Five years on

A post by Dr Peshang Abdulhannan and Dr Mohammad Tammo of Kurds House—one in a series of reflections to mark the 5th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

Five years on since it was first said in the southern city of Daraa, “the people want the regime to fall.” A sentence that led to the arrest and torture of Hamza Al-Khateeb and his teenager friends and subsequently the eruption of nationwide anti-government protests that turned to a full-scale civil war.

A war that witnessed the killing of Ghiath Matar, Ibrahim Qashoush and Mashaal Tammo, and has ripped the country apart, killing more than 250,000 Syrians and forcing more than 11 million others from their homes. A conflict that is now more than just a battle between the Assad’s regime and the rebels. Violence, war crimes and the use of chemical weapons have been familiar news while the rise of so-called Islamic State has added another dimension to it. This in turn opened the door for UK, Russian and US-led strikes in Syria, and the fleeing of more than 5 million people, mostly women and children, across the borders to become one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history.

Reflection on the anniversary

A post by Yasmine Nahlawi of Rethink Rebuild Society UK—one in a series of reflections to mark the 5th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

It has been five long years for the Syrian people. They have endured the worst humanitarian crisis of modern times and have been failed by world powers who have claimed to be their friends. Their neighbourhoods and villages have been reduced to rubble, and their loved ones have been brutally snatched from them in what continues to be a struggle for freedom and dignity against a brutal Assad dictatorship.

As the fifth anniversary of the Syrian revolution approaches us, Syria is in a period of relative calm. A recently announced ceasefire is helping to mitigate civilian casualties, although it has proven extremely shaky with multiple violations recorded by Assad and Russia. However, this period of military calm has been accompanied by a frenzy of activity by Syrian civil society. Spectators would expect that Syrians, war-weary and struggling for basic survival, would use this chance to attend to their immediate needs. Instead, Syrians have displayed immense resilience and have seized this opportunity to resume the same non-violent protests against the Assad regime that they began in 2011. Syrians are in effect showing to the world that the spirit of revolution is very much alive, and that their quest for freedom and dignity will not be forsaken.

Why should we celebrate the Syrian Revolution?

A post by Mark Boothroyd of Syria Solidarity UK—one in a series of reflections to mark the 5th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

As the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian Revolution approaches, it may seem strange that the revolution should be something to celebrate. With the revolutionary struggle and ensuing war having claimed the lives of half a million people, injured another two million and displaced or made refugees over half of Syria's population, while laying waste to the country, there seems little to celebrate.

Yet as someone committed to social change and social justice, the mere fact the revolution began at all points to the strength and courage of millions of people, and their ability and potential to effect social change through mass political action. This is an example which we must not allowed to be buried in the reports of bloodshed, regime brutality and ISIS tyranny which dominate most news stories about Syria.

Syria… Five years on

A post by Dr Sharif K al-Ghazal of the Syrian Association of Yorkshire—one in a series of reflections to mark the 5th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

Five years, five long years and still the Syrian people demand their freedom. They have been resisting a tyrannical regime; one ruled by a family of corrupt autocrats for 46 years. But the recent entry of Daesh into the fray has muddied the waters within the media narrative. Unlike back in 2011, Syria is increasingly being seen through the lens of counter-terrorism as opposed to a people’s revolt as it should be. Realities on the ground dictate that until the very recent ceasefire, widespread protests were impossible; that should not however mask the reality of the situation on the ground and the Syrian people’s hatred of both the Assad regime and Daesh and their yearning for freedom.

The international community has failed the Syrian people. Syria has been abandoned, its people forgotten; left to starve and fend for themselves. When the international community had the opportunity to assist the Syrian people in the early days of the revolution they made the wrong choice and failed to help. Furthermore, the humanitarian aid that has been offered has been meagre and has contributed very little within the greater scheme of things. Moreover, the failure of the international community to stand beside the Syrian people against the brutal Assad regime and its Iranian allies opened up a vacuum for extremists to exploit; one that spawned the death cult that is Daesh. To make matters even more grave, Russia has intervened on the side of the Assad regime under the pretext of attacking Daesh though it has just brought with it more death and destruction, killing civilians in rebel held areas and making the situation even more bleak.

5 years – #TheRevolutionContinues

Taking advantage of the reduction in bombing, however temporary, Syrians held demonstrations across Syria today in support of the revolution.

Despite the years of killing, despite the mass murder of civilians by the Assad regime, despite the mass imprisonment, torture, and execution, of adults and children, despite the ongoing sieges, despite the bombing of hospitals and schools, Syrians still came to the street to demand freedom, democracy, and the end of the dictatorship.

On Saturday the 12th of March, Syrians from across the UK, along with friends and supporters, will come to march in London to mark the 5th anniversary of the Syrian revolution.

The march will assemble at 12 noon at Paddington Green, London W2.

Join us – #TheRevolutionContinues