Shameful, dubious and pathetic is the position of the Arab countries toward the humanitarian situation in Syria, and sad and disgraceful is the silence of the Arab League and its secretary general Amr Moussa who rose up against the situation in Libya but stuttered when it came to the lynching, kicking and killing to which the Syrian people are being subjected. The Syrians are facing killing, oppression, injustice, insults and humiliation without any support from even one Arab country. What is happening? Why this shameful renunciation of an Arab people who are taking to the streets with bare chests, peacefully and without carrying any arms to call for reforms, freedom and dignity, and are being met with the weapons of the thugs and brutes?! Colleague Hazem al-Amin asked me to read a recently-translated book about the political situation in Syria. The book is headlined “Ambiguities of Domination” by the head of the Political Science Department at Chicago University Lisa Wedeen. The researcher dissected the policy, rhetoric and symbols of modern Syria and the book was translated by the Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Arkansas University Najib al-Ghadban. And it seems that his name [which in Arabic means smart] reflects his intellect, especially as he used the semantics and the translations in an attractive way, and outstandingly went over the situation on the Syrian domestic arena. The author analyzed how – during the rule of Hafez al-Assad – the Syrian regime exploited the rhetoric and the symbols as tools to control and dominate society, tackling the phenomenon of the veneration of the ruler which reached the point of “sanctification” in Al-Assad's case. And although the book was originally written as a PhD thesis, it reflected the situation on the Syrian domestic arena far away from the “makeup” and what is conveyed by the official Syrian media. It focused on Syria under Hafez al-Assad, but still applies to a large extent to the regime of his son Bashar. The dreams of change and the wishes of the son Bashar to adopt a new political course have retreated, despite the emergence of encouraging signs during the first few months of his presidency. However, these signs soon dissipated in favor of the same “harsh” policy that was adopted by his father. Throughout the past years, Bashar's regime continued to reject all forms of internal reform and the adoption of any type of political, economic and social liberalism, in parallel to the continuation of the “veneration” phenomenon, the exaggerated hanging of the pictures of the son – as it used to be done during the days of the father – and the use of expressions such as “our eternal leader.” The book also tackled some of the “jokes” circulated among the Syrians behind closed doors and far away from the ears of the security and intelligence men, so that the “joker” and those listening to him are not subjected to oppression, imprisonment and maybe even the suffocation of their laughter forever. For example, the researcher mentioned one of the jokes saying that during a meeting between Al-Assad and Presidents Reagan and Mitterrand, each started to brag about himself. Reagan said: “My subjects are so loyal that one regiment is willing to die for me.” The other two leaders are incredulous. So Reagan summons the soldiers and sure enough, once being ordered to, the men begin to commit suicide. Horrified, Reagan orders them to stop. Mitterrand boasts: “My subjects are so loyal that two regiments are willing to die for me.” Reagan and Assad are doubtful. So Mitterrand commands his soldiers to start committing suicide and the troops begin to do so. Aghast, Mitterrand begs them to stop. Hafiz boasts, “My men are so loyal that three regiments are willing to die for me.” Seeing the other two leaders doubtful, Assad orders his troops to start killing themselves. They do. Horrified, he begs them to stop. They keep committing suicide. Finally, there's only one man left. “Stop,” Asad orders. “Why are you about to kill yourself?” he asks. The last soldier replies: “You think I want to stay around with you?” The greatest “sacrifice” is not death, but life with Hafiz al-Assad. Also among the funny jokes featured in the book and conveying the confiscation of the people's opinions and rights is one related to the hanging of Al-Assad's photos on walls throughout Syria during the electoral season and the fabrication of a multitude of characteristics which he supposedly enjoys. Indeed, he is the premier pharmacist, doctor, lawyer and resistance fighter. It is said that during the presidential elections, a man went to see an eye doctor and cried out: “Help me doctor. There is something wrong with my eyes. All the pictures are identical.” This means that the Arab republics that are supposed to be governed by the people through the elections are now witnessing the bequeathal of power in a way worse than what is seen in monarchies. The Syrian people are educated and civilized, and capable – even if through comic imagery – to express their positions and corroborate their awareness vis-à-vis what is happening around them. Therefore, they do not need mouthpieces to beautify the repulsiveness of the regimes, like Syrian, Lebanese and Arab journalists are doing. Indeed, after the latter were blinded by falsehood, opportunism and the wish to benefit from those regimes by promoting lies about the people and lauding the rule, they have distanced themselves from the facts as it is currently seen on Syrian and Lebanese television channels. The mouthpieces of the “scarecrow” of the regime must rise to defend the “crushed” and overpowered Syrian citizens who are being killed on the streets with the bullets of the thugs, brutes and security men. They must demand the lifting of the oppression, call for the hastening of the reforms and urge the regime to respond to the demands of its people, not call on those people to succumb and reproduce the same rhetoric as the authority by using empty slogans, vague words and hideous camouflage means that are costing them their credibility.
