Wow - protests in almost every major city in Syria. It is easier to list the cities without protests (Aleppo - surprising - and Tartous - not so surprising) than to list the ones where there were protests. The "pro-Assad" crowds a few days before may have been much much bigger but make no mistake: given the fear, intimidation and violence used to suppress dissent in Syria the fact that thousands took to the streets in almost every part of the country signalled a resounding rejection of Bashar's recent speech and announcements.
One feature I wish to highlight is the unity of the chants and the nationwide adoption of slogans stressing the unity of Syria. Here is video from Qamishli, a city with a large Kurdish population and a centre of Kurdish nationalist activity. Yesterday they were flying Syrian rather than Kurdsih flags and they chanted: "One, one, one - the Syrian people are one."
Here is a video from Latakia - a large city with a mixed population including Muslims (Sunni, Alawi) and Christians. They chant "Sunni, Alawi, Muslims and Christians". On previous days they have been chanting "one hand", a traditional expression of unity and signs rejecting sectarianism have been hung in the city.
This shows that Syrians reject the divisive sectarian narrative that is being imposed upon them by the Syrian regime and many "experts" and commentators in the West.
Its not going to be like in Tunisia and Egypt. It is also going to be different from Libya (inshallah). But I am sure that Syria is now locked into a trajectory of confrontation between the regime and the people. Last night Syrians I know expressed amazement and pride. There is still a lot of fear but it is gradually being overcome. Although I have no confidence in making long-term predictions I am sure that the highly diverse protest movement will continue to grow in the coming weeks, short of the regime doing something highly unexpected.
No dictatorship in history has ever been a monolith and Syria is no exception. The persistent rumours of a power struggle between Bashar and his violent younger brother Maher (architect of the horrific Seidnayah prison massacre in 2008), have an air of truth about them. There are many other entrenched interests and centres of power within the security services, the military, the Ba'ath Party and the commercial elite who will also be looking to fight to maintain their interests. Therefore there is a great deal of complexity to the sitaution.
These are "interesting" times for Syria. But they are also extremely dangerous and uncertain ones.
30 March 2011
Bashar blows it.
So, clearly Bashar didn't read my blog post of 28th March (no need to write me to apologise, mate. I understand that work's been putting you under a lot of pressure recently. It's fine).
Bashar al-Assad made an eagerly awaited speech in the Syrian Parliament today - his first since mass protests began on 15th March. With this speech he had a great opportunity to regain the initiative and win over the large numbers of doubters. In my opinion, he blew it!
It'll be interesting to see what happens on Friday.
Bashar al-Assad made an eagerly awaited speech in the Syrian Parliament today - his first since mass protests began on 15th March. With this speech he had a great opportunity to regain the initiative and win over the large numbers of doubters. In my opinion, he blew it!
- Too many veiled threads and talk of stability. Blaming foreign plots and satellite TV just doesn't work in 2011 when you have a well educated and IT-literate population.
- Too few promises on concretes steps that will be taken to reform the country. Vague promises have been made for 11 years. Syrians are getting tired of waiting for the Godot of reforms that never quite arrive.
- Virtually no mention of the dead, and certainly no apology. Even many Bashar supporters are shocked at the killings and want to see some kind of justice for the victims and their families.
It'll be interesting to see what happens on Friday.
29 March 2011
More from Maysaloon
Guys, I may as well just let Maysaloon take over this blog!
I urge you to read his most recent post: A Very Syrian Way of Doing Things.
Just as an aside, Joshua Landis is really slipping these days isn't he? He always was a little bit of a regime apologist but he may as well be on the Assad payroll the way he's been talking since 15 March kicked off. He's certainly not describing the situation as I recognise it...
I urge you to read his most recent post: A Very Syrian Way of Doing Things.
Just as an aside, Joshua Landis is really slipping these days isn't he? He always was a little bit of a regime apologist but he may as well be on the Assad payroll the way he's been talking since 15 March kicked off. He's certainly not describing the situation as I recognise it...
22 March 2011
"No politics please, we're Syrian"
Protests continue to happen across Syria. The most serious are happening in the Houran region (Daraa and surrounding towns and villages), where the Syrian governments efforts at a mix of repression and conciliation have so far failed to dispel anger over the arrest of children and the subsequent killing of protesters.
Maysaloon, a Syrian blogger has written an analysis of the situation which I think is brilliant. So brilliant that I have nothing more to add today. I urge you all to read it to get an understanding of some of the dynamics of the situation.
There are some Facebook groups who are spreading information and news in English which may be worth searching for if you are curious to learn more.
Maysaloon, a Syrian blogger has written an analysis of the situation which I think is brilliant. So brilliant that I have nothing more to add today. I urge you all to read it to get an understanding of some of the dynamics of the situation.
There are some Facebook groups who are spreading information and news in English which may be worth searching for if you are curious to learn more.
21 March 2011
Der'a Updates - 20/03/11
The large demonstrations in Der'a continued today, with the Syrian government employing both stick (tear gas and live ammunitition, killing at least 1 protester today) and carrot (promising talks, offering to release the arrested schoolchildren). However, these measures were not enough to conciliate the people of Der'a. Instead, they destroyed several symbolic buildings within the city - the local Ba'ath Party HQ and the offices of Syriatel, the mobile phone company owned by Rami Makhlouf. Makhlouf, President Bashar al-Assad's cousin, is the richest man in Syria and is widely loathed because he is seen to epitomise the country's corruption.
This video shows the funeral of one of the martyrs of town.
And this shows crowds of protesters having tear gas fired at them.
Now that the situation in Der'a has escalated to the point of revolt against the Ba'thist regime there is a possibility that protests will spread throughout the Hauran region of southern Syria. The Hauran is an area of large tightly-knit families and it seems very possible other families will align with Der'a. There are already reports of large demonstrations in the nearby town of Da'il. The Hauran has a long history of rebellion, and an important place in Syrian national identity. It was the place where the Great Syrian Revolt against French colonial rule began.
There were also protests in the north-east, in Qamishli. This can in part be explained by the fact that tomorrow is Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year. Syria has a Kurdish community of about 2 million (10% population), most of whom come from the north and north-east of the country and they are pretty much second-class citizens. Their language is officially banned, their nationalist parties are criminalised and they often suffer descrinimation. Several hundred thousand Kurds have even been deprived of Syrian citizenship. Nowruz provides an annual opportunity for them to assert their distinctive Kurdish identity. It is traditionally a time of clashes between young Kurdish nationalists and Syrian security officials.
This video shows the funeral of one of the martyrs of town.
And this shows crowds of protesters having tear gas fired at them.
Now that the situation in Der'a has escalated to the point of revolt against the Ba'thist regime there is a possibility that protests will spread throughout the Hauran region of southern Syria. The Hauran is an area of large tightly-knit families and it seems very possible other families will align with Der'a. There are already reports of large demonstrations in the nearby town of Da'il. The Hauran has a long history of rebellion, and an important place in Syrian national identity. It was the place where the Great Syrian Revolt against French colonial rule began.
There were also protests in the north-east, in Qamishli. This can in part be explained by the fact that tomorrow is Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year. Syria has a Kurdish community of about 2 million (10% population), most of whom come from the north and north-east of the country and they are pretty much second-class citizens. Their language is officially banned, their nationalist parties are criminalised and they often suffer descrinimation. Several hundred thousand Kurds have even been deprived of Syrian citizenship. Nowruz provides an annual opportunity for them to assert their distinctive Kurdish identity. It is traditionally a time of clashes between young Kurdish nationalists and Syrian security officials.
19 March 2011
Der'a under siege
Today the focus of the protests in Syria has been Der'a. Der'a is a small city in southern Syria, just a few miles from the Jordanian border. Aside from its status as capital of the eponymous province in which it's located, it's a fairly nondescript Syrian town. Nevertheless, over the last few days it has been the scene of large and angry demonstrations against the Syrian government. This has resulted in clashes with Syrian security forces who have employed water cannon, tear gas and even live ammunition. Yesterday, 4 men from the town were killed during these clashes.
Here is a video taken during the funeral of Mahmoud al-Jawabra and Wissam Ayyash which was held today (19th March) during which the crowd chanted "No god but God, martyrs are loved by God", as a mark of respect for the dead.
Despite a heavy security presence, thousands of men then took to the streets (the town has a population of about 75,000) accusing the killers of being "traitors" and calling for revolution.
In this video groups of young men confront security forces who start to shoot at them.
Der'a is now in a state of siege. It has been surrounded by security forces, with no one allowed to enter the city. The internet, landlines and mobile phone network have reportedly all been cut.
There have been demonstrations in most of the main cities in Syria during the last few days but they have remained relatively small. Clearly the majority of Syrians have been sitting on the fence. There may be a degree of sympathy towards the need for reform and increased freedom but so far most people have remained unconvinced by the calls for them to take to the streets. It has therefore been a little puzzling to see such an intense confrontation in Der'a. What has singled Der'a out?
There have been rumours circulating for a number of days about children being arrested for writing anti-regime graffiti, but today a story emerged which would seem to clearly explain why Der'a has been the scene of such anger towards the Syrian government.
According to this report (in Arabic), people in Der'a have been incensed by the arrest and interrogation of an entire class of ten-year olds who had been chanting "the people want to overthrow the system" in school. This is the chant that we first heard in Tunisia and which has been repeated in protests across the Arab world. 15 children were arrested during night-time raids on 9th March, and all of them remain in secret police custody more than ten days later. You can read an English translation here. [Update: It would seem as if the true number of arrested children is 15 rather than 25 as reported by Syrianet. Text amended]
Many Syrians were already gravely concerned at the killing of 4 or more young men and the deployment of military units to Der'a. As this story has broken, they now seem to have become particularly disturbed at the secret police's treatment of ten-year old children.
The Syrian government would also seem to be nervous about the impact that these reports might have on public opinion. They have promised to investigate what has happened in Der'a and to punish those responsible. Rumours even began to circulate that a deal had been done between the Syrian authorities and the people in Der'a.
Nevertheless, despite these reports of conciliatory gestures, at the time of writing there has still been no confirmation of an end to the siege, nor the release of the child-prisoners. To the contrary, this evening it was being reported that the local governor had fled, his home having been set ablaze by protesters, and that a battalion of tanks was being deployed to the city.
The comparisons to Hama in 1982 have started.
We are nervously watching...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post is dedicated to the martyrs of Der'a and also to Mohammed Nabbous, a Libyan hero, who was shot dead today in Benghazi. R.I.P.
Here is a video taken during the funeral of Mahmoud al-Jawabra and Wissam Ayyash which was held today (19th March) during which the crowd chanted "No god but God, martyrs are loved by God", as a mark of respect for the dead.
Despite a heavy security presence, thousands of men then took to the streets (the town has a population of about 75,000) accusing the killers of being "traitors" and calling for revolution.
In this video groups of young men confront security forces who start to shoot at them.
Der'a is now in a state of siege. It has been surrounded by security forces, with no one allowed to enter the city. The internet, landlines and mobile phone network have reportedly all been cut.
There have been demonstrations in most of the main cities in Syria during the last few days but they have remained relatively small. Clearly the majority of Syrians have been sitting on the fence. There may be a degree of sympathy towards the need for reform and increased freedom but so far most people have remained unconvinced by the calls for them to take to the streets. It has therefore been a little puzzling to see such an intense confrontation in Der'a. What has singled Der'a out?
There have been rumours circulating for a number of days about children being arrested for writing anti-regime graffiti, but today a story emerged which would seem to clearly explain why Der'a has been the scene of such anger towards the Syrian government.
According to this report (in Arabic), people in Der'a have been incensed by the arrest and interrogation of an entire class of ten-year olds who had been chanting "the people want to overthrow the system" in school. This is the chant that we first heard in Tunisia and which has been repeated in protests across the Arab world. 15 children were arrested during night-time raids on 9th March, and all of them remain in secret police custody more than ten days later. You can read an English translation here. [Update: It would seem as if the true number of arrested children is 15 rather than 25 as reported by Syrianet. Text amended]
Many Syrians were already gravely concerned at the killing of 4 or more young men and the deployment of military units to Der'a. As this story has broken, they now seem to have become particularly disturbed at the secret police's treatment of ten-year old children.
The Syrian government would also seem to be nervous about the impact that these reports might have on public opinion. They have promised to investigate what has happened in Der'a and to punish those responsible. Rumours even began to circulate that a deal had been done between the Syrian authorities and the people in Der'a.
Nevertheless, despite these reports of conciliatory gestures, at the time of writing there has still been no confirmation of an end to the siege, nor the release of the child-prisoners. To the contrary, this evening it was being reported that the local governor had fled, his home having been set ablaze by protesters, and that a battalion of tanks was being deployed to the city.
The comparisons to Hama in 1982 have started.
We are nervously watching...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post is dedicated to the martyrs of Der'a and also to Mohammed Nabbous, a Libyan hero, who was shot dead today in Benghazi. R.I.P.
18 March 2011
Syria: a day of escalation
Phew, it's been a full day...
Last night, the UNSC authorised a No Fly Zone and additional measures against Col Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, the crackdown continues in Bahrain, where the government has demolished Pearl roundabout, the symbolic landmark which demonstrators calling for reforms had adopted as their gathering place. Ironically, the statue was intended to symbolise the unity of the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), the regional organisaion (which includes Saudi Arabia) that King al-Khalifa has now called upon to help him quell the opposition movement.
In San'a, the capital of Yemen, security forces massacred those protesting against the government. More than 30 have been reported killed and hundreds injured. This is totally despicable behaviour by President Ali Abdallah Saleh, our ally in the 'War on Terror', and indicative of a situation which seems to be rapidly deteriorating.
However, for me today was dominated by events in Syria where, for the fourth consecutive day, demonstrations were held in various towns and cities across the country. There seems to have been a dangerously rapid escalation. On 15th and 16th March scattered groups of protesters assembled to demand the end of emergency laws, the release of political prisoners, and to make a general call for freedom in Syria. However, these disparate calls have been met by steadilly mounting state brutality.
By 17th March al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper was reporting the use of live ammunition by police in the Midan and Muhajireen districts of Damascus, and the deployment of Republican Guards tanks on the outskirts of the city.
This didn't stop a group from gathering in the Umayyid mosque in the Old City of Damascus after Friday prayers who began to chant "la ilaha il-Allah" (No god but God) and then "Freedom!". One man held a sign with both the Cross and the Crescent. Incidentally, this mosque is of great significance to both Sunni and Shi'a and, because it is one of the places which claim to contain John the Baptist's head, it is also a sacred place for Christians too.
Then, in this video, we can see fighting and skuffles as security forces invade the prayer hall. Apparently 200 security personnel were involved and up to 30 people, including some under-18s, were arrested.
Here, a man is being beaten in the courtyard of the mosque:
However, during the last few days the largest protests seem to have taken place in provincial Syria.
For example, on Friday thousands protested in Der'a in Hauran (southern Syria). In this video they can be heard shouting "Freedom"
Fire engines were deployed as water cannon in an effort to disperse the crowd.
Between 3 and 6 protesters are reported to have been killed and dozens injured in Der'a today as live ammunition was used against them. Here is video of the crowd carrying a dead protester. You can clearly hear shooting in the background. (Warning: graphic)
There were reports that the army, including helicopters, have been deployed inside the city.
Large crowds also gathered in Homs, the third largest city in Syria.
Another large crowd gathered in Baniyas on the Med Coast (between Lattakia and Tartous) and chanted "God, Syria, Freedom!"
Protests have also been reported in Deir Az-Zur, Hasseke, Qamishli and Raqqa.
Witnesses in Aleppo described Syria's second city as 'quiet' today, in the midst of a heavy security presence in the centre of the city.
Demonstrations had been reported there on Tuesday. There had also been some reports of gunfire on the night of 15th March.
Personally, I'm very worried about the situation in Syria. The Syrian government has shown that it is not interested in engaging in any kind of dialogue with those who are seeking reform. Instead, it has immediately resorted to it's virtual monopoly on violence, including the use of live ammunition and the deployment of military units against civilians. Old habits die hard.
The Syrian authorities are hoping that this brutal crackdown will quickly stamp out dissent. However, it also risks strengthening opposition and exacerbating the divisions in Syrian society.
Allah m3kum.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Update 19/3: Late arriving video of Friday's protests in Deir Az-Zur in the east of Syria.
Last night, the UNSC authorised a No Fly Zone and additional measures against Col Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, the crackdown continues in Bahrain, where the government has demolished Pearl roundabout, the symbolic landmark which demonstrators calling for reforms had adopted as their gathering place. Ironically, the statue was intended to symbolise the unity of the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), the regional organisaion (which includes Saudi Arabia) that King al-Khalifa has now called upon to help him quell the opposition movement.
In San'a, the capital of Yemen, security forces massacred those protesting against the government. More than 30 have been reported killed and hundreds injured. This is totally despicable behaviour by President Ali Abdallah Saleh, our ally in the 'War on Terror', and indicative of a situation which seems to be rapidly deteriorating.
However, for me today was dominated by events in Syria where, for the fourth consecutive day, demonstrations were held in various towns and cities across the country. There seems to have been a dangerously rapid escalation. On 15th and 16th March scattered groups of protesters assembled to demand the end of emergency laws, the release of political prisoners, and to make a general call for freedom in Syria. However, these disparate calls have been met by steadilly mounting state brutality.
By 17th March al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper was reporting the use of live ammunition by police in the Midan and Muhajireen districts of Damascus, and the deployment of Republican Guards tanks on the outskirts of the city.
This didn't stop a group from gathering in the Umayyid mosque in the Old City of Damascus after Friday prayers who began to chant "la ilaha il-Allah" (No god but God) and then "Freedom!". One man held a sign with both the Cross and the Crescent. Incidentally, this mosque is of great significance to both Sunni and Shi'a and, because it is one of the places which claim to contain John the Baptist's head, it is also a sacred place for Christians too.
Then, in this video, we can see fighting and skuffles as security forces invade the prayer hall. Apparently 200 security personnel were involved and up to 30 people, including some under-18s, were arrested.
Here, a man is being beaten in the courtyard of the mosque:
However, during the last few days the largest protests seem to have taken place in provincial Syria.
For example, on Friday thousands protested in Der'a in Hauran (southern Syria). In this video they can be heard shouting "Freedom"
Fire engines were deployed as water cannon in an effort to disperse the crowd.
Between 3 and 6 protesters are reported to have been killed and dozens injured in Der'a today as live ammunition was used against them. Here is video of the crowd carrying a dead protester. You can clearly hear shooting in the background. (Warning: graphic)
There were reports that the army, including helicopters, have been deployed inside the city.
Large crowds also gathered in Homs, the third largest city in Syria.
Another large crowd gathered in Baniyas on the Med Coast (between Lattakia and Tartous) and chanted "God, Syria, Freedom!"
Protests have also been reported in Deir Az-Zur, Hasseke, Qamishli and Raqqa.
Witnesses in Aleppo described Syria's second city as 'quiet' today, in the midst of a heavy security presence in the centre of the city.
Demonstrations had been reported there on Tuesday. There had also been some reports of gunfire on the night of 15th March.
Personally, I'm very worried about the situation in Syria. The Syrian government has shown that it is not interested in engaging in any kind of dialogue with those who are seeking reform. Instead, it has immediately resorted to it's virtual monopoly on violence, including the use of live ammunition and the deployment of military units against civilians. Old habits die hard.
The Syrian authorities are hoping that this brutal crackdown will quickly stamp out dissent. However, it also risks strengthening opposition and exacerbating the divisions in Syrian society.
Allah m3kum.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Update 19/3: Late arriving video of Friday's protests in Deir Az-Zur in the east of Syria.
17 March 2011
Quality writing on Middle East
I've been super impressed with a number of recent articles published by Jadiliyya.
Of particular note:
Maya Mikdasi writes how the latest Wikileaks release implicates the Lebanese govt under Sinioura in the Israeli attacks of 2006.
Sherene Seikaly and Pascale Ghazaleh look at the issue of paternalism/infantilism in Middle Eastern political culture.
Last, but certainly not least, Hannes Baumann explores the Seif al-Islam and LSE connection, and thinks about the wider implications (the interconnectivity of education-politics-power and the issue of higher education funding in the UK).
And here's an account of how Gaddafi was able to buy his way in from the cold. Yes, oil and greed did play a part...
Of particular note:
Maya Mikdasi writes how the latest Wikileaks release implicates the Lebanese govt under Sinioura in the Israeli attacks of 2006.
Sherene Seikaly and Pascale Ghazaleh look at the issue of paternalism/infantilism in Middle Eastern political culture.
Last, but certainly not least, Hannes Baumann explores the Seif al-Islam and LSE connection, and thinks about the wider implications (the interconnectivity of education-politics-power and the issue of higher education funding in the UK).
And here's an account of how Gaddafi was able to buy his way in from the cold. Yes, oil and greed did play a part...
15 March 2011
Syria's Day of Rage v.2 (15 March)
So, the Syrian Day of Rage v2 actually delivered something. However, quite what this thing is remains a little uncertain. Reports about demontrations in Aleppo, Qamishle and even Latakia, that Deir Az-Zur and towns in the Hauran (south of Damascus) had been cut-off and surrounded by security forces, or that gunfire could be heard in Aleppo tonight, all these remained mostly unverified (and several of them are patently nothing more than rumours). All we really had to latch onto were two short mobile phone video uploads showing dozens, maybe hundreds (one eye witness said 150-200) marching in souq al-Hamidiyya and Hariqa in Old Damascus.
[The main chant is "God, Syria, Freedom, that's all!". They also chant "Peaceful"]
The demonstration in Damascus was reportedly broken up very quickly by plainclothes security (characterised by the trusty leather jacket and mustache combo). Nevertheless, and certainly after the damp squib of Feb 4th, the fact that small groups of protesters actually managed to simultaneously gather in several cities across Syria will be seen as a success by the organisers.
So, if the Syrian government really has been backing Gaddafi (with pilots and weapons, something the Syrians deny doing) in an effort to halt the spread of pro-democracy protests we can somewhat cautiously say that this policy has failed regardless of whether the Libyan uprising is ultimately successful or not.
It's possible that as news spreads that a small but important group had the courage to demonstrate today it will embolden many more to join them. But it will also probably spur the regime to adopt a more robust response too. Nevertheless, protest organisers are promising a turn-out tomorrow and every subsequent day until their (still somehwat unclear) demands are met...
There is the additional problem that there are plenty of shady characters waiting in the wings and getting ready to steal some of the nascent protest movement's thunder, like former Vice President Khaddam and Rifaat al-Assad (Bashar's uncle). The children of shady characters are also now getting in on the act, with Rifaat's son, Ribal al-Assad (director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria), lobbying British government officials and publishing articles outlining the need for democratic reform in Syria. To borrow a phrase which Robert Fisk employed in a recent interview: It's interesting to hear the "son of a war criminal" calling for human rights and freedom. Every Syrian I have ever spoken to about these so-called 'opposition figures' in exile is very suspicious of them and their motives. Nevertheless, if the protests are seen as in any way affiliated with the opposition in exile (which also includes the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood), they will quickly lose credibility.
So, quite where all this is heading I cannot say at the moment. Calls in the protest literature for young people to build a new Syria, free from fear, unemployment or sectarianism, will have resonance. But, I would imagine that some of the protest pages which talk about an uprising (intifada) AGAINST Bashar al-Assad, may be going too far for many who would otherwise give their support to a reformist agenda.
I'm watching this space...
In the meantime, O Sham, I love you and I wish you a positive future. Allah m3kum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 16/3: The families of 27 political prisoners and their supporters had planned to stage a sit-in in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Merjeh Square, Damascus today. Apparently about 150 protesters gathered, including many elderly people and children. They were surrounded by hundreds of police and plainclothers security and within minutes had been forcibly dispersed. Many protesters had their mobile phones taken from them, at least 30 people (and rising) were arrested and several others were injured. Some of those who were arrested were bystanders who had rushed in to try to stop female protesters from being beaten.
Amnesty International's press release can be read here.
Here is video footage of a man (identified as a recently released prisoner of conscience) being dragged away and beaten by plainclothes security armed with sticks.
Supposedly the video was filmed in Damascus on 16th March (uploaded on 17th).
Meanwhile, protesters say that across the whole of Syria about 300 people have been arrested. There are also some more reports emerging about yesterday's protests, including the use of tear gas to break up a demonstration in the countryside near Aleppo. Meanwhile, it is reported that the internet in the whole eastern province of Deir Az-Zur has been cut-off. This, coupled with reports and rumours about security crackdowns in the Hauran, the Jazeera region (north-eastern Syria), and in Aleppo province suggest that perhaps the most significant demonstrations are actually happening outside the capital.
[The main chant is "God, Syria, Freedom, that's all!". They also chant "Peaceful"]
The demonstration in Damascus was reportedly broken up very quickly by plainclothes security (characterised by the trusty leather jacket and mustache combo). Nevertheless, and certainly after the damp squib of Feb 4th, the fact that small groups of protesters actually managed to simultaneously gather in several cities across Syria will be seen as a success by the organisers.
So, if the Syrian government really has been backing Gaddafi (with pilots and weapons, something the Syrians deny doing) in an effort to halt the spread of pro-democracy protests we can somewhat cautiously say that this policy has failed regardless of whether the Libyan uprising is ultimately successful or not.
It's possible that as news spreads that a small but important group had the courage to demonstrate today it will embolden many more to join them. But it will also probably spur the regime to adopt a more robust response too. Nevertheless, protest organisers are promising a turn-out tomorrow and every subsequent day until their (still somehwat unclear) demands are met...
There is the additional problem that there are plenty of shady characters waiting in the wings and getting ready to steal some of the nascent protest movement's thunder, like former Vice President Khaddam and Rifaat al-Assad (Bashar's uncle). The children of shady characters are also now getting in on the act, with Rifaat's son, Ribal al-Assad (director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria), lobbying British government officials and publishing articles outlining the need for democratic reform in Syria. To borrow a phrase which Robert Fisk employed in a recent interview: It's interesting to hear the "son of a war criminal" calling for human rights and freedom. Every Syrian I have ever spoken to about these so-called 'opposition figures' in exile is very suspicious of them and their motives. Nevertheless, if the protests are seen as in any way affiliated with the opposition in exile (which also includes the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood), they will quickly lose credibility.
So, quite where all this is heading I cannot say at the moment. Calls in the protest literature for young people to build a new Syria, free from fear, unemployment or sectarianism, will have resonance. But, I would imagine that some of the protest pages which talk about an uprising (intifada) AGAINST Bashar al-Assad, may be going too far for many who would otherwise give their support to a reformist agenda.
I'm watching this space...
In the meantime, O Sham, I love you and I wish you a positive future. Allah m3kum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 16/3: The families of 27 political prisoners and their supporters had planned to stage a sit-in in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Merjeh Square, Damascus today. Apparently about 150 protesters gathered, including many elderly people and children. They were surrounded by hundreds of police and plainclothers security and within minutes had been forcibly dispersed. Many protesters had their mobile phones taken from them, at least 30 people (and rising) were arrested and several others were injured. Some of those who were arrested were bystanders who had rushed in to try to stop female protesters from being beaten.
Amnesty International's press release can be read here.
Here is video footage of a man (identified as a recently released prisoner of conscience) being dragged away and beaten by plainclothes security armed with sticks.
Supposedly the video was filmed in Damascus on 16th March (uploaded on 17th).
Meanwhile, protesters say that across the whole of Syria about 300 people have been arrested. There are also some more reports emerging about yesterday's protests, including the use of tear gas to break up a demonstration in the countryside near Aleppo. Meanwhile, it is reported that the internet in the whole eastern province of Deir Az-Zur has been cut-off. This, coupled with reports and rumours about security crackdowns in the Hauran, the Jazeera region (north-eastern Syria), and in Aleppo province suggest that perhaps the most significant demonstrations are actually happening outside the capital.
20 February 2011
My twopence worth on the Syrian protest (17/02/2011)
I like this article by Qandaz: Syria speeding up.
Just to add my twopence worth (why not?):
I think Syrians do, ultimately, want democracy, but not at any price. Bashar is relatively popular (or at least not too unpopular!), and people are very wary of the alternative leadership (in particular, the opposition in exile has almost no credibility inside the country). I agree that Syrians have more of a problem with the corrupt system than with the leadership itself. So, at present there is a much stronger desire for reform rather than revolution.
Secondly, there is a fear of sectarianism but I personally find this a little paradoxical. Paradoxical because almost every Syrian seems to view their country as a potential sectarian powder keg (they look at Lebanon and Iraq and are scared they might go the same way) and yet I have not seen evidence of any serious sectarian chauvinism in personal dealings between Syrians. In the main urban areas most people live, work, study and socialise in mixed groups, especially the younger people. It is only in matters of marriage that Syrians tend to be much more endogamous and even then I personally know of quite a few marriages that cut across sectarian boundaries (e.g. Sunni-Ismaili, Sunni-Druze, Muslim-Christian). Cautiously, I would suggest that younger Syrians are becoming more relaxed about this than their elders. Perhaps the group that is most fearful of sectarianism is the Alawi because they have potentially the most to lose, and they fear the accumulated resentment that has built up against them over the last 40+ years. However, I tentatively suggest that Syrian national pride is strong enough to overcome sectarian divisions.
Finally, it was very interesting that the recent demo in Damascus (17 Sep 2011, Hariqa) did not come via the over-hyped Facebook/Twitter/etc (which may be important tools for spreading information but don't really explain WHY any of these Middle Eastern protests are happening) but instead from a single tightly-knit group with shared interests (the souq shopkeepers) protesting a specific issue (police brutality).
Just to add my twopence worth (why not?):
I think Syrians do, ultimately, want democracy, but not at any price. Bashar is relatively popular (or at least not too unpopular!), and people are very wary of the alternative leadership (in particular, the opposition in exile has almost no credibility inside the country). I agree that Syrians have more of a problem with the corrupt system than with the leadership itself. So, at present there is a much stronger desire for reform rather than revolution.
Secondly, there is a fear of sectarianism but I personally find this a little paradoxical. Paradoxical because almost every Syrian seems to view their country as a potential sectarian powder keg (they look at Lebanon and Iraq and are scared they might go the same way) and yet I have not seen evidence of any serious sectarian chauvinism in personal dealings between Syrians. In the main urban areas most people live, work, study and socialise in mixed groups, especially the younger people. It is only in matters of marriage that Syrians tend to be much more endogamous and even then I personally know of quite a few marriages that cut across sectarian boundaries (e.g. Sunni-Ismaili, Sunni-Druze, Muslim-Christian). Cautiously, I would suggest that younger Syrians are becoming more relaxed about this than their elders. Perhaps the group that is most fearful of sectarianism is the Alawi because they have potentially the most to lose, and they fear the accumulated resentment that has built up against them over the last 40+ years. However, I tentatively suggest that Syrian national pride is strong enough to overcome sectarian divisions.
Finally, it was very interesting that the recent demo in Damascus (17 Sep 2011, Hariqa) did not come via the over-hyped Facebook/Twitter/etc (which may be important tools for spreading information but don't really explain WHY any of these Middle Eastern protests are happening) but instead from a single tightly-knit group with shared interests (the souq shopkeepers) protesting a specific issue (police brutality).
17 February 2011
Was It Really 3 Years Ago?
Was it really 3 years ago? I remember standing in Bab Touma square, on the edge of the Old City of Damascus, saying goodbye to a group of friends at the end of a pleasant evening spent in one of the city's many restaurants. It was about 11.00pm when a loud bang came echoing towards us from the direction of Mount Qasioun. Our conversation abruptly halted, everyone was momentarily shocked, looking at each other for some kind of clue about how to react to what had just happened. "That didn't sound like thunder"
13 February 2011
A revival of Pan-Arabism? & the prospects for revolution in Syria
Nice little article putting events in Tunisia and Egypt into the context of Pan-Arabism, that most well-worn of Middle Eastern political footballs...
The resurrection of pan-Arabism - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
In the meantime we are seeing that any 'transition' period is sure to be anything but smooth sailing. In attempting to clear Tahreer Sq and restore 'normality' the army has provoked renewed demonstrations, with thousands of protesters returning to the square to reinforce the hundreds who had been camped there overnight. There were also reports that tear gas was used to disperse a demonstration of police officers demanding better pay. These are going to be interesting times for the Egyptians!
Bringing matters back to Syria, AJE also produced a readable account of why the Tunisian domino effect is unlikely to spread to Syria:
Syria: 'A kingdom of silence' - Features - Al Jazeera English
A quick statement of my opinion is that Syrians are unlikely to unite behind overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in the way that Egyptians united to get rid of Mubarak. He is much younger (just 45), much less personally tainted by charges of corruption, and gains a degree of credibility by being seen as a leader who has stood up to American and Israeli designs on the region. In addition, his wife, Asma, is seen as a role model for young, educated, sophisticated Syrian women, and she is known to be very supportive of development issues through her Syria Trust for Development.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the Syrian people are desperate for the reform of a corrupt political system which gives them too much stick and not enough carrots. A small, but welcome, step has been an end to the blocking of Facebook and Youtube, which have been unavailable in Syria since 2007 (hence my lack of blogging activity in Syria since autumn 2007!). Whether the regime will seize this historic opportunity to push through more substantive reforms remains to be seen (serious reform will entail a dialogue and power struggle within the regime itself, between more reformist elements and entrenched interests, particularly in the army and security services).
Finally, and to leave on an optimistic note, it's worth pondering the fact that we are seriously debating the likelihood of changes which just a few weeks ago seemed almost unthinkable. Perhaps this is the most important message to take from these heady days: for the first time in years anything seems to be possible!
The resurrection of pan-Arabism - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
In the meantime we are seeing that any 'transition' period is sure to be anything but smooth sailing. In attempting to clear Tahreer Sq and restore 'normality' the army has provoked renewed demonstrations, with thousands of protesters returning to the square to reinforce the hundreds who had been camped there overnight. There were also reports that tear gas was used to disperse a demonstration of police officers demanding better pay. These are going to be interesting times for the Egyptians!
Bringing matters back to Syria, AJE also produced a readable account of why the Tunisian domino effect is unlikely to spread to Syria:
Syria: 'A kingdom of silence' - Features - Al Jazeera English
A quick statement of my opinion is that Syrians are unlikely to unite behind overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in the way that Egyptians united to get rid of Mubarak. He is much younger (just 45), much less personally tainted by charges of corruption, and gains a degree of credibility by being seen as a leader who has stood up to American and Israeli designs on the region. In addition, his wife, Asma, is seen as a role model for young, educated, sophisticated Syrian women, and she is known to be very supportive of development issues through her Syria Trust for Development.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the Syrian people are desperate for the reform of a corrupt political system which gives them too much stick and not enough carrots. A small, but welcome, step has been an end to the blocking of Facebook and Youtube, which have been unavailable in Syria since 2007 (hence my lack of blogging activity in Syria since autumn 2007!). Whether the regime will seize this historic opportunity to push through more substantive reforms remains to be seen (serious reform will entail a dialogue and power struggle within the regime itself, between more reformist elements and entrenched interests, particularly in the army and security services).
Finally, and to leave on an optimistic note, it's worth pondering the fact that we are seriously debating the likelihood of changes which just a few weeks ago seemed almost unthinkable. Perhaps this is the most important message to take from these heady days: for the first time in years anything seems to be possible!
08 February 2011
Renewed Interest?
I was checking the site stats recently and it appears as if there remains a steady interest in this blog, despite the recent lack of activity. I was pleasantly surprised by this, so much so that I have decided to post a little update to cover the last 3+ years.
I returned to Damascus at the start of 2008, and remained there almost continuously until late 2010. During this period I settled into a busy work schedule and social life. In fact, I had the time of my life, meeting some amazingly talented people from all over the world, some of whom I hope to stay friends with for many years to come.
During this period the transformation of my relationship to Syria became complete. No longer was I the wide-eyed tourist of March 2006. Instead, what had been unusual had become banal, the extraodinary was now everyday. Perhaps I was 'going native'. I certainly passed from the point of being an outsider to being an insider. I never did formulate a way to deal with this... However, I did realise that a detached 'been there, done that' attitude wouldn't make for riveting reading.
For the curious here are some highlights you missed:
This year I am intending to return to the region again... Back on the Road to Damascus...
Maybe, once more, I'll invite some readers along for the ride.
Best wishes,
Dave (malik ash-sham!) ;-)
I returned to Damascus at the start of 2008, and remained there almost continuously until late 2010. During this period I settled into a busy work schedule and social life. In fact, I had the time of my life, meeting some amazingly talented people from all over the world, some of whom I hope to stay friends with for many years to come.
During this period the transformation of my relationship to Syria became complete. No longer was I the wide-eyed tourist of March 2006. Instead, what had been unusual had become banal, the extraodinary was now everyday. Perhaps I was 'going native'. I certainly passed from the point of being an outsider to being an insider. I never did formulate a way to deal with this... However, I did realise that a detached 'been there, done that' attitude wouldn't make for riveting reading.
For the curious here are some highlights you missed:
- totally rocking the crowd at MarMar, one of the city's most famous nightclubs, on the night Michael Jackson died. Not sure they were totally prepared for the sound of Dave Digital, but they were dancing on the tables anyway!
- Ramadan road trip with Mehyar, Muntajab, Sarah and Adeline. We may have failed to get a decent coffee but we certainly found out that Syrians are not going to let a trivial thing like fasting get in the way of their summer holiday fun.
- Having visa problems and literally being barred from leaving Syria - sounded alright to me! (contrary to the rumours, I did not smuggle myself out in a burka!)
- Tom, Matt, Takeshi and I driving up to the far NE of Syria in one mad 14-hr dash, (dinner in Damascus, breakfast on the Tigris) including several run-ins with Syria's finest. On the way back we stayed in the dirtiest hotel in the world (whose location I will keep a secret, just to ensure that some poor Lonely Planet writer will have to endure what we went through, hehe)
- getting to know the 150+ students I taught in my time there, young people from many backgrounds, ethnicities and religious groups. I may have been their teacher but actually, it was I who learned a lot from them and they gave me hope for the future of Syria, and indeed, the wider Middle East.
This year I am intending to return to the region again... Back on the Road to Damascus...
Maybe, once more, I'll invite some readers along for the ride.
Best wishes,
Dave (malik ash-sham!) ;-)
25 October 2007
REDACTIONS 2006-2011
Many posts have been deleted or have been heavily edited. This is merely to protect the identities of the guilty by association. Normal blog archives may resume at some time in the future...
29 April 2007
'Doing' Jordan part 2
Sorry about the delay folks - I've been busy with teaching. Anyways, here's part two of my adventures in Jordan.
Karak
After two nights in Petra I caught a bus north to Karak. Karak is a pleasant enough little town, sitting atop a hill which holds a commanding position over Wadi Araba. For millenia this hill has been the site of fortifications and the most recent occupant is a large castle built by the Crusaders.
I had a nice evening here - I was even offered a job teaching English by a couple of teachers whom I got talking to in the town centre (most notable for it's statue of Salah ad-Din).
The castle itself is fairly impressive, commanding the surrounding countryside of rolling green hills. However, Syria is not exactly short of Medieval fortresses itself, and compared to Krak des Chevaliers or Aleppo Citadel, Karak failed to excite me.
Madaba
The following day I was again confronted with how rubbish Jordan's public transport is. To travel through the, by all accounts absolutely stunning, countryside to the north I would either have had to hire a taxi (expensive) or hitch-hike (risky). Therefore I caught a bus north to Amman before getting a connection southwards to Madaba. On the bus to Madaba I met a nice bunch of Egyptian lads - immigrant workers from the Delta area lured to Jordan by the higher wages. In fact, Jordan has considerable numbers of Egyptian manual workers and labourers. We spent an evening bonding over nargileh and coffee.
The following day I checked out the things that Madaba is famous for - mosaics.
Many of the churches here retain Byzantine era-masterpieces depicting saints, everyday life, and, most famously of all, a Map of the Middle East. I do like mosaics, and these were made by master craftsmen, but I must admit that after a while they began to lost interest for me.
Also, just outside Madaba is Jebel Nebo, the place where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land and where he died (although no grave has ever been found). The day I was there visibility was not good, so the spires of Jerusalem were not visible. Nevertheless the countryside which was visible was stunning.
All this Christianity began to get to me by the afternoon, so I caught a bus back to the dubious delights of Jordan's capital, Amman.
Amman
A friend described Amman to me as basically a dump and, I'm afraid to say, that he wasn't wrong. It's mushroomed over the course of the second half of the 20th Century, from a small town to a sprawling metropolis of 2 million people. It's dominated by large roads and, aside from a small area Downtown, is dominated by the car... There is no charming Old City - although the few remaining markers of the Roman-era city of Philadelphia do provide a nice contrast to the rather bland concrete of the modern city.
Mind you i had anything but a bland time whilst I was there - I met some crazy people and was inadvertently introduced to some of the seedier places in the city. When I wasn't fighting off the amorous advances of Syrian masseuses or being bemused by the Jordanian equivalent of Soho I was basically chilling out, eating foul (beans), smoking nargileh and hanging out a friend's Downtown stall (which sold all manner of things - from tacky keyrings to nunchukas and everything inbetween!)
Jerash/Irbid
After several days there I felt like I had exhausted all that Amman had to offer. I headed north to accept the invitation of an acquaintance I had made on the road to stay with his family. Therefore i spent my last few days in Jordan taking in the country air around Jerash. What a jolly nice time I had there...
...But boy was it great to get back to Damascus!
Karak
After two nights in Petra I caught a bus north to Karak. Karak is a pleasant enough little town, sitting atop a hill which holds a commanding position over Wadi Araba. For millenia this hill has been the site of fortifications and the most recent occupant is a large castle built by the Crusaders.
I had a nice evening here - I was even offered a job teaching English by a couple of teachers whom I got talking to in the town centre (most notable for it's statue of Salah ad-Din).
The castle itself is fairly impressive, commanding the surrounding countryside of rolling green hills. However, Syria is not exactly short of Medieval fortresses itself, and compared to Krak des Chevaliers or Aleppo Citadel, Karak failed to excite me.Madaba
The following day I was again confronted with how rubbish Jordan's public transport is. To travel through the, by all accounts absolutely stunning, countryside to the north I would either have had to hire a taxi (expensive) or hitch-hike (risky). Therefore I caught a bus north to Amman before getting a connection southwards to Madaba. On the bus to Madaba I met a nice bunch of Egyptian lads - immigrant workers from the Delta area lured to Jordan by the higher wages. In fact, Jordan has considerable numbers of Egyptian manual workers and labourers. We spent an evening bonding over nargileh and coffee.
The following day I checked out the things that Madaba is famous for - mosaics.
Many of the churches here retain Byzantine era-masterpieces depicting saints, everyday life, and, most famously of all, a Map of the Middle East. I do like mosaics, and these were made by master craftsmen, but I must admit that after a while they began to lost interest for me.
Also, just outside Madaba is Jebel Nebo, the place where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land and where he died (although no grave has ever been found). The day I was there visibility was not good, so the spires of Jerusalem were not visible. Nevertheless the countryside which was visible was stunning.
All this Christianity began to get to me by the afternoon, so I caught a bus back to the dubious delights of Jordan's capital, Amman.
Amman
A friend described Amman to me as basically a dump and, I'm afraid to say, that he wasn't wrong. It's mushroomed over the course of the second half of the 20th Century, from a small town to a sprawling metropolis of 2 million people. It's dominated by large roads and, aside from a small area Downtown, is dominated by the car... There is no charming Old City - although the few remaining markers of the Roman-era city of Philadelphia do provide a nice contrast to the rather bland concrete of the modern city.
Mind you i had anything but a bland time whilst I was there - I met some crazy people and was inadvertently introduced to some of the seedier places in the city. When I wasn't fighting off the amorous advances of Syrian masseuses or being bemused by the Jordanian equivalent of Soho I was basically chilling out, eating foul (beans), smoking nargileh and hanging out a friend's Downtown stall (which sold all manner of things - from tacky keyrings to nunchukas and everything inbetween!)
Jerash/Irbid
After several days there I felt like I had exhausted all that Amman had to offer. I headed north to accept the invitation of an acquaintance I had made on the road to stay with his family. Therefore i spent my last few days in Jordan taking in the country air around Jerash. What a jolly nice time I had there...
...But boy was it great to get back to Damascus!
12 April 2007
Our Man in Damascus - Interview with American Expat
This morning I stumbled upon this thoughtful interview with Damascus-based American photographer Daniel Demeter. Aside from the failure to draw a clear distinction between tourists (those passing through for 7 days-2 weeks) and the many foreigners who stay in Syria for extended periods (to work, to study, to hang out), I think it is well worth your attention because it covers a lot of ground. He gives voice to the mixture of love and respect for Syria mixed with criticism of certain political and social practices which pretty much the whole foreign community here has... Plus his photos are great!
11 April 2007
'Doing Jordan' part 1
I have spent the last two weeks visiting Jordan - and what an amazing time I have had. Apart from visiting all the main attractions (detailed below), I leave Jordan having made many new friends, had several (mis-)adventures, spoken a lot of Arabic and generally recharging my batteries after a gruelling couple of weeks trudging around the Damascus property market.
Here is part one of the highlights of what I got up to:
Aqaba
I arrived in Amman, Jordan's capital, on a Friday evening but didn't really have too much time to develop any impressions of the place because the following afternoon my friend Dan and I jetted off down to Aqaba. Aqaba is Jordan's only port located at the end of the cunningly named Gulf of Aqaba and is aptly described as the country's aquatic playground. Dan was going there for some peace and tranquility in order to get a lot of work done whilst for me the prospect of seafood, swimming and sunbathing for a day or two was irresistible.
Temperatures were high - in the mid-30s during the middle of the afternoon, and the Red Sea is truly spectacular, with some wonderful coral reefs and colourful sealife. There is also a fairly small fort made famous by T.E. Lawrence's account of it's capture during the Arab Revolt in 1917. I don't have too much of interest to report except to say that I washed the Damascene dust from my pores and got into a relaxed state of mind ready for my solo travels.
Wadi Rum
After two nights in Aqaba I set off north into the desert. Not being part of an organised tour group meant that I was at the mercy of Jordan's less than completely efficient system of public transport. Consequently I was dropped off by my bus at the road intersection some 20km from the village of Rum and had to walk for 45 mins in the blistering mid-afternoon heat before a friendly driver picked me up and drove me the remaining 17km to the Wadi Rum visitor centre.
Quite simply this place is the location of some of the most extraordinary desert scenary you will ever see. Think a John Ford Western meets Lawrence of Arabia. What made it particularly special was the fact that I stayed in a camp with one Bedouin man, a friend of a friend, called Mohammad (Abu Ra'ad), and aside from a passing range rover containing one English and one Polish couple with their Bedouin guide, I never saw another soul. After the constant noise of Damascus, and the heady seaside resort vibe of Aqaba the complete silence of this awesome landscape was very powerful. I climbed some of hills, sat and watched the sunset and sunrise and marvelled at the desolute beauty of this place (and it's life - even in this most unforgiving of environments there were many yellow, white and blue spring flowers growing up between rocks and through the sand where the water-table was high).
Wadi Musa / Petra
After one night in Wadi Rum it was time to move onto my next port of call. Once again I found myself ill-served by Jordan's bus system and stood alone by the side of a dusty road trying to get one of the few passing cars to take pity on me. I waited for maybe half an hour before I secured a ride to Wadi Musa - the village that sits next to Jordan's premier tourist attraction, the Nabatean city of Petra.
What a contrast to the stately, silent beauty of Wadi Rum (or to the big attractions of Syria, such as Palmyra and Krak des Chevaliers, which, at best, see a couple of dozen visitors a day). Petra was absolutely packed with foreigners! Thousands pass through the gates of the 'Rose City' every day -many in large tour groups. However the big crowds and the attendant begging children and trinket sellers are unable to detract from the wonders of this mysterious, enchanting place. Besides, the crowds tend to stick to a tried and tested route and the site is large enough to make it possible to slip off the beaten track and enjoy Petra's charms in relative peace. For example, large crowds gather at the Treasury (made famous as the final resting place of the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), but very few make the effort to hike up the hill overlooking it to get some wonderful views:
I also enjoyed sitting and talking with some of the Bedouin who come to the site to try to sell cheap jewellery, "old" coins and other tat to the tourists but who are still happy to offer tea and a chat (though some have begun to cynically demand money from foreigners for this seemingly hospitable gesture so beware - I was caught out once during my two days on the site).
Jebel Haroun
On my second day in Petra I decided to hike up to Jebel Haroun. It's 10km from where I was staying so, to stand a chance of getting there before the midday Sun made walking too uncomfortable I left shortly after Fajr (sunrise). Jebel Haroun is the reddish mountain on the left hand side of the picture above. At the summit is the tomb of Prophet Haroun (Aaron - Moses' brother), which is a white-domed building that is visible from miles around, reflecting the light of the Sun as shining out in contrast to the red-brown mountains around it.
I soon left the tourist trail behind me and passed through a couple of Bedouin villages where I stopped to chat, drink a tea and check the way. I only lost the trail when I was trekking up the lower slopes of the Jebel itself and had a difficult hour of basically rock-climbing up a steep dry wadi before I refound the trail and made it to the summit at around 11:30 (five hours after I'd set out).
Boy, was it worth it mash'Allah! The views are absoultely stunning, you can clearly see the impressive Monastery of Petra, and also look out upon Wadi Araba and the Dead Sea - part of the northern part of the Great Rift Valley which runs up from East Africa to Turkey. I stayed on top of the shrine for several hours marvelling at the views, meditating, and recuperating some energy for the descent.
On the way back I stumbled upon the base of a couple of 'special' plainsclothes and armed policemen whom I befriended for a couple of hours. They spend 7 consecutive days in a place without electricity and with limited contact with the outside world so I think they were grateful for some company - and also the chance to make use of my mobile phone battery so they could call their girlfriends and family. I also met a Bedouin boy with a donkey and I couldn't resist the urge to pose with my new friend Zuzu... 
This boy showed me the (much easier) route I should have taken on the way up. After a couple of hours I made it back to Wadi Musa, exhausted but exhilarated and pleased that I'd made the effort to see something that only a tiny fraction of the many thousands who come to Petra have seen. My time in Petra was absolutely unforgettable and was rounded off with a special screening in my hotel of... you guessed it... Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!
Here is part one of the highlights of what I got up to:
Aqaba
I arrived in Amman, Jordan's capital, on a Friday evening but didn't really have too much time to develop any impressions of the place because the following afternoon my friend Dan and I jetted off down to Aqaba. Aqaba is Jordan's only port located at the end of the cunningly named Gulf of Aqaba and is aptly described as the country's aquatic playground. Dan was going there for some peace and tranquility in order to get a lot of work done whilst for me the prospect of seafood, swimming and sunbathing for a day or two was irresistible.
Temperatures were high - in the mid-30s during the middle of the afternoon, and the Red Sea is truly spectacular, with some wonderful coral reefs and colourful sealife. There is also a fairly small fort made famous by T.E. Lawrence's account of it's capture during the Arab Revolt in 1917. I don't have too much of interest to report except to say that I washed the Damascene dust from my pores and got into a relaxed state of mind ready for my solo travels.
Wadi Rum
After two nights in Aqaba I set off north into the desert. Not being part of an organised tour group meant that I was at the mercy of Jordan's less than completely efficient system of public transport. Consequently I was dropped off by my bus at the road intersection some 20km from the village of Rum and had to walk for 45 mins in the blistering mid-afternoon heat before a friendly driver picked me up and drove me the remaining 17km to the Wadi Rum visitor centre.
Quite simply this place is the location of some of the most extraordinary desert scenary you will ever see. Think a John Ford Western meets Lawrence of Arabia. What made it particularly special was the fact that I stayed in a camp with one Bedouin man, a friend of a friend, called Mohammad (Abu Ra'ad), and aside from a passing range rover containing one English and one Polish couple with their Bedouin guide, I never saw another soul. After the constant noise of Damascus, and the heady seaside resort vibe of Aqaba the complete silence of this awesome landscape was very powerful. I climbed some of hills, sat and watched the sunset and sunrise and marvelled at the desolute beauty of this place (and it's life - even in this most unforgiving of environments there were many yellow, white and blue spring flowers growing up between rocks and through the sand where the water-table was high).
Wadi Musa / PetraAfter one night in Wadi Rum it was time to move onto my next port of call. Once again I found myself ill-served by Jordan's bus system and stood alone by the side of a dusty road trying to get one of the few passing cars to take pity on me. I waited for maybe half an hour before I secured a ride to Wadi Musa - the village that sits next to Jordan's premier tourist attraction, the Nabatean city of Petra.
What a contrast to the stately, silent beauty of Wadi Rum (or to the big attractions of Syria, such as Palmyra and Krak des Chevaliers, which, at best, see a couple of dozen visitors a day). Petra was absolutely packed with foreigners! Thousands pass through the gates of the 'Rose City' every day -many in large tour groups. However the big crowds and the attendant begging children and trinket sellers are unable to detract from the wonders of this mysterious, enchanting place. Besides, the crowds tend to stick to a tried and tested route and the site is large enough to make it possible to slip off the beaten track and enjoy Petra's charms in relative peace. For example, large crowds gather at the Treasury (made famous as the final resting place of the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), but very few make the effort to hike up the hill overlooking it to get some wonderful views:
I also enjoyed sitting and talking with some of the Bedouin who come to the site to try to sell cheap jewellery, "old" coins and other tat to the tourists but who are still happy to offer tea and a chat (though some have begun to cynically demand money from foreigners for this seemingly hospitable gesture so beware - I was caught out once during my two days on the site).Jebel Haroun
On my second day in Petra I decided to hike up to Jebel Haroun. It's 10km from where I was staying so, to stand a chance of getting there before the midday Sun made walking too uncomfortable I left shortly after Fajr (sunrise). Jebel Haroun is the reddish mountain on the left hand side of the picture above. At the summit is the tomb of Prophet Haroun (Aaron - Moses' brother), which is a white-domed building that is visible from miles around, reflecting the light of the Sun as shining out in contrast to the red-brown mountains around it.
I soon left the tourist trail behind me and passed through a couple of Bedouin villages where I stopped to chat, drink a tea and check the way. I only lost the trail when I was trekking up the lower slopes of the Jebel itself and had a difficult hour of basically rock-climbing up a steep dry wadi before I refound the trail and made it to the summit at around 11:30 (five hours after I'd set out).
Boy, was it worth it mash'Allah! The views are absoultely stunning, you can clearly see the impressive Monastery of Petra, and also look out upon Wadi Araba and the Dead Sea - part of the northern part of the Great Rift Valley which runs up from East Africa to Turkey. I stayed on top of the shrine for several hours marvelling at the views, meditating, and recuperating some energy for the descent.
On the way back I stumbled upon the base of a couple of 'special' plainsclothes and armed policemen whom I befriended for a couple of hours. They spend 7 consecutive days in a place without electricity and with limited contact with the outside world so I think they were grateful for some company - and also the chance to make use of my mobile phone battery so they could call their girlfriends and family. I also met a Bedouin boy with a donkey and I couldn't resist the urge to pose with my new friend Zuzu... 
This boy showed me the (much easier) route I should have taken on the way up. After a couple of hours I made it back to Wadi Musa, exhausted but exhilarated and pleased that I'd made the effort to see something that only a tiny fraction of the many thousands who come to Petra have seen. My time in Petra was absolutely unforgettable and was rounded off with a special screening in my hotel of... you guessed it... Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!
28 March 2007
Quick Updates
I finally moved from sleeping on Rory's sofa - which has been my bed for the last 2 weeks or so - and got 'a place of my own'. Last year I found a great place to live very quickly, but this time around it's been a real nightmare. Some of the trouble comes from the housing shortage and price inflation brought about by what seems to be an accelerating exodus from Iraq. But some of it is just me being a lot pickier. This place I've moved to will be a great flat - when it's finished! And that's the trouble - half of it is still very much a work in progress complete with tins of paint, tools, piles of rubbish etc. The other half is great, but I still need to harass the landlord to provide me with stuff like a fridge, a cooker etc. Nevermind...
In the meantime I'm planning to head off to Jordan tomorrow. I've been in Syria for more than a month which, because I'm on a tourist visa, means I have to report to the ever-cheerful staff of the Immigration Office and have a morning of alternately filling in forms and waiting around in order to get an extension. Alternatively, I can avoid this rigmarole by crossing one of Syria's borders and then returning - so I decided it's time to visit Syria's southern neighbour. Expect a blog post in a week or so reporting on what I got up to.
Take care,
Dave
In the meantime I'm planning to head off to Jordan tomorrow. I've been in Syria for more than a month which, because I'm on a tourist visa, means I have to report to the ever-cheerful staff of the Immigration Office and have a morning of alternately filling in forms and waiting around in order to get an extension. Alternatively, I can avoid this rigmarole by crossing one of Syria's borders and then returning - so I decided it's time to visit Syria's southern neighbour. Expect a blog post in a week or so reporting on what I got up to.
Take care,
Dave
19 March 2007
The Mild Wild North East
I just got back from a pleasant long weekend in Qamishli so I thought it might be good to strike while the iron was hot and put my thoughts down before they fade away – they also might serve to illustrate, for those of you who can’t understand it, some of the reasons why I love Syria
There is one mosque in this village, which also serves as the boarding school for three students of Islamic law – and where I would be sleeping for the next two nights. The mosque remains open 24 hours a day – unusual in Syria where they only tend to be open during the five prayer-times – a place where the poor can come and rest and be fed by the wife and daughters of the sheikh who lives in the village. The students were a lovely bunch, very devoted to Islam and extremely respectful towards their sheikh but also full of fun and mischief when his eye was turned away. We got on very well, despite my limited grasp of the Arabic they spoke and non-existent knowledge of Kurdish.
For the previous few days I’d been giving English lessons to a Syrian Kurdish guy. After hanging out with him in Damascus for a week he then invited me to visit his home in the far north-eastern corner of Syria – the triangle of land wedged between Turkey and Iraq Iraq Palmyra
Qamishli is a somewhat scruffy border town of about 100,000 people – an interesting mix of Kurds and Arabs, and with a sizeable Christian population. However, our ultimate destination lay outside the town, in Helwar, a small village of mud huts situated within stunning countryside – a plateau of green fields stretching to the Tarsus mountains (just across the Turkish border) on the horizon.
There is one mosque in this village, which also serves as the boarding school for three students of Islamic law – and where I would be sleeping for the next two nights. The mosque remains open 24 hours a day – unusual in Syria where they only tend to be open during the five prayer-times – a place where the poor can come and rest and be fed by the wife and daughters of the sheikh who lives in the village. The students were a lovely bunch, very devoted to Islam and extremely respectful towards their sheikh but also full of fun and mischief when his eye was turned away. We got on very well, despite my limited grasp of the Arabic they spoke and non-existent knowledge of Kurdish.
I was also welcomed by all the men of the village, especially the shabab (young men), who invited me to take part in the daily football match played in the fields.
The women and girls were occasionally glimpsed from a distance but basically remained a shadowy presence – hidden behind closed doors, producing a long procession of delicious dishes for my culinary appreciation.
I did see women working in the fields and also walking around in the towns (in both cases often without headscarves) but no women were directly encountered – except for one young woman who was begging in one of the towns I visited.
It might be easy to jump to conclusions about how ‘primitive’ this area is. The majority of the houses in the countryside are made of mud and straw, livestock (goats, chickens and sheep) wander around freely, the roads are often little more than bumpy tracks, and internet connections will be many years in coming (though Qamishli itself is wired up). The people who live here would appear to be the descendants of Bedouin and other nomads, and many people still seem to eke out a living herding sheep and goats. Needless to say, the appearance of a pale young Englishman beside the sheikh caused a certain amount of curiosity and excitement.
However, these rustic markers actually mask a sophisticated society. The mud hut exteriors often disguise fairly modern and comfortable interiors. The more affluent hut dwellers also have modern apartments in Qamishli, and many have family or business links with Europe and beyond. Finally, and most importantly, the whole area is tightly bound together through tribal links, cemented through regular meetings where news is relayed, matters are discussed and disputes are resolved.
Over the course of my visit it gradually dawned on me what an important man the Sheikh is – far from being just the Imam of a picturesque but ultimately insignificant little village, he commands love and respect throughout a large area of north-eastern Syria
The other thing that is worth stressing is that although the people are diverse, there is actually a great deal of cohesiveness. The village I stayed in was only home to a handful of interlinked extended families, bound together through intermarriage with each family incorporating all the various elements – Arab and Kurd, Muslim and Christian. For example, one old Kurdish man told me his grandfather was a (presumably Arab) Christian, whilst another family was a mix of both Syrian Kurds and Arabs, and was also paying host to their Iraqi Arab cousins (three brothers and their families) who fled Baghdad
I had a wonderful time – treated as a guest of honour in the sheikh’s various homes (he has two wives, one in the city and one in the village, who between them have borne him 10 daughters and 1 son – so he’s a busy man!!!), by the various tribal elders, and by the families of my friends. I left having not been allowed to spend a single lira, well-fed and weighed down by a handful of gifts (including a scarf, a prayer cap brought back from Mecca
09 March 2007
Marhaba from Syria!
After just over two weeks back in Syria, and following a bit of prodding from my loyal readership (!), I thought it was about time I started trying to get this blog properly updated.
Back to Damascus
And what a two weeks it’s been. I have done so much – and so much that is new – so I apologise for the length of this post.
Arrival
In Damascus I met up with Muhammad and Yaq’ub whom I know from an Islamic study group I attend in London. As we drove across Damascus, from the Baramke to the Harasta bus stations, it was as if the intervening months in England were just melting away – the mad driving, the noise and the smells and the chaotic skyline of minarets, satellite dishes and ugly apartment blocks against the backdrop of Jebel Qasyion brought the memories and excitement flooding back. You’re not in Newmarket anymore, Dave.
However, the myriad delights of the big D would have to wait awhile because we were heading up to Muhammad’s hometown – Aleppo (Halab).
Aleppo
After an uneventful 4-hour coach-ride up to Aleppo we soon oriented ourselves in Syria’s second city and commercial centre.
The main tourist attractions I’ve mentioned in previous posts so I won’t repeat myself. It’s just worth adding that there is currently major refurbishment going on around the citadel. Despite our never actually seeing anyone doing any work it was clear that rapid progress was being made (we could only conclude that there was a huge team of builders who worked only in the wee small hours of the morning).
Aside from a bit of sightseeing and shopping in the souq most of our time was spent eating and drinking with a cast of interesting characters. My most adventurous meal involved eating both sheep's tongue and brains (a bit like pate since you ask). One day was spent at Muhammad’s family home – a large apartment in a well-heeled suburb of the city – where we were filled to bursting by a seemingly endless round of courses of food and drink. Thankfully we were able to work off some of the calories with a session of music and dancing in the evening.
Aside from Muhammad’s family and friends we also met some new friends of our own. At our hotel was a Belgian man who had cycled across Europe to the Middle East and hoped to make it down to Egypt and then across to Libya – all in a bid to alleviate acute back troubles brought about by a car accident. There was also a young British couple who were on a UK-South Africa motorbike trip. Unfortunately their bike had broken down so they were now whiling away the time in Aleppo waiting for a spare part to arrive from Blighty. We also hung out for a couple of evenings with a pair of very nice muslims from London – a Bengali and a convert from New Zealand – playing pool and smoking nargileh (water pipe) in a nice café close to the hotel.
One of the café owners was an Aleppan man who had lived in England for many years, and whose English wife and two kids are still in Watford (he can no longer stand being in England whilst she is not too keen on moving to Syria). His younger brother was a rapper who has recently turned away from the hip-hop lifestyle and returned to practicing Islam.
The muslim community here was very friendly. The Ottoman-era mosque which was close to our hotel was extremely welcoming. The muezzin and other regulars there were happy to have us there and were keen to teach us about Islam. They treated us to a moving rendition of a song apparently sung by the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during the hijrah (the flight from Mecca to Medina) and also showed us parts of the mosque which were now closed but which were historically used as a religious school. Our rapper friend took us to a Qur’an reading class in which Yaq’ub really shined
We also met a man who said he had been on Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) ten times and was respectfully greeted as Hajji by the locals. He took Yaq’ub and I under his wing for an afternoon, proudly showing off his mini-empire of textiles factories whilst filling us with tasty food. To cap it off he insisted on paying for our entire hotel bill. And if that’s not an example of Arab hospitality then I don’t know what is…
Back to Damascus
Damascus is a real contrast to Aleppo. Where Aleppo is clean and confident, Damascus is far more messy and fragmentary. Despite having already lived here for 5 months, in the last seven days this city has revealed a lot of new things to me.
For several days Yaq’ub and I stayed in a house of about 15 Singaporean students, affectionately known as the ‘Singapore Embassy’. These guys were very kind to us and really made us feel like part of their family.
The Embassy is very close to Abu Noor, an Islamic University, which is in a different part of the city to where I used to live. Although I did briefly visit here before, now I have spent several days here it is clear that up here is very different – almost like another city. I have really liked discovering this area – well away from the International Party Scene centred on the Old City. There are lots of muslim students here from all over the world and also many scholars. One sheikh gives regular lectures in English, so I shall be going to that, inshallah.
I was also invited to attend a Naqshbandi dhikr ceremony at the mosque where one of their sheikhs is buried. The Naqshbandi are a venerable order of Sufis (Islamic mystics), who have historically been particularly strong in Central Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent but who have a presence in most parts of the world. They're a flamboyant bunch, wearing brightly coloured robes and turbans and, in some cases, eayeliner and perfume. Basically this ceremony involves group chanting of some of the Names of Allah and various passages of the Qur’an. Through dhikr it is hoped to come close to an experience of Allah and it is not unknown for attendees to enter trance-like states. I didn’t experience anything too otherworldly but I did enjoy myself and I got to meet some very nice people. I am absolutely fascinated by mysticism and I may well go to more of these types of gathering but I don’t think I’ll be joining the order just yet.
Another new thing for me was to hike up to makan arba’yn, a mosque on the hill overlooking the city, which has a couple of legends associated with it. It gets its name from the story that many centuries ago 40 religious scholars came up here to study in isolation, away from the distractions of the city. But there is a much more famous myth also linked to this place. It is reputedly the spot where Cain killed Abel, complete with the murder weapon (a big heavy rock). In a cave at the rear of the mosque is a fissure where the mountain opened its mouth in shock and where a “tear” is regularly shed in eternal sadness at this first act of homicide. Sitting outside the mosque we were treated to wonderful views of the urban sprawl of Damascus in the pinky-orange glow of sunset. This view alone made the exhausting hike up the mountain worthwhile.
My birthday had none of these legendary associations. I merely had a pleasant evening in a fairly posh café in the New City, watching Liverpool-Barcelona, drinking tea and fruit juice and smoking watermelon flavoured nargileh with some of the lads from Singapore.
Since Yaq’ub returned home to London a few days ago I have remade contact with some of my old buddies here. A lot has happened, a lot of new cafes and restaurants have opened, many of the old faces have gone to be replaced by new ones and yet strangely almost nothing has changed in the Old City. I am currently busy looking for a flat, preferably in a different part of the city to where I used to live. I also have a lot of leads for potential work and study which need to be followed up. Therefore I shall continue to be very busy in the coming days.
Ma'Salaama
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