A trip to uprising Syria

On next day, January- 15- 2012 will marks tenth month of the Syrian revolution. No one is able to calculate the amount of difficulties that deter the Syrian people from reaching its target which mainly means for them is to oust President Assad and his regime.
The revolution in Syria is the great event of the Arab spring. For many reasons, Syria is a corner stone of many issues in the Middle East. So, the neighbouring intervention in Syria is understood; ALL WANT THEIR AGENDA TO BE DONE BY THE SYRIAN REVOLUTION.
On December 1st, I arrived to Damascus international airport, the first impression is: revolution had never passed here!! Worse, the last time I leaved Syria, one year earlier, exactly three months before the uprising took place, there was only a one big portrait for president Assad and now the airport is full of portraits everywhere even the small cabinets where policemen sit to stamp passports.
Damascus, the capital, is considered one of the major basements for the regime. Tradesmen and clergy control the mass, plus the nature of this city where multiethnic and religious groups live together and the ghost of civil war is walking side-by-side with hope of people for change.
Next day, I headed to Salamiyeh city which located near Homs and Hamah, the two major cities to revolt against the regime. To reach my city, I should enter Homs, I did, but first I should pass military checkpoints. Now, there are four checkpoints between Homs and Salamiyeh, fully equipped with heavy arms and tanks, it seems like a war field. Soldiers checked the bus that I am in, very well, not for terrorists or dissidents; they were searching just for youths males of 1992 birth-year to take them immediately to compulsory military service. It s clear that new wave of youths of 1992 birth-date are refusing to go in compulsory military service because not to fire and kill their people, especially youths from the hot points of the uprising like Homs , Hama, Deir el Zour and Idleb, or for not being killed by the armed people within the uprising.
In Salamiyeh, my home city, I felt freedom for the first time in my life, because people who I have never seen them for almost a year are not the same any more. In the past, the opposition camp was barely 40 educated men and women, but now, freedom which brought by the uprising made the opposition movement fully of activists, about 15000 activists went in protest against the regime during one of August month days.
Strike and protest against the regime are in low level since beginning of September, when police, security forces and so-called shabbeha combined launched an operation to uproot the demonstration movement from Salamiyeh. A house-to-house arrest continued about three days.
This operation against protesters in Salamiyeh was successful because of Shabbeha who help the regime in crackdown. Shabbeha are groups of mercenaries, their loyalty is to the regime who, in turn, give them money and weapons to keep it in their homes for patrolling the city in mid night.
I noticed that shabbeha are also: oil distribution in charge, because in Syria, people used to use oil during winter in purpose of warming their houses.
Most of the opposition activists are of good-wage background, there are a huge number of regime-controlled public sector employees are involved in the protest: we are not hungry, but we need our dignity back, they – regime s prominent figures and families—have been oppressing us for 50 years and they want to keep this situation on, one shop owner said.
On December 15th, a meeting for a group of leftists activists was held in Salamiyeh city where they received a number of refugees from Homs. All issues were discussed freely, especially the issue of outside intervention in Syria. Me and two other activists condemned and disapprove of any form of international intervention: we want to oust the dictatorial regime to live in democracy and welfare not for transfer Syria into bones between jaws and paws of regional and international powers, one leftist said.
In Syria now, especially inside hot points of the revolution, people is becoming more and more interesting in the idea of outside intervention.
Regrettable to say, that the two factions of the Syrian communist party are supporting the regime, even when death toll rose to 6000!
The Syrian communist party believes that what is going on in Syria now is totally a conspiracy. The result for this position is a large number of communists have declared their membership s withdrawal from the party.
On the eve of Christmas day, I met some supporters of the regime; they told me frankly that they support the regime because fearing of Islamic fundamentalists: we want to be part of the modern world, not part of the medieval, one girl said.
Short dialogue with Assad supporter
Also one of the regime s supporters asked me: you are leftist, then why you support Chavez who is ally of President Assad in the face of imperialists and not supporting Assad?
ND: It s a revolution against the regime in Syria, I am with it, with the people, I am against imperialists, and I know their agenda, so to be with the revolution doesn’t means that I am with imperialists. As leftist, I want from President Assad to deal with the opposition and the angry masses for preventing any outside intervention.
A.S: but how to deal with the opposition which helps the imperialists especially America, Europe and Turkey?
ND: opposition is not only the National Council ( established in Istanbul last October under patronage of EU, USA and Arab states), I am an opposition activist, if president Assad wants me to be with him he should stop killing, then allow me and the people to decide who will rule us. Assad is playing with the idea of outside intervention to attract the leftists to his position.
The future of Syria is unknown especially when you see arms in the hands of people. The regime is arming its supporters with Kalashnikov rifles and pump action, and the part of the opposition which under patronage of some neighbouring states do the same!
The Syrian regime should understand that the ruling s mechanisms of the cold world are ended. So, if the regime is serious of avoiding an outside intervene, it should change itself.

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