Flash back: Homs revisited lest we forget how the Syrian regime destroyed Baba Amr, thus changing the course of the Revolution

Father and Son taken by Marie Colven I believe

Please note that all images are images published by the media except a few which were posted to facebook.

On my Introduction page, I had mentioned that I would be travelling back in time to various important landmarks in the Revolution in order to recollect, recapture and hold a mirror to what is history now.  I do this lest we forget or stop seeing the truth while the present events on the ground in Syria become more unpredictable and subject to the superficial interpretations of geopolitics, and as foreign elements embed themselves in the Revolution without necessarily embracing its vision and principles . Sometimes the present can unfairly change the past, thus altering the truth. Homs, especially Baba Amr, hangs like the albatross around my neck,  therefore I cannot attain peace until I have paid my debt to Baba Amr.  As death hovers over the Syrian cities and yet more annihilation is in the offing for the Syrian people, as Deir Ezzor, Darayya, Douma, Daraa, Idlib, Aleppo and others  burn or are reduced to rabble, I would like to take us back to Baba Amr which has became a kind of prototype for the regime to repeat and elaborate in many subsequent towns and cities. . Now many cities, towns and villages in Syria have been crushed and destroyed by bombardment, by fire and the relentless attacks of the the air force and the missiles of the Syrian army, the army which instead of defending the country became under Bashar Al-Assad the means of destroying it mercilessly.  The destruction of the neighborhood of Baba Amr in Homs, indeed its annihilation,  ushered in the The gradual death of the city of Homs, and the incessant obliteration of more cities to come  with the same relentless, sinister thoroughness: people, infrastructure, hospitals and all medical services, history, heritage and the means of supporting life.

 At the end of March 2012, devastated by the annihilation of Baba Amr, I wrote: 

Homs is our nemesis and catharsis. We shall never emerge to the other side of things and look up to behold ourselves as a free people unless we go through Homs. The road to Homs is where we started and where we shall end but changed and resurrected. If we want the soul to return to Homs, let us with word, song, and image recreate its immortal spirit and look to see its youth drunk with intimations of freedom, dance in its streets and chant their dreams for a good world to come. Yes, there was a time when freedom appeared to the Syrian people in all its glory, when they followed ecstatically with visions of the ideal city firing their yearnings and hopes.  It was the best of times for Homs and for All the revolting cities soon to be followed by the worst of times when the  Syrian regime leashed out to destroy the dream, the dancing chanting youths and the sacred vision of that what their souls valued more than their lives. O, there was a time when Homs laughed and made the world laugh. May be it is now a waste land where the jackals roam and all that is primitive in man takes over in the fight for survival, yet if all the Syrians give Homs a soul of their souls and a beating heart of their hearts, we might yet see the fallen city rise, rebuilt, repopulated, reinstated. Homs shall not die.  We shall find it, we shall. 

Map of Homs showing Baba Amr neighbourhood

Extracts from chronicles kept by me between February and May, 2012, documenting my comments, feelings and responses to the Siege of Baba Amr in Homs, Syria.

 5 February   The death of children under the rubble of their shelled and bombed homes in Homs brings Shakespeare and the death of Hamlet to my mind.  When the tongue fails to express the terror one feels in the presence of death, especially the death of those too young to die, we take refuge in the great literature of the world and words written hundreds of years ago begin to echo in our souls like forgotten, but ever present, truths:

Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince:
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

This is against God, against nature and against life. Sleep in peace little ones, your mother, the earth of Syria calls. Sleep in peace sweet children, may a flight of angels usher you to the immortal gardens.   5 February

 

 6 February   Homs the epicentre of world politics    The world is fighting the complexities of its geopolitics in Syria, mainly in the streets of Homs: Russia will fight to keep its influence in Syria until the last Syrian; China tailing Russia will fight till Syria is made after its own image, a big prison; Latin America will fight its ideological skirmishes over the ruins of Homs; The West will fight the hegemony of Russia astride the scorched earth of Syria; and somewhere in space the aliens are fighting to vanquish earth starting with Homs.

As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods,
They kill us for their sport.
Shakespeare

Perish the day    Even the spiders, the snakes, the hyenas and the vultures have hovels, caves and nests to protect them from the cruelty of the forces of nature, but the people of Baba Amr have no cave, no hovel, no hole to shelter in from the wrath of their own army and the insanity of a doctor turned a serial killer. They are poor and their normal life is full of hardships, but these people are the descendants of those who built a civilization on top of a civilization and rocked the cradles of the humanity.  All they wanted was their share of dignity and a decent life, all they dreamed about was to breathe the air without fear or humiliation. Now they lie dead, torn and desecrated, their destiny trampled under the feet of the beasts of the night, their sweet chants for freedom usurped to blaspheme on the foul lips of the Shbiha.  I see the beast inheriting the earth and I say perish the day.  February 9

In Hama (near Homs)    In Hama the freedom and mourning chants are rising even now, pure and crystal clear, soaring high to high heaven to embrace eternity, as if thousands of larks are filling the skies with intimations of a future where children can walk safely and play their childish games.. I do not think but that the stones will cry listening to these songs of the earth.  Listen, listen everybody to Hama giving Homs voices of its voices and  courage of it s courage. Those people who are singing are staring at their deaths in the face. I think death itself is singing with them now, forgetting for a while that it is terrible gruesome death.  10 February

 

Baba Amr 11 February   When the infamous Assad invasions have stopped to desecrate the earth of Syria, we shall go into pilgrimages to the shrine of Baba Amr with candles and garlands of flowers and say: here rests the best of the Syrians.

Baba Amr dying

 The people in Baba Amr    Are in need of urgent medical supplies and food. Children especially, are suffering most. They are shell-shocked, dazed, disoriented, terrified and lost. They are starving and psychologically damaged. Violent deaths, corpses and mutilated bodies are all around them and many are orphaned. Perhaps, some families outside the disaster areas can host those most in need and look after them until the immediate danger is lifted.  14 February

 Parliament of Compassion   We need a parliament of compassion and conscience to have its rightful place in deciding the fate of the globe. I do not feel so lonely now communicating with you. The bloodshed in Syria will only be laid to rest and cease to scream for atonement when mercy prevails.

It is the meek who inherit the world. Simplicity is attained at the end of the world, not at its beginning. To become child-like is to attain wisdom. I can only love simple people whose hearts echo the beating heart of the universe. I have never set eyes on you but I value you my friend. You like me, are trying to guard something rare and universal in this Revolution of mostly simple humble people. Let us remember it for always. 16 February

 The worst that can happen to us is to get used to death and stop raging against death

 Dying for a cause   Yes, it is heroic to die for a cause, provided those who die do have a choice and want to pay the price. What did the children do to die such horrible deaths? The regime has sinned against them and we are sinning against them too by not making special arrangements to protect them.

 Violence    I understand that, but many people now are exploiting the revolution for their own agendas. They are introducing into it a strain of unnecessary mindless violence. Violence begets violence. I heard on the news that beheadings are taking place. Many of us believe or have believed that we are better and more humane than the regime’s thugs. Summery improvised justice is not what we want or approve of. We must try very hard to protect the innocent civilians from being caught up in the traps of violence. The greatest responsibility for the violence lies with the government, but part of it is ours.  17 February

 

The plight of the children   Look at the faces of these children! For days now I have been trying to draw attention to the plight of the children of Syria in conflict areas, like Homs. Only one person commented. Why? Aren’t the children of Syria important enough to attract the attention of the activists? These children are the future of Syria. The writer is describing the sufferings of a 2 year old child. He said that the shelling and explosions in Insha’at, Homs, made her scream in fear in the first few days, then she started to cry silently, the tears streaming down her face, only later to start laughing hysterically whenever there was an explosion. Her family looked at her in fear believing she had lost her mind. Her father could not bear it so he slapped her on the face to make her cry loudly once more and restore her to normality. This story broke my heart, doesn’t it break yours? 18 February

 

There is something terribly wrong    There is something terribly wrong here. The death of all these children is weighing too heavily on my spirit and conscience.  There is something I should be doing, but I am not doing. There is no excuse for me. I am to blame. I haven’t tried enough.  I gave up too easily like thousands of others and acquiesced to merely playing the role of the observer. I look at my hands and see them dripping with blood.  I go to bed at night and wake up hearing maternal lamentation and the screams of millions of children and say to myself: but they are not as many as that, surely not, certainly not.  Yet the relentless terrible feeling that somehow, by perhaps, some disjointedness in time and space, I have become an accomplice to the murderer, a partner in the crime, persists and haunts my days and nights like a curse. Is this World War II come alive? Is this the blitz? But where is the enemy and who is the enemy? By the power invested in it as the defender of its people, the Republic of Syria has decided to slaughter them and their children.  22 February

 

Marie Colven   When this child died, our souls died and we turned cold with horror like no horror.  Marie Colven watched him die and despaired. I cannot but feel that the child called and she followed him devastated by pity and the desire to atone for our failings.  Marie Colven may you rest in peace, we shall remember you.  22 February

Marie Colven

 

Rami Al-Sayed    We must not forget to pay tribute to the amateur citizen journalists and photographers of Syria who have risked their lives and are risking their lives to reveal to the outside world what is happening in Syria. Rami Al-Sayed is one of these unknown heroes who were sadly killed while doing their duty. Another heroic spirit is Syria Pioneer whose videos to You Tube tore the heart of darkness. Like many activists, I am using images taken by the heroic unknown.

 The murdered journalists during the siege of Baba Amr    They are our heroes too, people who faced death to bring the terrible facts to the attention of the world. We shall not forget Marie Colven, Remi Ochlik and the journalists still trapped in Baba Amr. The killers think their crimes can be committed without the truth being ever revealed, but they have forgotten that programmed in the human genes, as well as violence, are the saving graces and the life enhancing attributes, like seeking justice, fighting for the truth and the tireless endeavours to ensure the continuation of existence in peaceful, free and safe environments. 26 Feb.

The murdered journalists

 

Baba Amr   They think they can destroy Baba Amr by razing it to the ground, by massacring its people, by leaving its infants and children to die slowly under the debris of their own houses and by raping the women, even the little girls. They think they can erase it and bulldoze it so that it is no more. Baba Amr has become synonymous with freedom, dignity, the air we breathe, the flame in the heart, the light in the soul and the life that will never wither.  29 February

 There is nobody there. Do not call. For weeks we have seen nothing but corpses, heard nothing but maternal lamentation, thought of nothing but the death and suffering of children.

Baba Amr visited by the Syrian Regime

 Thus dies Baba Amr

Let us pray

 The Civilians    What news of the civilians of Baba Amr, of the trapped children, women and the wounded?  What news of them? Is quick clean death the most merciful fate they can hope for? What news of the civilians of Baba Amr. Better death than the cleansing murderous intentions the regime has in store for them. 1 March

Baba Amr our gaping wound     Baba Amr was heroic beyond our dreams. The people of Baba Amr we shall love for always and their great spirit will write our epics for the future, but it was wrong, with the best of intentions , to expect to defeat the might of the Syrian army with flesh and blood in the midst of women and children not to mention the old. It was simplistic. The FSA did their best and I think they have learnt a bitter lesson. Our aim is not to blame but to avert this ever happening again.  2 March

 Do the Super Powers really care for what is happening in Homs and the rest of Syria? If we want the truth, no is the answer. Why?  Because it does not directly touch on their interests and because, alas to say, a weakened torn Syria suits Israel, and Assad is ideal for them. Does the world care for the slain children, the wounded, the tortured and the dead?  Perhaps.  But not enough to take to the streets and display a global will against the terrible violence taking place in Syria. This kind of violence is an affront to the whole of humanity.  It is a stigma and a judgement on the human race. The Super powers have no will but that of their hegemony and influence.  But where is the will of the billions of humans faced with contagious infectious violence like no violence, which the welfare of the whole of humanity dictates it should have no dominion and must be irradiated like we have irradiated the plague and the smallpox.

 Baba Amr stormed    On the BBC news, an activist from Baba Amr reports that on the outskirts of Baba Amr, the security forces are arresting people and holding them in a big building then summarily executing some of them.

The triumphant Syrian Army in Baba Amr

 Allegations

The BBC mentioned that the Syrian authorities are not allowing the Red Cross convoy into Baba Amr because the situation inside is too dangerous. Yesterday it was mentioned on Facebook that FSA, before they left, booby trapped some locations, which led to explosions as the Syrian Army was combing Baba Amr. If this is true was it wise? For it will stop stop the Syrian Army as well as the aid convoy. The people of Baba Amr need urgent help and food. Will the FSA army provide the starving people with the necessities for survival? 3 March

 On escorting the foreign journalists to the safety of Lebanon.  Thirteen young lives given to save the French and British journalists trapped in Baba Amr. March 4

This morning, I highlighted a paragraph in Robert Fisk’s article about war reporters in which he commended the bravery and the sacrifice of the unknown FSA soldiers and the activists who helped the surviving journalists trapped in Baba Amr to escape. Thirteen died in the escapade which I can only describe, after I had read the details in Le Figaro, as one of the bravest and noblest stories that have come out of Baba Amr. Paul Conroy and Edith Bouvoire owe their survival to acts of human kindness and heroism performed by the people of Baba Amr. Not only did they give them the best medical treatment and care they were able to provide within the severe limitations of their basic medical facilities, not only did they keep them alive against all the odds, but when the time came, they died to save them. As Robert Fisk wrote, it would only be fitting to at least know the names of the 13 young men who died in the attempt. I keep thinking of their unknown graves dug somewhere or maybe not, under the falling snow and the howling wind. Let us honour them in our hearts.

This is the same Robert Fisk who has nothing to say now about the Syrian Revolution but the bad and the distorted. Written, 22 January, 2013. Sorry for the digression.

  ماذا فعلوا بسوريا؟ وطن حولوه الى مقبرة وشعب حولوه الى جثث ومشردين وجيش حولوه الى وحوش ولصوص بدون شرف وجهاز امن حولوه لى سفاحين واطفال مزجوا ربيعم بالتراب. اين هي سوريا التي غيبوها عن الحياة                              March 4            والحضارة؟

 Syria the Untouchable   They ask, the smart astute politicians of the world, what will happen to Syria if Assad falls?  They wisely point out that the situation might be much worse after the regime falls. Much worse for them or the Syrian people who are being massacred ruthlessly, their children slain, their women raped and their houses razed to the ground? But this question is discreetly evaded, which takes us to the shameful conclusion, better the devil you know. They do not stop here, but with an implicit global consensus rarely seen, they come to the conclusion that it cannot be helped, the demographic, ethnic and geopolitical peculiarities of Syria would make it impossible to act or suggest a solution. It is as if never before has the world encountered such an insoluble, mind boggling, will shattering freakish problem!!! Therefore, Syria and its people are surrendered to the butchers to do as they please. For them, the paramount saving grace is that at least Israel is safe and will continue to be safe. No wonder that the whole situation is summed up on a poster lifted by a young Syrian girl, probably an orphan herself, reading: “Syria is an orphan.  God of the orphans look afterSyria.”

Words    they curse, they swear, they shout, they threaten, they blabber, they stammer and do nothing, absolutely nothing. 

The only hope   This is the only hope in the universal night of the Syrian people. That the good committed people of the world, like you, are identifying with Syria, the real Syria, and have taken it to heart. We are a multitude, a legion. We should prevail; we, who would not kill, would not harden our hearts, would not forget that no man is an island and that we are all involved in mankind. One day the beast will be gone and the waste land will be healed.

Orphan country   An orphan country. An orphan Revolution, an orphan people, an orphan freedom in the making. Orphan all, it is an honour.

Fear   Fear, indoctrination, fear, suppression, fear, breaking the will of the nation, fear, corruption, fear, robbing the people of dignity, self respect and responsibility, fear, savage clamping down on all the liberties, more fear and so on.

Blood runs in the streets

 The Red Cross said today that they could not enter Baba Amr because of the security situation.  The authorities are alleging that many buildings and streets are dynamited which makes it impossible to take aid to the people of Baba Amr. If this has any truth in it, was it wise to leave Baba Amr dangerous to its own people in addition to exposing them to the anger and the reprisals of the authorities? Such allegations should be answered and analyzed objectively. 6 March

 To a friend on Facebook concerning civilians caught up in armed struggles       I pasted your answer on my page under my comment. The responsibility of the killing and the murder of the citizens of Baba Amr rests completely with the army and the thugs of the regime. Of this, I have no doubt in my mind. But it also rests with us to speak for those who have no voices and who are paying the highest price imaginable. The regime has always marginalized and sacrificed them without giving them a thought. If we do the same, we are no better. The tragedy of Baba Amr and many other Syrian cities, towns, villages, and hamlets must teach us a lesson. The lesson is how to protect the innocents and the grassroots of Syria. It is war. I understand that, but our tactics, strategies and plans must be reconsidered especially in everything relating to the FSA. Some of the defected soldiers are very young and inexperienced. They need guidance and leadership. As we do not want the civilians to die unnecessarily, we do not want the young soldiers to die in vain.  March 6

 To fight the regime from within the civilian neighbourhoods is an issue which should be addressed with the utmost seriousness because who ever undertakes it would be facing a brutal regime the like of whose ruthlessness has rarely been encountered.  The revenge Assad’s army and thugs took on Baba Amr will not be forgotten and should not be forgotten. Civilians and soldiers do not mix because it is the civilians who will pay the heaviest price.  I wish more people will argue about this issue instead of ignoring it. There should never be another Baba Amr. No victory is a victory if the civilians are chosen to pay for it.  8 March

 In justice    When the world chooses not to stand against injustice and the rule of the jungle, there is a kind of consolation in the words of those who see with the eyes of history and judge with the universality of our human ethics. This is what revolutions do; change the very heart, the very mind, the very behaviour of men and women.

واخيرا اصبح للعرب تراث ثوري يفتخرون به

Syria Do Not Cry   Don’t cry Syria while you see what we see and hear what we hear. Today I saw a little man, a ruthless foolish man being pandered to and elevated to the status of a statesman. I also saw a real statesman try to reason with him, only to witness the little man get inflated and watch him wax in stupidity and false pride, drunk with what he sees as a triumph on his tortured mutilated dispossessed people. Let me cry, but you Syria who had cradled the first civilizations, do not shed your immortal tears on such an aberration of the human nature. 

 Do not cry Syria even as the fallen and the brave are not mourned, are not buried are not remembered, are not even counted – they who once were born, laughed, sang, got married and had children.  10 March

Do not cry Syria

 Bigotry   Let us waste no more time listening to bigotry and ignorance. What are revolutions for but to start moving in order to change our world and ourselves for the better. The time of darkness is over.

 Killing   This also asks the ultimate question of why man kills man, why Cain kills Abel.  Thank you for sharing it with me. Only I would like to say, it is fitting to mourn the dead thus. For me the conflict is when the brave dead are not mourned, are not buried are not remembered, are not even counted as human.  11 March

 Comment   So now the regime is butchering the citizens of the Syrian cities and towns without any restraint. How many Deir Yasins do we have to witness? The civilians are butchered, bombarded, driven out of their homes, forcefully evicted or mass moved from their cities and homes. Are we going to see a Syrian Republic made of the 2 major cities Damascus and Aleppo alone? Two cities and the rest is nothing but devastation, death, starvation and homelessness. What a brilliant mindboggling future?  12 March

 Death of children   No people should be asked to pay such a gruesome terrible price:  the massacre of their innocents and innocence.

Death of Children

 

 Where is the UN?    So where are the UN relief agencies, where is the humanitarian aid they keep talking about?  What did Amos and Anaan do in order to extend the world’s help to the victims and refugees of Syria?  Shame on a world that watches and does not go beyond rhetoric. For the love of God, haven’t they had their fill of severed limbs, tortured children, raped and injured women, battered bodies, mutilated men and women, gouged out eyes, open skulls and abdomens?  I am not going to speak about the dead.  At least nobody can touch them any more, not even the short- lived fruitless pity of the civilized world.  Why aren’t there offers from renowned hospitals all over the world to proffer to treat those who have lost everything? I am ashamed of my humanity, ashamed of my fellow humans who will not help will not help will not help. All we hear are brilliant sermons, state-of-the-arts rhetoric, political dithering and verbal rubbish. The testimony of the Egyptian doctors speaking for Syria, supported by incontrovertible evidence and documentation is more than enough to condemn the Syrian regime in any International court of justice not once, not twice but for all time to come. 14 March

The world and injustice  When the world chooses not to stand against injustice and the rule of the beast, there is a kind of consolation in the words of those who see with the eyes of history and judge with the universality of our human ethics. This is what revolutions do; change the very heart, the very mind, the very behaviour of men and women.

  Why did the revolution start?   We started this revolution in order to instate Human Rights in Syria, in order to protect life and ensure the rule of law.  It is for justice, dignity and freedom that thousands of people have died and suffered and have been mutilated and tortured. Are we going to betray them by behaving like the accursed murderers? 21 March 

 This revolution is not going to be hijacked by those who belittle its constitution, its principles and human values. Out of respect to the terrible suffering and devastation that has been inflicted on Syria and its people, we will never waver in our belief in Human Rights and the sanctity of life. The future children of Syria will grow up free, humane and safe in a country governed by law, justice, peace and equality for all.

 Comments on the use of violence    I agree with you that many peaceful good men were forced to arm themselves in order to protect themselves and the innocent. I am also aware that the soldiers who defected have to stay alive trying to protect themselves. But there will be no change in Syria, no rule of law, no Human Rights if the methods of the regime are copied or perpetuated. It is how we are going to fight the enemy that matters to us. Brutality, ruthlessness, torture, degradation and mindless revenge should not be part of our means to end injustice and oppression. If we demand the best of people they try to live up to it, but if we accept the devil’s practices in order to achieve our aims, we are no better than the devil. 23 March

 The way of love    If you love, you try to protect those you love especially when they are driven to extremities by pain, intolerable pain and anguish. And in my opinion the greatest of love is the love that defends me, you or the young fighting men of Syria against ourselves and themselves. We do not want them to reach the point of no return, so soaked in blood and killing that they cannot any longer see the face of God and innocence. We wish them to emerge out of this terrible struggle, dignified enough and integral enough to be part of the future and the dawn to come.

 War    War is war. War is cruel, terrible and the end of all normality, even sanity. That is why we call upon love and grace to remain part of the daily existence of the men who have to fight.

Death of habitats

 Apathy   Apathy destroys the very core of being. To accept injustice and oppression or to tolerate evil is to die a slow undignified death.

 Alas for the children of Syria whose only companions are sorrow, deprivation, fear and hunger. Children should spread their wings and dream, love and be loved. Never, never this fate which is even worse than death.

Sorrow and children

 

The dead Syrian children   Each time I look at the gruesome horrific images of the dead Syrian children, I feel dead at the very core of my soul. Yet if you give me the chance of not looking at these images and instead save my sensibilities and sensitivities, I shall choose to look and bear witness. I debated this controversial issue with myself for a long time and weighed down the cons and pros very carefully, only to feel strengthened in my initial resolve. I have this strange powerful feeling that if we continue to look at those children whom we feel delighted to look at alive, if we continue to look at them with compassion and pity and let our eyes rest on them gently and lovingly after their death, we might take away some of the horror and loneliness of their deaths. If we look at them and listen to their hidden laughter and veiled aliveness, we might redeem a little the manner of their terrible deaths. We make contact with them, we hold them in our thoughts and hearts because the worst thing that we can do is to forget them and try to shut off the cruelty and wrongness of their deaths. 

 A tale I heard during my visit to Damascus in April, 2012 remained with me: 

The children’sTale   A friend of the local pharmacist, a doctor from Darra , unable to withhold his tears, narrated: I saw them, I saw them with my own eyes and came to know what happened to them.  They were orphaned children from all ages; the very young led by older children between 14 and fifteen. They have walked all the way from Homs and Baba Amr and arrived by a miracle at Daraa. They were hungry, cold and sick; they were traumatized, terrified, dishevelled and haggard. In rags, they were walking aimlessly like haunted little souls. The people rushed to them willing and wanting to help, feed and shelter, but the security forces stopped them and told them that the children were traitors deserving no help and used force to disperse the people. The doctor narrator then proceeded to say that they tried to understand what happened to these children.  To his horror, he later discovered that among the children, the victims of violence, untold cruelty and rape, two very young girls aged between 10 and 12 were pregnant. 21 April 2012

The rest is silence

 People write what they want to write    Ruthanne, in the end, despite the quest for objectivity, people write what they know, and they search for what they wish to see. Every story imagined or real, is nothing but a reflection of its writer’s frames of reference which include biases and preferences. Sometimes our biases are merely reflections of our times. Biases occasionally are upgraded to fanatical opinions and allegiances and thus become lethal. It is up to the reader to sift through the information, and to believe, or not.

When it comes to Syria, I’ll take the stories reaching me with caution. Except, of course, when the stories are of the dead. Then, the faces are uncovered, the tortured bodies are exposed. We learn their histories after they are buried in graves only marked by pieces of cardboards. Those are the faces we see, the names we memorize, the ones we will never forget, because Syrians are no longer in the business of keeping secrets.”

 

They were not always corpses.  They were living people, each with a life, relatives and friends. They laughed, they dreamed, they loved their Syria. I believe you are right. Perhaps if we remember their lives, they will enrich ours. 29 April

 On death by violence   “What is gone is gone and those who died: May God have mercy on them, he says”. I wonder would he have said the same if members of his family were butchered. Sorrows and tragedies can only be redeemed if a new page is turned, and if the criminals are brought to justice so that forgiveness can start to heal and lay the past to rest.  30 April

On Hamza and Tamir( two children tortured and killed be the Syrian security forces)     Let us pray for a day when we can remember our beloveds in peace and bring children like them to their graves carrying flowers and candles so that they might feel that the earth they died for is as free and as rich with its offerings as ever.   30 April

 Syria’s Young     For how much longer do we have to mourn and watch helplessly the death of Syria’s young people, the flower of its youths and the brightest of its children? We are so tired of waiting that we have become the waiting itself. But we cannot despair, because if we do we shall kill them all over, again and again. Syria cannot go backward for the only way towards salvation is forward, towards hope and a new Syria where the children can play peacefully and the young people are free to dream of better futures, love and fair opportunities in a country they love and are loved by it.  Nour inscribed his graffiti not only on the walls but on our hearts. May 2

Death of Children

 

Epitaph

From King Lear by Shakespeare

• Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones:
  Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use them so
  That heaven’s vaults should crack. — She’s gone for ever! —
  I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
  She’s dead as earth.
  • Lear, Scene III
  • Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,
  • And thou no breath at all? Thou’lt come no more,
•       Never, never, never, never, never!!Lear, Scene III

©Alisar Iram