syria drowning: the oppressed become beasts
TRANSCRIPT
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
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 2/8
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.
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 3/8
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.
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 4/8
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
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 5/8
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.
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 6/8
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.
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 7/8
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.
7/28/2019 Syria Drowning: The Oppressed Become Beasts
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/syria-drowning-the-oppressed-become-beasts 8/8
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