Who is killing the Syrian people? Its very clear...

It is important to watch the whole way through - not only to see the level of brutality, however to listen to the chants from Pro-Bashar forces.

The revolution will continue...

English subtitles, just click "CC" in the video player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTUJnGcLo7U&feature=player_embedded

 

Hamza al-Khateeb, age 13, May you rest in peace

"Arrested during a protest in Saida, 10km east of Daraa, on April 29, Hamza's body was returned to his family on Tuesday 24th May, horribly mutilated."

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/05/201153185927813389.html

May you rest in peace Hamza. Allahi Yirhamak..

To Support Bashar is to Support Israel: Confirmed by Rami Makhlouf

Attempting to alleviate Western pressure on his first-cousin, Bashar Al-Assad, and the brutal regime that has made him one of the richest men in the world, Rami Makhlouf confirmed what those opposed to the regime have said all along: 

“If there is no stability here, there’s no way there will be stability in Israel,”

رامي مخلوف : إذا لم يكن استقرار في سوريه لن يكون هناك استقرار بالمطلق في اسرائيل

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/world/middleeast/11makhlouf.html?_r=2&hp

Important statement, as the regime has been aggressively accusing the Syrian pro-democracy protestors of being Israeli and Western agents and has been hiding behind the myth that they are the last resistence to Israel, in order to garner support from the general Arab populous.

When pushed further, Rami stated:

“I didn’t say war,” he said. “What I’m saying is don’t let us suffer, don’t put a lot of pressure on the president, don’t push Syria to do anything it is not happy to do.”

Of course he didn't mean war. The regime would not stand a chance against the Israeli Army and would compromise their ability to rule Syria. Indeed, we have seen how much of a capable fighting force they are (the Republican Guard headed by Maher Al-Assad, and other special forces) when facing unarmed protesters.

Rami's words are carefully scripted for US, European and Israeli policy makers - in translation:

• Only the regime can ensure the demands for the return of Golan are muted
• Only the regime can ensure that Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation stays under control  
• Only the regime can ensure that Israeli borders will remain quiet
• Only the regime can ensure that the Syrian army is focused on smuggling and on crowd control 

We've known this all along; finally we are happy to see that the regime themselves are making it public.

They call us Infiltrators? [Mondaseen song w/ subtitles]

They called us Infiltrators...
They called us Vandals...
They called armed gangs...
They called us salafi extremist...
They called us so many things...

But they forgot to call us SYRIANS...SYRIANS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQXt6yvXVQ&feature=youtu.be

5 Immediate Action Steps to Demand from the West!

For few weeks now, the West has been debating what to do about Syria. So far, apart from condemnation, only limited US and EU sanctions (agreed to today) against the Syrian regime have transpired. The Europeans are still “contemplating” whether to add Bashar al-Assad to the list.

 

A few days ago, British Defense Secretary flatly said they had very few choices - This is not  exactly true. And the West, collectively, has a moral imperative to match its rhetoric with some concrete action to curb the brutality of Bashar Assad’s ruthless regime. 

It should be made absolutely clear, as the Turkish Prime-Minister did, that a Hama-1982-style solution will not be tolerated by the international community - Not in Dara’a. Not in Banias. Not in Rastan. Not in Lattakia. Not in Homs. Not in Douma. Not in any other Syrian city or town.

Today, the situation in Syria is getting more an more desperate...

• 700+ Killed
• 7000+ Wounded
• 8000+ Detained

...And these numbers reflect ONLY what we think we know…

If you are in the US, or France, Italy, UK, or anywhere, there are 5 things we must demand in support of the peoples democracy movement in Syria to isolate the brutal regime:

1. Recall their ambassadors from Syria 
2. Expel Syria's ambassadors from all nations
3. Expand the list of security officials subject to travel and financial sanctions for their role in human rights abuses to include other senior officials and Assad family members. This is a family run business afterall and we demand a freeze and/or seizure on their assets in the West :
1. Bashar Al-Assad, the President   
2. Asma Akhras Al-Assad, the Presidents wife
3. Maher al-Assad, the president’s brother and head of the Republican guard 
4. Asef Shawkat, married to Bashar’s sister & deputy chief of staff of the armed forces
5. Bushra Al-Assad, the presidents sister
6. Rami Makhlouf, first cousin of Bashar & economic kingpin
7. Abdul Fatah Qudsiya, head of Military Intelligence
8. Jamil Hassan, head of Air Force Intelligence
9. Zuhair Hamad, head of the General Security Directorate (GSD)
10. Mohammed Mansoura, head of the Political Security Directorate (PSD)
11. Ali Habib Mahmoud, Minister of defence
12. Mohammed Nasif Kheirbek, married into Al-Assad’s family, deputy vice-president for security affairs
13. Nasif Kheirbek, head of internal security forces, General Security Directorate (GSD)
14. Ali Mamluk, presidential adviser on security affairs
15. Hisham Ikhtiar, director of the National Security Bureau (NSB)
16. Zuhair Shalish, Bashar’s cousin, head of Presidential Security
17. Atif Najib, the president’s cousin and a political operative in Daraa province
18. Rustum Ghazali, former head of military intelligence in Lebanon
19. Riad Haddad, Head of the Military Political Department
20. Mohammed Ibrahim El-Chaar, Minister of Interior
21. Atef Najib, former head of political security in Deraa
22. Hafez Makhlouf, officer in General Intelligence Unit in Damascus
23. Mohammed Dib Zeitoun, head of Political Security
24. Amjad Al-Abbass, head of Political security, Baniyas
25. Fawas Al-Assad, head of Shabiha militia
26. Mundir Al-Assad, part of Shabiha
4. Indict these officials and Assad family members for war crimes - refer them to the International Criminal Court. This truly scares them!
5. Impose harsh sanctions on Western companies providing the regime with tools of repression

Please call your elected officials in the West with these demands. Call, email and harass them. It will take you a few minutes and may save lives. 


Its about time we push Western governments to support our movements in a way that we want.

We do not want general sanctions that hurt the Syrian people. 

We want political pressure to isolate the regime so the Syrian people can carry out their gallant revolution.

Syrian Martyr's Day, May 6 & National Day of Protests in US, May 7 - عيد الشهداء

May 6th is the Syrian Martyrs' Day.

عيد الشهداء

Martyr's Day is a national holiday in both Syria and Lebanon. On this day in 1916, seven prominent Arab leaders were executed by the Ottomans in Damascus and Beirut. They had refused to renounce their nationalist ideals and plans towards a democratic and independent Syria and were hung in public. The seven brave souls will never be forgotten:

• Abdelhamid al-Zahrawi
• Shafiq al-Muayyad
• Abdel Wahab al-Englizi
• Rushdi al-Shamaa
• Omar al-Jazairi
• Shukri al-Assali

This Saturday May 7th, there will be large demonstrations all over the US for our Martyrs of the 2011 Syrian Revolution. Visit https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218352198176321 for details.

We will honor our martyrs by reciting the names who have sacrificed for Syria, and show their families they are not alone and that the sacrifices of their sons and daughters, like those who came before them generations ago, will not be forgotten.

Why Syria needs the Revolution? Questions to ask...

Well said Dr. Hashami. Thank you for your eloquence; couldn't have posed better questions myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5EoqokDL3a8#at=14

When talking to supporters of the regime, ask them these (Dr. Hashami's) questions - make them confront the answers:

• Don’t those in the opposition have the right to speak on behalf of their country? Isn’t Syria their land like yours?
• The opposition and those in the regime should have the same rights. Rights of freedom of speech. Rights of opposition…
• The whole world sees what is happening in Dera’a...so… ask yourself…look deep inside yourself to ask these questions…
• Do you want the Syrian people to continue to only ‘pick’ their president from one candidate?
• Do you want the people’s parliament to clap like little children, rather than in the UK where the president decisions are critiqued and discussed…
• Do you want to have not one free newspaper?
• Do you want to have your TV belonging to the state?
• Do you want a place that attacks 80, 85 year-olds, for taking part in a protest?
• Do you want that your children, and grandchildren live in a place like this, in times like this?

WHY?

• Why wouldn’t you like be like Lebanon, free, with a free press, free channels?
• Why wouldn’t you like today’s Egypt? Today, free press, free newspapers, where people can form political parties?
• Why wouldn’t you like to be like Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway? Why?
• Why do you want Syrians to always have to live in fear?
• Why do you want to live under the security forces who forcefully rule over the citizen and scare them? Why if you say one word they will use that against you?
• Why do want a million Syrians living outside of their land, not able to return? Why?
• Why not ask Bashar Al-Assad to stop this. Stop this! Change the system to make it like England where he lived?
• Why not say, deny, the truth?
• Why can’t we live free like other people! Why?

The answers to these questions, are why we need a revolution.

"Allah Y'ilan Khawane!" "God Curse the Traitors!" أحلى عراضه شامية

Chants of solidarity across our great nation - the way only Syrians can do it! God bless and protect the people of Syria!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG_rcVMSqyg

Video Captures Essence of Pro-Bashar Supporters!

:)  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkIPlEsozi0&feature=youtu.be

Allah, Sooria, Hurriya, wa Bas! 

God, Syria, Freedom - that's it!

Turkey PM Acknowledges Hama Massacre

"...Syria should not face another massacre like the one in Hama in 1982. I urged President al-Assad to be extremely sensitive about it. If such a massacre is carried out once again, Syria cannot deal with its consequences. Because, the international community will display a harsh reaction. And, Turkey will have to fulfill our responsibilities in such a situation," Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, Monday May 2 2011

We see in Dera'a and around Syria what we saw in Hama 30 years ago. However, curious to see what Erdogan is insinuating regarding Turkey's 'responsibilities'...

For more info on Hama, please visit: http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/d5/2535.aspx

 

Ya Haif – Anthem for the Martyr’s of Dara’a [english translation added]

As Dara’a is encircled, cutoff from the world, bombarded by tanks, and set on fire...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us4_fvsugOw&feature=related

Ya Haif, by Sameh Shakair

(Forgive the quick translation, however for those who don’t understand Arabic this helps)

O Shameful, O Shameful

Shame on you, shame on you

Heavy bullets against the unarmed people

How do you arrest children the age of young flowers???!

Heavy bullets against the unarmed people

How do you arrest children the age of young flowers???!

How??! How????!

And you are the son of my country, but killing my children

You ignored your enemy and attacked us with a sword

Shame on you, Shame on you

You ignored your enemy and attacked us with a sword

Shame on you, Shame on you

All this happens in Dara’a, o mother shameful [repeated]

Youth heard about freedom at their doorsteps…

…So they rushed calling for it

They saw guns o’ mother and They said …

“Our brothers will not shoot us”

Youth heard about freedom at their doorsteps…

…So they rushed calling for it

They saw guns o’ mother they said …

“Our brothers will not shoot us”

They shot us dead with bullets

We were killed…by the hands of our brothers

In the name of security of the nation

And who are we?!!!!

Ask history…to read our page

We were killed…by the hands of our brothers

In the name of security of the nation

In the name of security of the nation

And who are we?!!!!

Ask history…to read our page

Our page…

On hearing a single call of freedom…the jailer trembled

Due to people’s shouts, the unjust turned to be stung

And showered us with shots

On hearing a single call of freedom…the jailer trembled

Due to people’s shouts, the unjust turned to sting

And showered us with shots

We all say: who kills his people is a traitor

WHO EVER HE IS

People are like destiny

People are like destiny

And hope is achievable

Shame on you…shame on you

Heavy bullets against the unarmed people

How do you arrest children the age of young flowers???!

Heavy bullets against the unarmed people

How do you arrest children the age of young flowers???!

How??! How????!

You are the son of my country, but killing my children

You ignored your enemy and attacked us with a sword

Shame on you, Shame on you

You ignored your enemy and attacked us with a sword

Shame on you, Shame on you

All this happens in Dara’a, o mother shameful [repeated]

Message from Banyas to the International Community!

From our brave brother in Banyas "We make demonstrations to claim our rights, our justice, our freedom...they say we are Salify and we want to make an Islamic Republic here...it's a big lie!...in a single street you can see the Church and the Mosque...we are all brothers, neighbors..."

Please share these powerful words.

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

 

 

إلى أبناء سوريا الوطن الحبيب

لعلّ الصورة الحقيقية البشعة للنظام قد أصبحت واضحة جلية الآن.

نعم، أنتم جميعاً تشعرون بالخوف؛ الخوف من الفوضى ومن أجهزة الأمن ومن الطائفية ... بل ومن المجهول. على أن الطريق الوحيد أمامنا هو أن يبقى الشعب السوري واحداً موحداً بغضِّ النظر عن الانتماءات والخلفيات والصلة بالنظام، وأن يطالب بوقف المذبحة.

لم يعد هناك مجالٌ للرجوع أو التراجع فأمتنا لابدّ ستنال الحرية – السؤال الوحيد الآن هو ما إذا كنتم ستقفون في صف الشعب السوري أو مع النظام الديكتاتوري المتوحش.

يمكنكم أن تزوروا جداري على الفيسبوك لتلبوا نداء التضامن مع الشعب السوري.

To my Syrians and Fellow Arabs...A call to Action in Solidarity

"The minarets of the mosques are appealing for help. The security forces are entering houses. There is a curfew and they fire on those who leave their homes. They even shot at water tanks on roofs to deprive people of water." witness in Dera'a

For those of you who never thought the level of brutality would reach these heights - this is only the beginning. This is the only way the regime knows how to react; Have we forgotten Hama already? Where 38,0000 Syrians were slaughtered by Assad (the father)...

The lesson of Hama for the regime has been if you kill enough people, there would be no one left to oppose you; those left alive will be silent and you would be guaranteed a few decades of rule.  As for the Syrian people, the lesson was that the regime would stop at nothing to ensure its survival.

To my fellow Syrians - hopefully the true nature of the regime is clear to you now. 

Yes, you are all scared; from chaos, from the security apparatus, from sectarian strife, from the unknown. Please know that the only way forward is for the the people to unite - as one, regardless of denomination, background, connection to the regime - and call for an end of the slaughter. 

There is no turning back and our nation will become free - the only question is whether you will stand on the side of the Syrian people, or the side of the brutal dictatorship.

To my fellow Arabs - please stand with the Syrian people who for so long have supported all your struggles and causes. This is their time of need, and too many cannot speak publicly for fear of brutal reprisals towards family and friends (as we are seeing now). You have the opportunity to give a voice to the voiceless - please take this responsibility seriously as lives depend on it.  

If you have questions, or want more clarity on what is happening in Syria please see my previous post: http://samisooria.blogspot.com/2011/04/understanding-syria-background-and.html

To all - Please share the news and information throughout your social media networks - Facebook statuses, twitter etc. Please contact your media outlets and demand Syrian coverage and an end to the slaughter. Please hold public demonstrations and vigils for the people who are dying. We are counting on you.

Also, here are what the people asking for...The following must be demanded:

1. Stop the killing now – there is no excuse for shooting unarmed protestors. Period.
2. Stop the arrest campaign unleashed since March and grossly intensified today. Release all political prisoners (some 15,000 of them). No-one should be in prison merely for their ideas and opposition to the regime
3. Dismantle the illegal state security courts which allow for unjustified detentions and abuse
4. Remove the ‘mokhabarat’ & military from the cities, and allow regular police to maintain order
5. Compensate the families of those murdered
6. Issue decrees guaranteeing the right for public protest and discourse
7. Amend the constitution to accommodate multi-party leadership (outside of the Ba’ath)
8. Allow outside observers and foreign media to enter the country

This is just the beginning – a springboard to enable true reform and peoples representation in the nation. To avoid and delay this will merely create a deeper divide among Syrians and polarize the nation. 

 

In solidarity with the people of Syria.

Recap of Black Friday

Understanding Syria; Background and Perspective on the Demands for Change.

Understanding Syria – The Basics

As the Arab world is swept with revolutionary fervor it is becoming more difficult to ascertain the nuances in each nation. 

Yes, people across the Arab world share the collective experiences of living under authoritative regimes, repressive security establishments, failed & corrupt bureaucracies. However, every country faces its unique local and geopolitical challenges.

This is extremely evident in Syria, where so many people, who up until a few weeks ago were screaming for revolution in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and beyond have suddenly gone quiet. Or even more surprisingly: They became “pro-regime”.

Here is some quick insight into further understanding Syria:

The so-called “Reformer” President

The young President Bashar Assad ‘inherited’ Syria in July 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled Syria as a police state for 30 years.  At the age of 34, Bashar, an ophthalmologist, was thrust into power through the regime’s nomination, rubberstamped by referendum vote of over 97% (according to government stats). Note that The President’s age requirement in the Syrian constitution was changed from 40 to 34 to allow for this nomination.

Bashar has done a very good job posturing as a would-be reformist, a young man connected to “his” people. He is regularly seen doing ‘normal’ things; like buying ice cream at the local shops, driving around in main squares in Damascus, or even attending theater productions with his fashionable wife.

His PR machine has effectively separated himself from the problems of the nation. While positioning himself as a reformer – the ‘old guard’ or ‘the security establishment’, effectively the unseen establishment, is typically to blame for slowing down reforms, or leading punishing crackdowns against the Syrian people. Unfortunately, this could not be further than the truth – regardless of how much true power Bashar has, he is the symbol of a family ‘mafia’ that runs Syria – he is the figurehead for the family business; the ‘trade’ is the resources and people of Syria.

This PR has had profound effect on Syrian youth – 35% of Syrians are under the age of 15. Whereas the youth of Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen connected the corruption and lack of freedoms to their aging dictators, this perspective isn’t as widespread throughout Syrian youth –Here, a cult of personality exists; many have literally grown up with him and have been taught from a young age the ‘virtues’ of the president.

The Blood of his Father

The single most deadliest act that any Arab regime ever committed against its people over the past 60 years took place in February 1982 in the city of Hama, following protests and massacres in various cities and towns. Ordered by President Assad, the father, and implemented by his brother Rifaat, the inhabitants of Hama were systematically massacred in response to rebellion. As Rifaat later bragged, no less than 38,0000 residents (of a city of 150,000 people at the time) were killed.

After the massacre an amusement park was built on top of the graves of the dead.

The lesson of Hama for the regime has been if you kill enough people, there would be no one left to oppose you; those left alive will be silent and you would be guaranteed a few decades of rule.  As for the Syrian people, the lesson was that the regime would stop at nothing to ensure its survival.

The last 10 years have been relatively stable compared to the 1980s and Bashar isn’t seen by many to be as brutal as his father – there is relatively no blood on his hands (of course, until Dara’a.)

This is in stark contrast to other Arab nations, where the longevity of the dictators’ rule has been predicated on their ability to brutalize their opposition. 

The Ultimate Security State

In one of the worst regions for human rights, Syria is known to be the worst.

With the Syrian Emergency law formally suspending all constitutional protections for the past 48 years, a culture of fear exists that can be compared to Stalinist Russia, Saddam’s Iraq or the two Kims’ North Korea.

The constitution itself creates a second class status for most Syrians by simply declaring the Ba’ath party ‘Leader of State and Society’ (Article 8). Non-Ba’athists are simply serfs in the estate “inherited” by Bashar from his father. Mind you, the party itself is only an administrative tool for the Security State.

Actually the Emergency law, recently repealed by Bashar (April 2011) as an empty concession to the ongoing protests is not really the problem. It is the security invasion of every aspect of life. With or without emergency laws.

State security, the feared ‘mokhabarat’, is above the law and citizens are routinely arrested and tortured without cause or due process; ‘disappearances’ are widespread (some estimates are of ~20,000 people disappeared). Extra-judicial killings are common practice by State security.

Censorship is so ingrained that most conduct self-censorship and there is absolutely no public discourse regarding internal Syrian politics, for fear of fierce retribution by the Security State.

This is even evident online: Whereas facebook and twitter have been fantastic tools for the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, they have had the opposite effect in Syria, where the regime has launched a social media campaign to intimidate anyone who stands against the regime.

An example of the absurdity of Syrian security is how teenage blogger, Tal al-Mallouhi, was arrested in 2009, and recently sentenced to 5 years in prison for "revealing information that should remain hushed to a foreign country".

A day after the emergency law was repealed, more than 80 protesters were shot dead around the country. This level of violence towards unarmed protesters has even outdone Qhaddafi and Saleh in Yemen .

A Dependent Army

The Syrian army has seen better days – it is a long time since 1973 (October war). Actually, the Syrian army has been bastardized into an institution wholly dependent on the ruling elite of Bashar and his regime, and only competent in crowd control and smuggling.

The mass conscript army is poorly trained and equipped. The true power lies with the Republican guard and special forces – highly skilled fighting machines which have been positioned effectively across the country to quell any protest against the regime. Bashar’s younger brother, for example, heads the republican guard, and his forces were instrumental in crushing the first protests in Dara'a in March.

While, in Tunisia and Egypt, we saw the ‘Army’ as independent power brokers turning on their dictators when they no longer served their institutional interests, this would hardly be the case in Syria as the army is tightly controlled by Bashar’s family and power base.

Sectarian Discourse

The Assad regime rose to, and held to power by infusing the power structures in Syria with individuals from their own religious minority sect (Alawites). Representing ~10 % of the population they are a large religious minority group that has effectively ruled over the rest of the population, including the ~75% Sunnis, for the past 40 years.

The fear of sectarian strife runs deep in the minds of Syrians – with a history of brutal minority rule, civil wars in Lebanon and Iraq on either side. The regime has played up this fear by assuring the nation that only they can ensure stability and avoid sectarian chaos.

This of course couldn’t be further from the truth as the regime has used sectarian divides to quell the protests – Alawite military units, militias and gangs (Shabeha) have been used against Sunni protesters and a campaign has been launched to play up the ‘Islamic (Sunni) menace’ to ensure that other minorities rely on the regime to uphold law and order.

Relative Stability and Corruption

The last ten years have been relatively stable economically and politically for Syria – with that said, unemployment is high at ~20%, 70% of Syria’s workforce live on less than $70 a month. This is in stark contrast to the enormous wealth accumulated by those in the regime.

Corruption seeps into every aspect of Syrian life, and absolutely nothing – from business to government paperwork can be fulfilled without a bribe. This corruption has created a system of abuse whereas everyone from civil servants to the police have to fish for bribes to feed their families as they are grossly under paid – while the elite of the regime thrives under unfair personal business advantages. 

This is best personified by the example of Rami Makhlouf – the cousin of Bashar, who is one of the richest men in the world. Syria's resources are his personal ‘gold mine’ – he controls Syria's mobile network, Syriatel, in addition to his domination in other industries (gas, oil, and banking sectors).  No major business venture can be conducted without his sign off.

While this corruption is shared across the Arab world, the key for any change in Syria is to ensure that the traditional Sunni merchant class in areas such as Aleppo and Damascus is activated – when they move politically, regimes change. They have been effectively bought out and have enjoyed relative success over the past decade, thus minimizing the gripes of a major segment of Syrian society.

What Opposition?

More than any other Arab nation, there is a lack of organized opposition in Syria, whether in or out of the country. This has been a major success for the regime. Brutality pays: Over the past 40 years, through massacre, human rights violation, the culture of fear, sectarian divisions, military and political impotency, there are no institutions or networks that can be used as a means to oppose the regime.

The religious opposition was effectively wiped out in the 1980s, the secular opposition is part of the Ba’ath associated party structure and there is no internal military option (as we saw in Tunisia, Egypt, or even Libya).

This has effectively created a scenario where today’s opposition is truly in its infancy, without the years of development, maturity of other opposition movements in other nations (i.e. unions in Egypt). What we see in the streets is the spontaneous popular response to all that.

Myth of Resistance

Syrians are proud proponents of Arab nationalism, the Palestinian cause and opposition to Western and Israeli hegemony in the region.

The Assad regime has successfully aligned their public narrative with the desires of the people, hence creating the illusion both internally and across the Arab world that they are brave protectors of the ‘Arab ideals’.

With that said, more bullets have been fired at Syrian protesters in any single day in the last five weeks than on the Golan front over the past 40 years. The Assad regime has gladly collaborated with the US to support the so called ‘war on terror’, and more Lebanese were killed in the past twenty years by Syrians than by Israelis.

Bottom-line, while publicly espousing the principles of Arab nationalism, the regime has been extremely pragmatic to ensure only its own survival and security. Despite this, the outcry from other Arab nations with regard to the daily carnage by the regime in Syria has been muted relative to what we've seen in other Arab nations.

Isolation and Iran

Over the past ten years Syria has been isolated politically from the west and other Arab nations (i.e. Saudi and Egypt) and has developed even deeper ties with its ally Iran.

This alliance is based on sectarian affinity and goes back to the consolidation of Assad’s power – if you recall, he shrewdly supported Iran against the rival Ba’athists in Iraq (the lone Arab country to do so) during the bloody 8-year war. This was a strategic move to remove the regime’s insecurity being “alone” surrounded in a Sunni-majority environment.

Furthermore, it is critical to Iran’s regional security to ensure the survival of the Syrian regime. The Syrian regime is a conduit for Iranian influence in the region, and enables connectivity with their Lebanese proxies and allies.

Prior to the recent waves of protest, Iran sent a military ship through the Suez canal to Syria (for the first time since the 1979 revolution) to deploy military personnel for ‘training’ exercises in Syria. This serves the dual purpose of a hand’s-on defense of their allies, and provides a foreign presence on the ground that has no loyalties other than to the regime.

Additionally, the regime is using this isolation from western nations to galvanize the people around it against the foreign threat. We’ve seen recently how many have believed the regime’s claims that the protesters are part of a Western/Israeli conspiracy.

Ironically, there is a foreign element. However it comes from the east, not the west.

Conclusion

The points outlined above provides context as to why there is a broad range of diverse opinion across Syrian society; both pro and anti-regime. Over the past month however, the pro-regime voices have been amplified as much of Syrian society still hasn’t crossed the line of fear – most are still paralyzed by fear; either of chaos, or retribution by the regime.

However, as the regime continues to murder, arrest and brutalize those who are speaking out, they convert more and more people to the cause of their overthrow.

The key questions is how much longer can the regime hold on to their power grip, what their threshold for violence is and what the tipping point is for the masses of Syrians to take to the streets. We should not expect a quick turn of events as we saw in the Tunisian or Egyptian revolutions. Neither another Libya with two de facto governments, a civil war and Western intervention.

While the future is unclear, for the near-term, the following must be demanded:

1. Stop the killing now – there is no excuse for shooting unarmed protestors. Period.
2. Stop the arrest campaign unleashed since March and grossly intensified today. Release all political prisoners (some 15,000 of them). No-one should be in prison merely for their ideas and opposition to the regime
3. Dismantle the illegal state security courts which allow for unjustified detentions and abuse
4. Remove the ‘mokhabarat’ & military from the cities, and allow regular police to maintain order
5. Compensate the families of those murdered
6. Issue decrees guaranteeing the right for public protest and discourse
7. Amend the constitution to accommodate multi-party leadership (outside of the Ba’ath)
8. Allow outside observers and foreign media to enter the country

This is just the beginning – a springboard to enable true reform and peoples representation in the nation. To avoid and delay this will merely create a deeper divide among Syrians and polarize the nation.

The Syrian people in the streets have said it clearly: Al-Shaab Al-sooree Wahid. Wahid, Wahid, Wahid! The Syrian People are one. One, One, One!

The future will ensure ONE Syria. Non-sectarian with freedom and dignity. A nation to represent all the people of Syria, equally.