Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts

7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 1/8

DrowningThe Oppressed Become Beasts

Rabab Maher

The power of people on top depends on

the obedience of the people below.

When people stop obeying, they have no

power.

~ Howard Zinn

The current abysmal situation in Syria, which started 15th of

March 2011, would wring a conscientious person’s heart with



tumultuous emotions and force him [1] into action – so one

would think.

The beastly act of one man and the prevailing sectarian

conflict seems to have caused more of a stir than that of the

Syrians plight for freedom.

Cannibalism in the name of God

R epugnance is one emotion felt for the savage act committed

by one Syrian rebel, Khalid Al-Hamad, nom de guerre [2] Abu

Sakar, in April: The desecration of a deceased pro-Syrian

regime soldier’s body by incising and biting his organ (heart or

liver) in full view of a camera, whilst invoking the name of

Allâh ى ع و

ه . One could not help but clutch his own heartسبح

and cover his mouth when watching the horror video.

The image of Hind bint ‘Utbah [3]

conjures up in the mind,

who had the liver of Hamza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib , the

paternal uncle and companion of the Prophet Muhammadملسو هيلع هللا ىلص

,

cut out for her to feast on.

Juxtaposing both vile events, the deeds mirror each other, and

the motives are patently similar: Revenge, an act forbidden in

Islâm, and even more so, the act of cannibalism.

The similarities however end here.

http://worde3yne.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/on-barking-dogs-when-wounded-hearts-rule/




It is crucial to note, Hind lived in an epoch in history termed

the ‘Period of Ignorance’, an era before the divine revelation

to Prophet Muhammadملسو هيلع هللا ىلص

, when extreme practises of paganismwere alive, devoid of any respect for human life and dignity,

and, before she embraced Islâm. Conversely, a so-called

religious Muslim carried out the horrific act in the twenty-first

century.

Are we regressing to those days?

Abu Sakar

His justification for the sickly deed was because of footages

saved on Syrian soldiers’ mobiles of massacred, mutilated,

raped and tortured children and women.

Nonetheless, does this justify his ghastly macabre act?

Abu Sakar lost family members, some detained and others

forced to displace because of the interminable and bloody

Syrian Uprising. The actions of Bashar Al-Assad’s soldiers are

barbarically inhumane, but his, were vengefully cannibalistic.

Abu Sakar is part of a free Syrian army, The Independent ‘Umar

Al-Fārūq Brigade, established in 2011. Wryly, the name in the

title is that of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattāb , the second caliph of

Islâm, the epitome of justice.





It would be easy to attribute the grisly deed of the cannibal as

desperate; but Muslims who share his thinking – the enemy

must be dehumanised as they dehumanise us – have themselves

become oppressors.

Before anything, we are human, where the words humanity

and humane derive from, nouns that are becoming fictional as

the days wander on. What is the excuse when man becomes

beast to fight oppression and injustice? How primitive, low and

animalistic has man become?

War of creeds and denominations

The assumed divide in Syria is sectarianism thanks to The

Independent ‘Umar Al-Fārūq Brigade and similar taskforces

who fell trap to Bashar Al-Assad’s words by shifting the “war

for freedom” to “war of denominations”. The result, the

savagery portrayed in the video and the few foolish people who

have opted for inimicality and the perverse mob mentality,

using the uprising as an excuse to execute their own agendas

by distorting the revolution for a wrong cause.

R eligious denomination is one key cause for the fissure

amongst people – the clash of sects be they docile, volatile and

all in between. Christians and Muslims are suffering because of

it. Could this existing situation in Syria loom Syrians in the

future? Just take Iraq and Lebanon as archetypes for what



might await Syria when the spineless despot Bashar Al-Assad is

finally overthrown.

Credit, teemed with despise, is due to the tyrant Bashar Al-

Assad and his advocates; they must be relishing the outcome

of their work especially when the current situation is what

sparked the world’s attention rather than the Syrians fight for

freedom.

Arabs entombing the cries

What is truly riling though is how deep Syria is drowning in her

own blood, which should have remained unshed had the world

stepped in.

The British and American governments, and corrupt

politicians, who have their own agendas in Syria, aided and

funded Syrian rebels to wage their own internal war.

To fight the enemy when it is the “’other” is easy but when it

is one of their own, Arab, prejudices somehow weed their way

in in the most heartless manner. This is where “Hezbollah” [4]

thrives, thrusting defensively into Syria in support of Bashar Al-

Assad’s callous regime – Syria did fund them to rid them of

Israel in 2006 after all – perpetuating the sectarian conflict.

Not surprising, they did turn against their own people in 2008

breaking their vow never to do so.



To add more insult to gaping wounds, those in power in the

Arab nations watch in slumber the devouring of their

neighbouring country, unless you count their futile peace talks

by the very same “leaders” who do not allow freedom for their

own people. Which simply means, waiting for the Arab

“leaders” to step in is mere fiction. Look at what happened in

Palestine, and has been happening, for sixty-five years, and in

Darfur for ten.

We watch and hear the cries of Syrians calling for the Arabs

but to no avail. How are they to know that deep prejudices

and pusillanimity pulsates through the veins of the Arab

nations! Who cares about fighting for freedom, justice and

truth for the oppressed; many are complacent, craven or

unwilling with main concerns that will shame anyone with a

conscience.

There is the parody of support though.

Disparaging their freedom

At the precipice of one’s mind, there is a gnawing thought that

Syria could be dissolving indefinitely, trying to oust one despot

only to fall into the hands of another form of despotism:

zealots camouflaging themselves in religiosity, the very same

who may want to rule Syria one day.



All this will happen before our eyes, and Syria will one day be

another forgotten story and nightmare imbruing the chronicles

of time with her blood. That is, if Arabs continue not to voice

what is right.

What was once upon a time an uprising for freedom has turned

into an incessant brutal civil war of bloodbath, death and

desolation, riven by religious differences, consuming the lives

of many, losing the essence for why the Syrians revolted.

We should be cognisant not to let the actions of a few bigoted

criminals deter from the true cause for the uprising: The brave

actions of a people who fought with no outside aid for the sole

right reason for ALL Syrians regardless of their religious beliefs

– FREEDOM.

If you’re not ready to die for it, put the

word ‘freedom’ out of your vocabulary.

~ Malcolm X ( Allâh Yirĥamu)

Yes, there will be Syrians who will lose their lives, but not in

vain, they will have many hurdles to overcome and the quest

for freedom may not be nigh; but, wars battled for the right

reason and for a worthy cause will eventually prevail. When

that day comes, Syria can stand proud because she deservedly

attained her freedom.



However, if we lose perspective about the cause for the Syrian

Uprising, we will be sending the message to the Syrians that

Bashar Al-Assad won, hence, we rob them of their valour for

freedom.

Power in defence of freedom is greater

than power on behalf of tyranny and

oppression, because power, real power,

comes from our conviction which

produces action, uncompromising

action.

~ Malcolm X ( Allâh Yirĥamu)

[1] The pronoun ‘him’ (and ‘his’) is referring to an unspecified gender, that

is, both genders.

[2] This is a French phrase meaning “name of war” adopted by insurgents.

[3] She is the wife of the Quraish chieftain, Abu Sufyān ibn Ĥarb , in the

seventh century.

[4] Title of “Hezbollah” – Ḥizb-Allâh, ‘Party of Allâh’ – is taken from The

Holy Qur’ân. It is enclosed in quotation marks because I believe the

group grossly misrepresent the undeserved title.

Wednesday, 22nd May 2013

http://worde3yne.wordpress.com/glossary-lexicon-and-more/




Documents

Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts