Syrians Watch Ukraine with Fear and Hope

[Brace Yourself]

Syrians Watch Ukraine with Fear and Hope​

International Protections Provided to Ukrainians Can Still Be Extended to Syrians
Maya Ghazi

View attachment 202203mena_syria_netherlands_demonstration.jpg
Members of the Syrian community take part in a Syria Wants Freedom demonstration protesting attacks by Syrian armed forces and allies on civilians as well Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the Dam Square on February 26, 2022 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. © 2022 Paulo Amorim/Sipa via AP Images

Over the past couple of years Syria has settled into a grim status quo: a crumbling economy, a fragmented nation, and the continued peril refugees face from forced returns home.

Yet in the lead-up to the 11th anniversary of the Syrian revolution, there have been some isolated notes of optimism. The trials in Koblenz, Germany, for instance, brought a former Assad regime officer to justice earlier this year. And Syrians are observing the rapid and widespread international condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with a sense of vindication, as they witness countries coordinate to forcefully oppose Syrian President Assad’s ally, President Vladimir Putin, as Russian forces commit unlawful attacks, killing and maiming civilians.

“Ukraine is a Syrian cause,” prominent Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh wrote recently.

The latest images of destruction across Ukraine caused by Russian attacks have struck very close to home in places like Daraa and Homs. Videos uploaded onto social media of possibly unlawful attacks on hospitals and residential areas are a haunting reminder of the Russian-Syrian alliance’s brutal aerial offensive campaign in Aleppo and Idlib since 2015. As Saleh noted, “Syrians opposed to President Bashar al-Assad might come second only to Ukrainians themselves in following every horror of the war that Vladimir Putin’s regime is waging in Ukraine.”

Despite the double standards in media and the urgency with which countries responded to Ukraine compared to Syria, civil society groups and activists’ broad commitment to fundamental rights and solidarity with other people facing repression has not wavered. Syrian activists and refugees have often been among the first to demonstrate solidarity with other people facing crisis; the last three weeks has been no different. The Syrian humanitarian organization, the White Helmets, which has reportedly saved thousands of Syrians lives through their rescue efforts, have recently voiced their preparedness to volunteer in Ukraine.

Recent events have demonstrated that the world is capable of mobilizing to oppose brutal bullies, countries are able to waive their visas regulations for people in need fleeing conflict, and refugees can be welcomed with compassion. So, even though the world largely abandoned Syrians to face down attacks from multiple abusive armed actors, this moment should be a reminder that Syrians’ experience of violent rights violations is the same as Ukrainians’, and they deserve the same continued protections and support too.

Syrians Watch Ukraine with Fear and Hope

Over the past couple of years Syria has settled into a grim status quo: a crumbling economy, a fragmented nation, and the continued peril refugees face from forced returns home.

www.hrw.org

 

[Manomed]

Syrians Watch Ukraine with Fear and Hope​

International Protections Provided to Ukrainians Can Still Be Extended to Syrians
Maya Ghazi

View attachment 41047
Members of the Syrian community take part in a Syria Wants Freedom demonstration protesting attacks by Syrian armed forces and allies on civilians as well Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the Dam Square on February 26, 2022 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. © 2022 Paulo Amorim/Sipa via AP Images

Over the past couple of years Syria has settled into a grim status quo: a crumbling economy, a fragmented nation, and the continued peril refugees face from forced returns home.

Yet in the lead-up to the 11th anniversary of the Syrian revolution, there have been some isolated notes of optimism. The trials in Koblenz, Germany, for instance, brought a former Assad regime officer to justice earlier this year. And Syrians are observing the rapid and widespread international condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with a sense of vindication, as they witness countries coordinate to forcefully oppose Syrian President Assad’s ally, President Vladimir Putin, as Russian forces commit unlawful attacks, killing and maiming civilians.

“Ukraine is a Syrian cause,” prominent Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh wrote recently.

The latest images of destruction across Ukraine caused by Russian attacks have struck very close to home in places like Daraa and Homs. Videos uploaded onto social media of possibly unlawful attacks on hospitals and residential areas are a haunting reminder of the Russian-Syrian alliance’s brutal aerial offensive campaign in Aleppo and Idlib since 2015. As Saleh noted, “Syrians opposed to President Bashar al-Assad might come second only to Ukrainians themselves in following every horror of the war that Vladimir Putin’s regime is waging in Ukraine.”

Despite the double standards in media and the urgency with which countries responded to Ukraine compared to Syria, civil society groups and activists’ broad commitment to fundamental rights and solidarity with other people facing repression has not wavered. Syrian activists and refugees have often been among the first to demonstrate solidarity with other people facing crisis; the last three weeks has been no different. The Syrian humanitarian organization, the White Helmets, which has reportedly saved thousands of Syrians lives through their rescue efforts, have recently voiced their preparedness to volunteer in Ukraine.

Recent events have demonstrated that the world is capable of mobilizing to oppose brutal bullies, countries are able to waive their visas regulations for people in need fleeing conflict, and refugees can be welcomed with compassion. So, even though the world largely abandoned Syrians to face down attacks from multiple abusive armed actors, this moment should be a reminder that Syrians’ experience of violent rights violations is the same as Ukrainians’, and they deserve the same continued protections and support too.

Syrians Watch Ukraine with Fear and Hope

Over the past couple of years Syria has settled into a grim status quo: a crumbling economy, a fragmented nation, and the continued peril refugees face from forced returns home.

www.hrw.org

Syrians should return to their country before making statements like this

 

[RogerRanger]

Sad what has happened to Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen, all forgotten by the western nations and media. Tens of millions of peoples displaced, millions of people killed and 5 states crippled and degenerated down into 4th generation warfare. This is what the Americans want to repeat in Ukraine, Iran and Russia itself.

I wish the Americans would remove all sanctions against Syria and invest in its state, rather than overthrowing it. Like Turkey and Israel have been trying to do. The Russians can only do so much to stabilize nation states near them. I hear Syria was a lovely historical state before the proxy war/civil war started. Going back to when my ancestor Bohemond took Antioch.

 

[Mehmed Ali]

Sad what has happened to Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen, all forgotten by the western nations and media. Tens of millions of peoples displaced, millions of people killed and 5 states crippled and degenerated down into 4th generation warfare. This is what the Americans want to repeat in Ukraine, Iran and Russia itself.

I wish the Americans would remove all sanctions against Syria and invest in its state, rather than overthrowing it. Like Turkey and Israel have been trying to do. The Russians can only do so much to stabilize nation states near them. I hear Syria was a lovely historical state before the proxy war/civil war started. Going back to when my ancestor Bohemond took Antioch.

I heard that Aleppo was a nice place and your ancesestor wasn't Baldwin, just some unknown serf