Students expose Syrian injustice stephen hargreaves NEWS editor ______________________________
T
he Syran Canadian Club is on a mission to educate students about Syrian injustice.
A branch of the Syrian Canadian Council, the Syrian Canadian Club is a university-based organization with a mandate of educating students, staff and the community about the revolution in Syria. “We hope to bring awareness to students on campus about what is happening in Syria,” said SCC member Heba Ramadan. “People have no idea what is happening in Syria.” The “2011 Syrian uprising” began in January in protest of President Bashar al-Assad and the ruling Baath Party, demanding equal rights for Kurds and political freedoms. Like the revolutionary movements in Tunisia and Egypt, protests of various types, including marches, hunger strikes, vandalism of government property and rioting of shops, are taking place in a sustained campaign of civil resistance. Reports indicate some Islamic groups in the Syrian north have taken advantage of protests to launch attacks against the government. “A big part of the problems is the religious aspect,” said Ramadan. “It’s a Muslim-dominated country. The president is from the Alawi sect (branch of Shia Islam), but the majority of Syrians are Sunni, (74 per cent) The Alawi are less than 10 per cent of the population. That causes a big controversy.” Reports indicate the Syrian government has used tanks and snipers to force people off the streets. It’s estimated more than 3,000 people have been killed, many more injured, thousands of protesters have been detained and dozens have reportedly been tortured and killed. “He [President Bashar al-Assad] said
he was ready to kill half of the population to keep power,” said SCC member Bushra Alrayes.
“It’s not just killing, it’s abduction and it’s rape,” said Ramadan. “They have no dignity anymore because they have no human values.” Like the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the Internet is playing a major role in protest organization and coverage. “The major thing right now is Facebook,” said Monira Dali, the president of the university’s SCC. “Everyone is putting information up on Facebook and YouTube, it’s the only way people know what is happening. We have everything organized ... via the social network. It’s spreading everywhere in the world.” The largest Facebook page in support of the Syrian uprising is called The Syrian Revolution 2011, with more than 250,000 supporters. The page, which was created by Fida al-Sayed, reports on news related to the uprising and provides general guidelines for the protests. “Our main sources are from the actual citizens, they are there and they are covering what’s true and what’s actually happening,” said Dali. While social networks are uniting and educating people, they have also made targets out of the revolutionaries. “Even when we are outside of Syria, we are made to feel intimidated to talk about Syria,” said Ramadan. “People who talk in opposition to the Syrian regime are often jailed when visiting Syria. The government has spies who look out for us.” “For me it is impossible. If I go back to Syria, 100 per cent I will not get out,” said Dali, who immigrated to Canada at 19. “People who speak up here (in support of the revolution) are worried about their families there as well. We’ve heard stories where a person speaks outside of Syria and their families are punished. I hope that my family stays okay.”
Members of the Syrian Canadian Clun educate students at the CAW Student Centre on Nov. 3 • photo gord bacon
On Nov. 2, Aljazeera reported the Syrian government accepted several measures suggested by the Arab League aimed at halting the violence in the country, including the removal of tanks and armoured vehicles from the streets, the release of prisoners and allowing the Arab League and media access to report on the situation. The following day, 18 people were reportedly killed in Homs as Syrian security forces bombarded residential areas with tanks. French foreign minister, Alain Juppe, told Europe One radio on Sunday, the killings made it clear that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime had no intention of ending its bloody bid to crush dissent. The Arab League has called an emergency meeting on Syria’s failure to
implement its peace plan, as forces reportedly killed at least 15 demonstrators after prayers on one of Islam’s holiest days. In an Aljazeera report, a meeting was called by the Arab League for next Saturday because of “the continuation of violence and because of the Syrian government.” “We’ve reached a point where even people in Syria have broken that fear wall. They are not afraid of the regime anymore,” said Dali. “Things are about to change.” For more information about the Syrian Canadian Council, the Syrian Canadian Club and the Syrian uprising see ‘University of Windsor Syrian Canadian Club’ on Facebook.