In the past, I was flabbergasted when I heard about what Hitler did to people, regardless of their nationality or race. I could not believe that the world would simply sit and watch someone monstrously killing and torturing people. Lately I learned sadly that many people would sit and watch while others are being killed and tortured either because they cannot do anything about it, or they don't care or they are benefiting from the tyrant. Does the Arab Spring, especially in Syria, proves what I say? For more than a year, people and institutions have sat and watched the Syrian regime burning houses as well as killing and torturing people. Sometimes, the images we see on YouTube and on television seem unbelievable. It may be just another media event to some of us but to them it could be hell on earth and they could not simply wait for the bloodletting to wipe them out. What is happening in Syria amazes me. The cruelty of the regime exceeds all proportions but the resistance of what seems to be defenseless people is overwhelming. It is awe-inspiring. What was thought of as a submissive people turned out to be much stronger than anyone can imagine. In Arabic we say that one may be as patient as a camel. By that, we mean that a camel will be patient up to a level but when over-tested it can get angry with no limit. The Syrian people had surprised us with their patience and tolerance of the abuses of the regime for quite a time. Now they have surprised us with their determination and endurance. They found strength and resilience in many ways — in unity, in their belief of their right to dignity, in knowing that if they back out they will lose their chances to attain their independence. One major problem the Syrian people face is that the oppressor and the oppressed are often considered to be on the same footing so that those who fight for their right are treated just like those who kill them. This is a serious problem of looking things at the surface instead of looking deeper into different layers of reality. We need to consider the principle of scale and proportion in looking at things. For instance, a mother who begs to feed her children is not like the robust woman who borrows the neighbor's baby to beg. They are both beggars and both take children with them. On the surface, they look the same but there is big difference when we look deeper into the motives of both women. Similarly, there is a huge difference between people who fight for their life and those who oppress them. The first group has a right to self-defense, the second does not have the right to kill people with the aim of ruling over them unjustly. It is unfair to put both of them on the same category. (The author can be reached at [email protected]) __
