We assumed that atleast 80% of those that attended didn't want to be there really. Nevertheless, we can't deny there are people that still support the regime, and we shouldn't have a problem with those people, after all we all want a Syria where we can support who we want and oppose others without being killed for it.

I Support the SNC

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.

What Could Have Been for Bashar

When you look back at things you realize so much could have gone differently, and it would have all been so much better if people did certain things rather than what they already have done. If only people can see the consequences of their actions.. I was just thinking to myself, if Bashar Al Assad took a different path to the one he choose, how would have things been different? If he actually listened to the people, implemented proper and real reforms, if he gave people their rights and treated the situation in Dera'a differently, for example if he brought those that were responsible for detaining and torturing the children in Dera'a to Trial, things wouldn't have been where they are now. Instead of being viewed as a criminal and murder by Syrians and a tyrannical and oppressive leader by the rest of the world he would have been viewed as the only president in the Arab world that could really make a difference, the president that the people of the region have been waiting for. His popularity in Syria and the 'Arab World' would have increased to unprecedented levels for any Arab leader in our contemporary history. In contrast, Bashar and his regime were truly viewed as the only regime that was standing by the rights of the people of the region and fighting for the aspirations and rights of Arabs and Palestine. I can almost certainly say that if he implemented reform by changing the constitution and erasing the 8th article of it, if he truly implemented a law for the formation of political parties and held free and fair elections and worked on the next two years in implementing serious social and economical reform he would have not only won (fairly) the elections in two years time, but he would have probably won the elections for years to come. Instead Bashar and his regime took the longer version of the same wrong path that other Arab dictators have taken. How and when this regime will fall all now depends on a number of factors, mainly where the loyalty of the members of his regime (especially the military) will shift to in the coming days; I say days knowing that I'm being very optimistic. What a chance he has been given, an opportunity, instead this regime dealt with it not as an opportunity but as a threat that needs to be dealt with by force.

The Way Forward

As international pressure increases on the Syrian regime and protests across the country still seem to appear with the same demands of toppling the regime in Syria, the current situation seems to have reached a tipping point. As for the regime it can no longer keep the level of violence it has practiced for the past five months due to the growing international pressure. It my seem that those in the regime have finally understood that the protests will not be hindered by violence, however, if those in the regime are willing to convert Syria into a North Korea then we may not see a reduction in violence by regime on Syrians. By ending the violence and the "security solution" of ending the protests in Syria, the regime has lost its only method of staying in power as neither the protest movement will accept a regime that has killed so far more than 2000 people, on the other hand internationally the US and other European countries have called for Bashar to step aside. 

What is more interesting now is what happens at a domestic level in Syria. There have been so many analysis of what has now been called the "Arab Spring" and how revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have been drailed and hijacked with very pessimistic outlooks in most analysis I have read on both the Tunisian and Egyptian experience. So if we are to learn from not so past experiences we maybe able to avoid the mishaps that have occured in both Tunisia and Egypt. In my opinion the following is what Syrian activists need to be considering at this stage in preparation for what may happen after regime falls while reflecting on events in both Tunisia and Egypt.

1) In both Tunisia and Egypt revolutions happened spontaneously and the fall of the regime happened relatively quickly. This has been a major obstacle post regime as it:

- didn't give enough time for revolutionary activists to plan properly the transitional phase and were left spending most of their time planning on how to topple the regime.

- Created confusion and allowed different political parties that existed to devise mechanisms in reaching the aims of the revolution independently which has lead to alot of collision between the different parties.

That is not the case in Syria as we have had so far 5 months to prepare a transitional period. In my opinion that should have been the role of Syrian politicians and activists in abroad/exile that should have been meeting to plan this transitional period instead of meeting just for the sake of meeting or so what it seemed with all the conferences that they have done. This plan for a transitional period should have the acceptance of politicians, activists and thinkers in Syria.

2) Both revolutions didn't have a leader that spoke for it and was present to lead the transitional period. Although it is great to see that the revolutions were created by the youth and didn't require anyones assistance, there needs to be a person that has backing from all sides of the revolution that will lead the change required. What happened in Tunisia and Egypt can be seen as two halves, a peoples revolution and a military coupe, with the military appointing the leader that would take charge of the transitional period and in both countries that leader was an member of the previous regime in one way or another.

In regards to Syria what we can learn is that there can be no one with previous relations to the regime undertaking the transitional phase and neither should the military be left to control this phase. It is not necessary that there should be one person that will lead the transitional phase, it could be a council. However it should be made up of independent activists and politicians that will not abuse their powers in favour of one party or the other and they should be accepted by the people to lead this transitional phase.

3) Being able to differentiate between the aims of toppling the regime and holding regime accountable for actions during the revolution with aims after the revolution. More importantly are the mechanisms for reaching those aims as mentioned earlier. We all know that the aims of the revolution are to end corruption, create a representative system of the people, give people their rights and freedom of opinion and speech, allowing free media and a free and independent judiciary that will maintain peoples rights. Thats very good but there needs to be a clear mechanism of reaching those aims and that is also the responsibility of politicians and activists at this point and even before this point. It is no good of setting aims without knowing how to accomplish them. What I think is more dangerous is ignoring this aspect and to say that this could all be done AFTER the regime has fallen, because when regime falls and there hasn't been anything planned then expect there will be those that will try to hijack and reap benefits of what the revolution has been able to achieve and give nothing back to the people.

4) Those that have been part of the previous regime or had ties to it or were members of the ruling parties should not be allowed to take part in this transitional period no matter how sincere or "Good" people think they are. Not saying that those that are not related to previous regime are angels but the fact that they stood by the revolution rather than staying quiet is a merit.

5) Accomplishing the above is important especially when it comes to Syria. There is still a silent majority although in recent weeks many have now gone tired of the situation or have seen that the regime for what it really is. This silent majority (especially in Damascus and Aleppo) is controlled by fear of the unknown. What needs to be done be activists within Syria whether LCC or any other entity is to address the fears of those people and to show them that regime change is not something that will lead to disastrous consequences. Accomplishing the above will re-ensure those people that there is an alternative that can lead the change and there are competent people that keep Syria's national interests and won't let go of our national standards (i.e. resistance and unity).

As I've said earlier, there have been many analysis done by renowned individuals regarding the events in the Arab world. I think it is better for those people to be planning and giving action plans or steps that will maintain the revolution after the regime has been toppled which would be more beneficial to most of us rather than writing long academic analysis of what happened in the past.

البرنامج؟ مع باسم يوسف - إنجازات الإعلام السوري

Regime teaches People a Lesson

The Syrian regime has finally let the army in to Hama to commit a massacre on the people that hasn't seen brutality in the past month due to the fact that there hasn't been any army or security personnel in the city. For an entire month people gathered and protested the regime and went back home peacefully with out causing any trouble and without people being killed. Today alone and so far, 88 people have been killed in Hama alone.

One wonders what the aim of the regime is. Is this some sort of warning that the regime won't stay quiet during the month of Ramadan? or is it its attempt at scaring the people and deterring them from protesting further or to deter them from escalating the protests during the month of Ramadan?

What ever the reason it is nothing less than being barbaric and desperate attempt to gain something, what it is exactly I have no idea. It has lost legitimacy in the eyes of its people, and the Syrian people see nothing more than a bunch of murderous gang running a country.

Rambling about Syria

I was reading Abu Fares' recent blog about his recent visit to Istanbul, where he put forth a question most of us thought about during the past couple of months a lot:

"What if we had democracy in Syria and in the rest of the Arab countries?"

During my last visit to Istanbul I thought the same thing. Why is it that a neighbouring country to Syria can thrive on all levels yet we are still so far behind. I was eager as soon as I stepped foot on Syrian land having just come back from Istanbul and witnessing how magnificent Istanbul is, to be able to make a change in Syria. I queued in a line waiting for my turn in the passport control section to get my passport stamped thinking about all the things I can do to contribute to the development of society in Syria.

I was very excited and everything I thought about seemed real and achievable, until the moment when the person in front of me gave the passport control person 50 syrian pounds to let him pass quickly, my enthusiasm died just as quick as that person passed the passport control section. and I quickly remembered where I was. Not to mention how another person went by the baggage inspection also quickly because his "cousin" apparently works there, or how another person paid a worker in the baggage area to go and get him his bags from behind the conveyor thing. These things just kill your motivation to do things you believe will benefit others and your county.

When I used to travel abroad and come back to Syria I used to feel depressed at the situation the country is in. We all know that the country could be much better than it currently is at. I don't have to travel far to feel that depression, sadness and anger at the way things are in this country, just go to Lebanon and walk in the downtown area. I know that this area of Lebanon is not a reflection of the entire country but even that glimpse of economical/real estate development is not present in Syria.
 
I know that most people think "what can one person do", I don't hold that view, because in my opinion if I move and do something, others will see that someone is trying to do something that they previously thought couldn't be done, they just need someone to prove to them that some things can be done if we put an effort in to it. And then they will move and attempt to contribute. Just like what is happening with all the demonstrations in Syria. We all thought it would be impossible to show dissent to the regime in such a public way until some people decided that this situation cannot remain and decided to take matters in to their own hands.

Until the current demonstrations, I thought that society in Syria was used to being corrupt and materialistic which made individuals in this society that are well off arrogant and egocentric. It is amazing to see how many people go out in demonstrations in Syria to denounce all those sickening attributes of our society. They are not only putting in an effort, but have sacrificed their lives, for the sake of a better future not only for themselves but for Syria. That I think, is the biggest contribution anyone can give to the development of this society.

Some Things May Never Change

Did the Syrian Ba’athist regime suddenly wake up to what may seem to them a bitter reality? Did they finally accept that reality? Did they accept that reality and are trying to avoid it? Are their recent actions just a response to events and an attempt to maneuver past what seems to them obstacles that face their total domination of all aspects of life in Syria? Those are all questions that one might think about when considering the current events that are taking place in Syria.

It is very hard to believe that the Syrian regime has finally realized that there is no hope of continuing with their current position in regards to protests that has now been going on for more than 3 months. That change that we are witnessing whether it was from the stance of the government media that has finally accepted that there is an opposition to the regime, to the opposition conference that was allowed to take place suddenly, raises a lot of confusion to those that are observing the events in Syria.

For some people that have followed the way the regime has dealt with different situations in the past may very well know that the regime doesn’t give up easily and is very stubborn. The Syrian regime never gives up until it has exhausted all options that help in maintaining the status quo. When there are different elements in the equation the regime always resorted to bargaining its way out of certain situations when solutions of maintaining the status quo have been exhausted.

But the current situation is very different. This is no longer pressure exerted by external elements, it is internal. It is not pressures that they can bargain with, those are pressures in the form of demands by the people that this regime is ruling, demands that they have to obey and that is the only option the regime has. Knowing that, the regime resulted to violence hoping that fear will subjugate the people back to their will. After three months of fear mongering and the deaths of more than 1300 civilians and more than 300 government security and military personnel with growing pressures from what the regime calls its closest allies, it seems that the regime is taking a different road. Whether that road is a road by which the regime gives up just enough of its control of all aspects of life in Syria to relieve and normalize the situation or whether it is a true intention by the regime to finally transform government in Syria into a more plural and representative system is still to be seen.

And that brings me back to the opposition conference that took place yesterday in Damascus. Although the final statement was actually according to expectations of most people that oppose the regime and its stance towards the uprising in Syria, some may wonder what was the real purpose of this conference. Was it allowed to take place in order to place the opposition members outside Syria on the fringe and to create some sort of divide between the opposition that is outside Syria and those that are inside? I got an article from a friend which described how an agreement was reached between the regime and some opposition members that would allow them to form political parties and which will give them Ministerial roles but at the same time would keep the Ba'ath party as the main party in Syria and leader of society as stated in the constitution. This would be similar to what Yemen had. Opposition parties that are hopeless and can't challenge the leading party or create any change.
But then again, this may actually be a genuine attempt to changing the system. A space given by the regime to allow opposition members to meet and make clear their aims prior to implementing new laws that allow formation of political parties in Syria as well as amending the 8th article of the constitution and removing the Ba'ath party as the leader of state and society in Syria. We need to see what happens next in order to see how genuine these current events are.

Anyways, since the last speech of the Syrian president, having expressed my hopes that the president will do the right thing, I have been disappointed. And right now, I have very little hope that the regime is truly taking a road of true reform to a more representative state for the Syrian people. Maybe now that I have very low expectations I won’t be too disappointed when things clear up and we find out that this was all just another attempt at keeping the status quo.

Tips for the Pres on his next speech

Tomorrow the head of the Syrian regime will give a speech. These are the top 5 things Bashar Assad should and shouldn't mention in his speech.

Five Things Bashar Shouldn’t mention in tomorrow’s planned speech:

1) Terrorists, armed gangs that have terrified and murdered the people
2) Key terms such as salafists, infiltrators (mundaseen), extremists etc
3) Global, nay! Universal conspiracy theory against Syria and how the regime has defeated that conspiracy.
4) Denying the wrong doing of the regime during the uprising
5) Planning more useless reforms that won’t happen and setting up new committees that won’t do anything (the head of the committee will usually come up and say the people are not ready for such reforms).

Five Things he should do/mention:

1) Apologize and accept responsibility for everything that has happened in the past few months and pay respect to all those that have been murdered.
2) Withdraw the military from the entire country and end the military’s role in this crisis.
3) Start a constitutional reform and end the Baath control of the country as well as releasing all political prisoners and those that have been abducted during the uprising.
4) Set date for early and free presidential election/plan for new government
5) Allow Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan back in to the country and allow foreign and independent media into the country.

I just want to make two further points:
- The only hope I think for this crisis to end with the least damage and through a smooth transition to a more representative system of the Syrian people is when this regime does the above. The crisis in Syria is very similar to that in Yemen, there are still those that support the president and there are those that don't which will make this crisis go on for a much longer period. Lets hope that the regime in Syria and that Bashar Assad has more sense and is more patriotic than Abdullah Saleh of Yemen and is able to see that his stay in power will only result in further deterioration of the situation in Syria especially if the regime keeps on carrying out their security measures against the protesters. I think I still have some faith that Bashar will do the right thing tomorrow. I hope he does for the sake of this country.

- In the free Syria that we all envision we should all respect the opinions of everyone even those that still stand with the current regime. Even though we call for the end of the regime and the end of the reign of the Ba'ath party in Syria, that doesn't mean their presence in the political spectrum in Syria should be erased.