I saw your face, I imagined your smile

I wish that you could have stayed a while.

It was not to be my darling child,

God had his plan & you were not mine.

This has tested my faith

It has left me in grief

What has happened to you

Is beyond belief.

The world stood by

They left you die

They say your picture

Made them cry

The tears are useless

No pain can be eased

I pray that Allah

May be pleased.

I have not left you my darling child

But i cannot see you for a while

I tell myself, your no longer here

But cannot find a reason as to why that had to be.

They say that this is merely a test

But what i want to know

Is how the people can rest?

We left you there, too little, too late.

How could they hurt your tiny body?

Has the world gone mad?

And forgotten reason?

I saw the pain in your face

Now I pray that you are in peace

And are without pain

In a much better place.

What does the world think it will gain?

To allow this pain to continue?

Torture, rape & senseless killing

With Syrian blood that continues spilling.

How can people continue to hide?

Is there is no feeling left in mankind?

We left you there to die

Do they really think its enough to cry?

Wake up world

Stop this now

Children are dying

Every day

Syria could be like a golden chain

Link by Link, InshAllah, It will grow stronger

But if you leave them now

You will break their hearts forever.

Rise up Syria,

Teach us the meaning

We should follow your example

And learn the cost of freedom.

They talk over here of feeling bad

Of feeling sad

Yet you would teach us, that you are glad

Willing to pay the ultimate price.

We did not know what it meant to be brave

Until we saw your suffering

People being taken to their grave

You really do put us to shame.

We have to do more

We have to hear your cries for help

We must learn from the courage you have shown

To deal with a crisis like we have never known

God Bless All the brave people in Syria

We pray that From the river to the sea

Syria, Syria will be free.

Various human rights are included in the Syrian Constitution; including the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

Article 38 of the Constitution reads:

‘Every citizen has the right to freely and openly express his views in words, in writing, and through all other means of expression. He also has the right to participate in supervision and constructive criticism in a manner that safeguards the soundness of the domestic and nationalist structure and strengthens the socialist system. The state guarantees the freedom of the press, of printing, and publication in accordance with the law.’

The article that follows continues to say:

‘Citizens have the right to meet and demonstrate peacefully within the principles of the Constitution. The law regulates the exercise of this right.’

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a United Nations multilateral treaty adopted in 1966 and ratified by Syria. Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are important parts of the treaty. The Covenant states:

‘Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice’ Article 19

“The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others” Article 21

The above mentioned articles of the Syrian Constitution and International Covenant have become nothing but worthless and inapplicable theories in the light of the current on-going Syrian crisis. These rights have been systematically violated in Syria since the Al-Assad family came into power. The uprising started when six children in the city of Dar’aa, inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings, dared to express their political feelings by painting on a wall. They were arrested, tortured, sexually abused and their burnt bodies were sent to their anxious parents days after their detention. Since then, peaceful demonstrations are countered by attacks from the military security forces, followed by arbitrary arrests.

No foreign journalists are allowed in Syria to report the truth, only the state television can. Local journalists and those trying to report the abuses using their personal mobile phones are considered to be a national threat by the Syrian regime. They end up in detention cells and military hospitals where they are tortured sometimes to their last breath.

This is not new. What is happening in Syria has happened before time and time again, though on a much smaller scale. Freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly have never existed or been practised in reality. For years, the government brainwashed the masses, children learnt from books written by state-owned publishers, and critical thinking was never encouraged in universities. Political critics have always been arrested and banned from entering their own country and all forms of dissent were crushed in one way or another.

The Syrian government has yet again breached its international engagements and disrespected its own people by prohibiting them to express their thoughts, ideas and opinions thus stifling their intellectual capacity.

History has shown that the Syrian people are intelligent people that have the potential to achieve great things when their intellectual capacity is nurtured. They deserve to live without fear, free to express their political opinions in any way, shape or form. The alarming gap between theory and practice that we find so often in international human rights needs to be addressed. Freedom of expression and the right to dissent are one of the most cherished rights in the West. The International community must ensure that these rights are available for all citizens of the world and not only for those living in the West.

The Syrian people are calling those who claim the universality of Human Rights and equality for immediate action. Will they answer their call?

Sources:

-          Syrian Constitution : http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/sy00000_.html

-          International Covenant on civil and political rights http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm

‘No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ Article 5 – Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Various human rights are included in the Syrian Constitution; including the right to freedom of expression, freedom from torture and the right to peaceful assembly.

Article 12 of the Constitution reads:

‘The state is at the people’s service. Its establishment seeks to protect the fundamental rights of the citizens and develop their lives.’ [1]

Syria signed a number of international treaties on human rights and never submitted derogation requests for any of them. It thus has a legally binding responsibility to respect and implement them, at all times, under all circumstances.

Syria is part of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment[2]. In this United Nations Convention, torture is defined as follows:

“Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.’”[3]

In addition, article 2 of the Convention states that “no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.”

However, thorough evidence from leaked videos, human rights organisations’ reports, and personal testimonies has proven the widespread, systematic and consistent use of torture of prisoners in detention, particularly since the beginning of the Syrian uprising.

Torture has always been a usual practice in Syria, a method used by the security forces and the ‘mukhabarat’ (secret agents) to crush any form of dissent against the long-existing Al Assad single party dictatorship.

The Human Rights Watch Report on Syria issued back in 2005 (report for the year 2004) recorded and documented evidence of ‘arbitrary arrests, systematic torture, prolonged detentions of suspects and grossly unfair trials.’ Since the imposition of the emergency rule in 1963 (still in effect to this day), ‘authorities continue to harass and imprison human rights defenders and other non-violent critics of government policies.’ [4]

Aktham Nu’aisse, one of many Syrian human rights activists and political critics, was arrested in 2004 by the Syrian authorities after he organised a peaceful demonstration outside the parliament building calling for an end to emergency rule. He was fortunately released but extradited. Others were less fortunate and are still being detained to this day.

Today, thousands of Syrian civilians are being beaten by the security forces with batons, electrical cables and illegal devices. Children are no exception. The story of Hamza Al-Khateeb (the 13 year-old child, one of the first to be arrested in April 2011 in the city of Dar’a and whose dead, burnt and disfigured body was sent to his parents) made the headlines but this story is not isolated, children and teenagers are constant targets and victims of torture, sexual abuse and killings.

The Syrian government is not respecting the fundamental human rights of its people, including the freedom from torture and other forms of ill treatment. By allowing torture to be a systematic practice throughout the country, it is breaching its international engagements and binding responsibilities.

What action will the international community take regarding these human rights abuses? Is it enough to document, report and condemn them? Will it become just another chapter of the World Report like the one of 2005? No major action or initiative was taken back then by the International Community to enforce these laws and ensure they are applicable on the ground. No major action is being taken today as the world chose to turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering of thousands of innocent human beings.

Condemnation is not enough. The State is responsible and as its head, the current president of Syria must be arrested, taken to court and sentenced for crimes against humanity, along with every single person involved in perpetrating and/or facilitating these crimes. It is the strict minimum the International Community can do in the name of human rights. Otherwise, what is the meaning, in essence, of international human rights and its claim of universality?

Sources :

-          Article 12 of the Syrian Constitution: http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/sy00000_.html

-          The Convention can be found here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/cat.pdf

-          Definition of torture : http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat.htm

-          World Report (2005) Human Rights Watch, chapter on Syria.

Just to let out whats in my heart and some of my thoughts on the Syrian revolution … I watched the video of the family in Homs that were killed and this is what the criminal Syrian regime is doing to its own people…

By the 15th of march it will be a year… a year of the world silent … until when ???? there have been over 10,000 killed in this year , over 70,000 detained , over 9000 are MISSING no one knows anything about them…. over 550 children have been killed .. over 470 women have been slaughtered and tortured , raped in front of each other and in front of loved ones repeatedly by several of the dirty criminal regime…

Today i read news about the regime going inside schools to detain the children to scare them and their parents… to make them not leave their homes and when the parents ask for these children back they have to pay like millions of liras which is of course impossible as these people have no more money…

Last week in Rastan there were protesters peacefully showing their anger when they were shelled while standing there and innocent lives were lost amongst them were children…

Why do so many people still not see this … Why do people still believe the crap that is coming out of Dunya TV and Syrian TV that the terrorists are killing…

Baba Amr in Homs was being shelled for a continuous 27 days .. Why ?? Because the Free Syrian Army are in there … Innocent lives were lost over 500 … The International Red Cross were not able to go in to help those left in there… The Free Syrian Army then decided that they need to retreat for these lives they’re risking and they are not armed enough to protect these people…

Hama [The Silent Baba Amr] there is no media coverage, there are no phone lines working until today since 3 weeks … Hardly any news are reaching us from there…

Idlib a few days ago while 44 of the Army were defecting into the Free Syrian Army they were killed on the spot… Why ?? Because they saw the truth !!!

As a Palestinian, I get Palestinians saying but Assad did a lot for Palestinians… So as a Palestinian I tell you.. I’m sick and tired of hearing it .. He may have been good with us over a year ago but he went to Lattakia at the beginning of the Revo last year and killed a full Palestinian Refugee Camp, I read a few days ago that the camps in Damascus are now being targeted… Several Palestinian activists have been arrested tortured and killed… Why ?? Because they let their voices be heard.. They spoke the truth about the Syrian Criminal Bloody Regime…

He helped the Palestinians because he gained a benefit out of it not because he loved us… And to be honest one that is going to kill his own people in the excuse of ‘for the Palestinians’ then i don’t want any help for him… One that killed and tortured the children of his own country will not be doing it to help the neighboring country … Israel would never kill its own people to show the world that ‘terrorists are doing this’ as Bashar claims now …

I am just sick and tired of hearing no as a Palestinian you shouldn’t do this and you should do this… I don’t care anymore… I’m human for God’s sake and as a human I see other humans and other children being killed, tortured, raped and the other are God knows where…

Do you not watch the news?! Do you not see whats happening… People with no electricity no fuel (to use heaters) no water no money no food and its snowing …. I’d love to see you all walking out in the snow in your pyjamas with no coats and lucky if you have shoes… Going out to protest… Going out to a new funeral … Running away from shelling from bombing…

I think I have taken some of this out of my system now!!!

All I can say 7assbi Allah w ne3ma Alwakeel 3aleek ya Bashar…

Syria is bleeding, my heart is breaking
Why can’t they hear, the people pleading?
The pain in my heart is so hard to explain,
It sticks in my chest with no escape.
I close my eyes; I see your face,
Rubble all around you, all over the place.
I see you holding your sign in your tiny hands,
I see your fear; I wonder what you’ve heard.
I wonder if your family is nearby,
I see your desperation to stay alive.
Habibti, your face has touched me beyond belief,
I want to scoop you up & keep you safe.
I want to hold you close to me,
Sooth your pain & promise Syria will be free.
I hear you calling for us to help,
I feel the familiar block of frustration upon my chest.
You’re a beautiful child that was sent to the earth,
Why is she suffering? I ask myself.
What can I do? How can we possibly leave you?
I feel you’re all alone, no one can hear the call
From the heart of inside, why does the call go unheard?
What are we waiting for? Please act now.
It’s not that complicated, its plain to see,
Syria is bleeding, its people pleading,
Their need is priority
Please do something
Do it now, rather than later.

In a few weeks, Syria blows the first candle of its revolution. This occasion should have been a reason to celebrate under a new found liberty, but in reality, the anniversary cake has fallen apart, stricken by the crushing violence of the repressive regime. Who will step in to shine a new light and save the wounded revolt that is bleeding to deliver?

Syria’s a stage, and the world is watching. But what started as a hopeful rebellion has turned into tragedy overnight. The cheers calling out for freedom and deliverance from a tyrannical reign, unleashed the brute and dark oppression of a savage criminal. The Assad family has been holding the Syrian State and the Syrian people hostage ever since Hafiz Al Assad’s coup d’Etat in 1970.
For over forty years, the people were forced to accept this unwanted new rule, silenced and threatened if they dared voice out their disagreement. Thinking outside the box was discouraged, and the «Al-Baath» political party carefully brainwashed a few and forced many to keep their mouths shut. How could such a regime last so long? Two key elements can explain it: the mercenaries and special armed forces, ready to brutally kill for the Assad family, and fear, that paralyzing terror working as a potent deterring factor. Previous revolts burst in the city of Hama in the eighties, but were brutally subdued. In 2011, the Arab Spring quickly caught up with this country yearning for deliverance, and history is still in the making.

An on-going quest for liberation
The stir started in the province of Deraa back in march of last year and soon spread across the country. That spark of hope and the prospect of a new era, gained the entire land. But what started as a peaceful movement turned into a daily struggle for survival. When protestors asked for justice, democracy and equality with songs, slogans and dances, they were met with imprisonment, torture and barbarically killing. From the beginning, Bashar Al Assad secured Damascus and sent his army to every city, with the intent of crushing the new-born revolution in its crib. Citizens were merely rallying for descent human living and asking Al Assad to step down from his office and go away from rule. His reply was the faithful one of a true tyrant, he sent in his armed forces. Civilians were bombed with heavy artillery, mortars and rockets to destroy every neighbourhood of every city of every region that dares raising its voice. The destruction did not spare a house, school, or place of worship, with utter disregard for all values of human decency. They shoot randomly and indiscriminately on all people, whether it’s an old man, a child, or a woman. Any moving person is a target. Hospitals have become a dangerous place, everyone there is at risk of being killed. But despite that risk, many doctors are putting their lives in danger in order to fulfil their medical oath and provide help for the wounded in hidden dispensaries.

Knocking on humanity’s door
Courageous people indeed, the Syrians, who kept the revolution going no matter how catastrophic the situation is. It is a shame to see that despite all the cries for help of these heroes and fallen martyrs, the entire world seems to be keeping a blind eye and a deaf ear on this butchery that is taking place on a daily basis. What is the value of a human being? It appears that nowadays, the disregard of the World is such, that faith in the good of people is to be questioned. This cold indifference to the agony and suffering of a people being exterminated by a blood sucking regime has made sceptical, what does the citizens of the earth possibly need more to run to the rescue of their fellow brothers? Too many have fallen, when will we awake to see the world around us? I pray that it won’t be too late, the streets of Syria have already transformed into rivers of blood…

The bright morning sunshine in the busy neighbourhood of AL Wair, Homs signalled that I was home. I treasured the family trips to relatives in this area. The bustling sound of people going about their business, neighbours chatting, children playing, the mother across the road shouting to her child to stop & the smell of food being prepared were all part of the welcome in AL Wair.

Even as a teenager, I appreciated my surroundings & Thanked God privately for the amazing gifts that were all around me. The sound of the birds announcing their presence & the early morning smell of Lilac, a flower that I always associate with Homs.
As I grew older I clearly remember taking my morning coffee out to the balcony & appreciating my surroundings. As I sat there I could smell the Lilac & feel the sun on my face. Amongst many of the sounds I distinctly remember & cherish is the sound of new born babies crying. The balcony I would sit on was opposite the local maternity hospital. I am sure many of the cries I heard were newborns taking their first cry as they entered the world & took their first gasps of air. This sound often brought a smile to my face & reminded me of how wonderful life can be.

The uprising in Syria began on the 15th of March 2011. Like most decent Syrians I followed the news carefully & done what I could to support my fellow Syrians. I like most other people that know Syria, never feel that I am doing enough. I feel helpless & as a man am not ashamed to admit that I have cried from frustration, anger, compassion & often helplessness.

I hear now that the sound of the birds has been replaced with gunfire & shelling. The smell of Lilac has been replaced with the smell of death & ammunition. The children’s laughter has turned to pitiful cries. The bustling neighbourhood has disappeared replaced by the horror of the murderous regimes attempts at enforcing its brutality upon the innocent people of Syria.

I thought it had got as bad as it could get. I asked what more can they do to totally rape the neighbourhood of the life it once knew? Then in a breaking report I heard that 19 newborns had died at the maternity hospital opposite the balcony that had once been a place I soaked up the wonderful life I had been blessed with. The newborn babies had died because the regime obviously believes that by bombing, killing, raping, detaining & torturing, starving was not enough for this small neighbourhood! It should be punished further! So the electricity & water were cut!

Please tell me, do you believe these newborn babies were ever given a chance? Do you believe any human being should have to live through this? Do you believe any crime is deserving of this punishment? What were the people of AL Wairs crime? They asked for freedom & Democracy. They protest every day & night demanding the regime is removed. Through everything they have suffered. Through everything they have lost. They remain defiant & say they will not bow down, They have God on their side. They have nothing more to lose. They have tasted the expensive price of freedom & are committed to continue their journey on the path to freedom, no matter what. Who would have thought such a small area would have had the courage to roar so loudly? To suffer so much pain & loss? Are they really without a chance? I don’t think so! From the river to the sea, Syria, Syria will be free.

Whilst news of 75 tanks & 20 coaches full of Assads forces being just 2km from Baba Amr, Homs was breaking, I was having a Skype conversation with Danny Abdul Dayem’s mother. She had already heard reports that Assad’s brutal forces were heading that way, but like everyone she was hoping this wasn’t true.

Helen Abdul Dayem has had to leave her home in Syria after seeing her son shot. The whole family have had to uproot in order to stay alive. They have tirelessly campaigned for a free democratic Syria. Every member of their family wants to return home. Danny was never happy about leaving Syria & has always said from the first moment I met him, that he wanted to return home. He wanted to be with his friends & help in the revolution, be a real part of it there, not anywhere else. Danny always had a troubled look in his eyes whenever we talked of Syria. He would usually finish every conversation with “I am going back”. I don’t think anyone that knows Danny, was surprised that he did go back.

Helen had to watch her son leave for Syria, not knowing when she would next see him & all too aware of the danger he faces. He has constantly reported on every aspect of the revolution particularly in Homs. As a Muslim Helen accepts that her son’s life is in God’s hands & is very proud of him as are all his family & those that know him. But there are the moments where she is distraught because she can’t contact him or he doesn’t return her calls. Danny was offered the chance to get out of Homs today for safety reasons but refused. He said he wanted to stay & fight with his friends, his mother knows him better than anyone & was not surprised to hear his response. As a mother she is so very proud of her son, he has grown into a young man with strong beliefs & a thirst to see justice done for the innocent people that are being murdered daily in Syria.

When you watch Helen talk about her son, you can see the pride & love she has for him. She accepts that he is only one of millions at risk in Syria. But as reports broke of 75 tanks & 20 coaches loaded with Assad’s forces being only 2 km away & heading towards the place where he & many others including a BBC reporter are trapped, you can see the anguish in her face. Her face crumples into tears as she repeats “Allah Akbar” (God is great) & May Allah keep him safe. She is obviously worried sick about her son but you can see her heart is torn. On the one hand she is so very proud of her brave son, on the other she (like any mother) still sees him as her baby. She knows children much younger than her son are being brutally murdered daily & wants the world to know; on the other hand she wants her son to be safe.

What words of comfort could I offer her? The only truths I could tell her were that the haunted look has left Danny’s eyes; he looks better than I ever remember seeing him in London. He looks like he is happy to be home. That she & her family have stayed so strong for the last 10 & a half months that she couldn’t crumble now. That surely the world will not allow the atrocities taking place in Syria to continue…..or will they?

Like many all over the world she cannot understand why so many countries all over the world continue to allow the Syrian Embassies to remain open. Why William Hague stated that Britain will continue to protect the Syrian Ambassador here in London. As this report is being compiled many Syrians have again taken to the embassies to protest & demand the Syrian Ambassadors are removed.

William Hague has publicly stated that the current regime in Syria is a murderous one. Why are we still talking to Assad? Hasn’t the government stated that it will not talk to terrorists? Why are we still taking to Assad? Isn’t this a classic example of double standards? Does it not send a very mixed message to the youth in this country? Britain stated it will totally support the Arab League, but what exactly is the Arab league doing? How much longer will they continue to allow the bloodshed to rise? Has there not been enough blood spilled? Genocide is taking place in Syria & the world powers know that, but what are they going to do? How many more procedures, condemnations or sanctions will they try before doing something constructive?

Basically all the people in Syria want is minimal support i.e a buffer zone in order to support them whilst they do the job they have been doing alone up until now. They are not asking for any soldiers from other countries to come & fight their battle. They can do this themselves…with support.

There are mothers all over the world tonight worrying about their children, however the pain in Helen Abdul Dayem’s face as she was told how close Assad’s forces were to her son tonight, will haunt me for many years to come. God Bless all the brave people in Syria. When will we see their voice carried to every corner of the earth? Like all that love Syria, I live to see the day when Syria will be free (InshAllah)