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As Syrians mark the first anniversary of the Assad regime’s chemical attacks on Al Ghouta, which caused the death of several hundred people, we the undersigned stand in solidarity with the millions of Syrians who have struggled for dignity and freedom since March 2011. We call on the people of the world to act in support of the revolution and its goals, demanding the immediate end of the violence and the end of the illegitimate Assad regime.
On the anniversary of the attack, August 21st, we call on supporters of the Syrian Revolution, and of the region wide and global uprisings for freedom, dignity and social justice, to organize events to denounce the atrocities, misinformation, lies and shamed silences, and to show solidarity, both political and material, with the ongoing efforts of grassroots Syrians.
Syrian revolutionaries have continued to struggle for freedom despite the many obstacles they face. To kill the revolution, the Syrian regime pursued four strategies: 1) militarization of the revolt through a six-month long campaign of violent repression of peaceful protests 2) islamization of the uprising by targeting secular groups and empowering Jihadists, 3) sectarianization of the conflict through recruitment of an increasing number of Shia fighters from abroad, coupled with the targeting of Sunni areas, and 4) internationalization of the war by inviting Iran and Russia to play a central role. At the same time countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar backed reactionary groups to undermine the popular revolution.
The case of the “Douma 4” also shows that Syrian revolutionaries are fighting on two fronts. Four brave activists working for the Violations Documentation Centre were kidnapped in December 2013 by unknown masked armed men believed to be from Islamist groups. These activists were targeted because they consistently spoke out against all forms of tyranny and human rights abuses regardless of the perpetrator. Their kidnapping is a reminder that the Syrian revolution is not only against the Assad dictatorship, but also increasingly against reactionary and opportunist groups that oppose the objectives of the revolution: democracy, social justice and an end to sectarianism.
The first anniversary of the chemical attacks is an occasion to reaffirm the importance of the revolutionary process not only in Syria but also in the entire Arab World. The Syrian struggle against dictatorship, global jihadism, and imperialism from whichever quarter it comes, should not be viewed as local or even regional. It forms part of an insurrectionary moment in which the whole world has become the battlefield. The new developments in Iraq and the resumed war on Gaza have shown that the fate of the Syrian revolution is connected to the situation in the entire region. The struggle of Syrians for dignity, freedom, and self-determination cannot be delinked from the historic rebellion against Zionism, the Egyptian struggles against military despotism, the Bahraini uprising against dictatorship, the Kurdish struggle for self-determination, the Zapatista and other indigenous populations’ resistance against racism and neoliberalism, or the massive workers’ rebellions on every continent against crisis-driven austerity demands.
The Syrian revolution is at a crossroads, and Syrian revolutionaries are in desperate need of support as they fight on several fronts. A victory for the various counter-revolutions would make permanent the largest ethnic cleansing of our century, leave the country in ruins, and critically destabilise the region and the world. A victory for the revolution, however, would unleash long-repressed social and political aspirations throughout the Arab world and beyond.
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Signatures
Groups:
Adopt a Revolution
Comité català en Solidaritat amb el Poble Sirià
Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières (ESSF)
MENA Solidarity Network
Solidaridad Global con la Revolución Siria, Barcelona
Syrian Revolution Bases of Support
Syria Solidarity Movement
The global campaign of solidarity with the Syrian revolution
La asociacion SODEPAU de Barcelona (Catalunya)
International Socialists (IST Norway)
Movimiento Corriente Roja/Spain
Individuals:
Aaron Winslow, Columbia University, United States
Abir Saksook, Architect and activist, Lebanon
Adam Hanieh, SOAS University of London, United Kingdom
Adb Hakawati, director, Syria
Aghyan Alzuabi, United States
Akram Zaatari, Artist, Lebanon
Aktham Abazid
Alaa Shehabi, activist, Bahrain
Alicia Fdez Gómez, Asturias, Spain
Amrita Pande, University of Cape Town, South Africa – India
Andrew Pollack, MENA Solidarity Network, United States
Ania Loomba, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Anthony Arnove, author, United States
Antonia Carcelen-Estrada, University of Massachusetts, Ecuador/ United Sates
Ashley Smith, ISO, United States
Assem al Bacha, Sculptor, Syria/ Spain
Augstin Lao Montes, University of Massachusetts, United States
Ayham Dahi, Science Coordinator, Syria/ United States
Ayoub Abbous, documentarist, Syria
Azadeh Moaveni
Bassem Chit/ Socialist Forum – Lebanon
Bill Weinberg, writer, United States
Bronwen Griffiths, United Kingdom
Budour Hassan, Palestine
Carlos Pérez Soto, Teacher, Arcis University, Chile
Charles Faulkner, Florida, United States
Corey Oakley Bill Weinberg, writer, New York City
Cort Greene, Panama
Cristina Mas, Lluita Internacionalista, Spain
David Camfield, University of Manitoba, Canada
David Karvala, Revolutionary socialist and internationalist, Member of En lluita, Spain
David McNally, York University, Canada
Deepa Kumar, Rutgers University, US
Diaa Homsy, Syria/Spain
Diala Brisly, artist, Syria/ Lebanon
Dima Alchukr, University Saint Joseph, Syria
Dima Wannous, Journalist, Syria
Donya Ziaee, York University, Canada/Iran
Elena Cal Atán, Galicia
Elisa Marvena, Spain
Ella Wind, Writer, United States
Emir Benli, University of Massachusetts, Turkey/ United States
En lluita, revolutionary socialist organisation, Spain
En Lucha, revolutionary socialist organisation, Spain
Eric Ruder, United States
Erika Markez, Bryn Mawr College, United States/Colombia
Faress Jouejati, Syria
Fouad Roueiha, Roma, Italy
Gabriel Ash,
Gabriel Tolstoy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ghayath Naisse , Revolutionary Left Current, Syria
Gibert Achcar, SOAS, University of London, Lebanon/ United Kingdom
Hani Sayed, American University of Cairo, Egypt/ Syria
Harald Etzbach, Germany
Hassan el Tazi, Cairo, Egypt
Hazim Osman, Syria
Hind Aboud Kabawat, Lawyer, Syria/ Canada
Ibrahim Al-Assil, Researcher, Syria
Ibrahim Fakhri, Artist, London
Italo Retamal Espinoza, Chile
James Cohen, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, France/ United States
James Gelvin, UCLA, United States
Jamie Allinson, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
Jeanette Jouili, College of Charleston, United States/ Morocco
Jeff Meisner, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Jens Hanssen, University of Toronto, Canada/ Germany
Jihad Yazigi, Journalist, Syria
John Silver, Germany
Jonathan Shannon
Jorge Lemos, solidaritéS, Switzerland
Joris Diepstraten
Joseph Daher, Revolutionary Left Current, Syria
Juan Carlos Mollá Latorre, Alcoi, Spain
Julia Bartal, farmer, La Via Campesina
Juliette Harkin, University of East Anglia, Norwich
Kendal Wigan,
Laleh Khalili, SOAS, University of London, United Kingdom
Laurent Dan Moeri, AntiDotEzine.com, Switzerland/ Israel
Layla k. Feghali, France
Leila al-Shami, Tahrir – International Collective Network (Tahrir-ICN)
Leila Nachawati, Syria/Spain
Linda Quiquividx, Brown University, United States / Guatemala
Lisette Zomerdijk, The Netherlands
Manuela Nehal, Germany
Manuel T. Barrera, Metropolitan State University, United States
Mariana Morena, Activist in social networks, Argentina
Mariane Ebel, solidaritéS, Switzerland
Mark Boothroyd, Syria Solidarity Movement, UK
Maryam alkhawaja, Human Rights Defender, Bahrain
Mary Rizzo, Italy
Max D. Weiss, Princeton University, United States
Max van Lingen
Mezar Matar, Photojournalist, Syria
Michael Karadjis, University of Western Sydney, Australia
Mina Khanlarzadeh, Columbia University, United States/Iran
Miriyam Aouragh, Oxford, United Kingdom
Mohamad Al Bardan, Engineer, Syria
Mohammad al Attar, playwright, Syria
Mohammed AlMaskati, Activist, Bahrain
Mohammed Bamyeh, University of Pittsburgh, United States
Monzer Alsallal, Activist, Syria
Mowafak Kanfach, Casa del Libro Arabe
Murad Haron, Damascus, Syria
Nadia Hasan, Palestine/Chile
Nadine Bekdache, Designer/ Activist, Lebanon
Naomí Ramírez Díaz, Spain
Nasser al Sakhri, political activist, Saudi Arabia
Nasser Rabbat, MIT, United States/Syria
Nicole Gevirtz, United States
Nigel Gibson, Emerson College, United Kingdom / United States
Noor Moubayed, United States
Omar Abbas, Student, Syria
Omnia El Shakry, UC Davis, United States
Patricia Fiquet
Paul Amar, University of California – Santa Barbara, United States
Pavel Nicola Morales Bustamante, social scientist, Santiago de Chile
Peggy Lynd, Canada
Pepijn Brandon, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Peter Hill
Petra Becker, Researcher, Germany
Peyman Jafari, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Phil Butland, Die LINKE, Germany
Phil Gasper, Madison College, United States
Pierlugi Blasioli, Italy
Pierre Tevanian, Writer and activist, France
Qusai Zakarya, Damascus, Syria
Raed Aljundi
Raed Fares, Activist, Syria
Rafaela Apel, student, single mother, unemployed, Chile/Germany
Rafat Al Zakout, Theatre director, Syria
Ralf Florian
Ralph Apel, Germany, engineer
Rami Nihawi
Randy Gould, United States
Rasha Salti, curator and writer, Lebanon
Rayan Majed, Journalist, Lebanon
Razan Ghazzawi, Campaigns and Activities Manager at Syrian Women’s Network, Syria/Palestine
Ricard Garcia Vilanova, freelance photographer, Spain
Riccardo Belli, Italy
Rima Majed, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Riya Hassan, activist UK/Palestine
Roland Rance
Rosana Navarro Lopez Ontinyent, Valencia, Spain
Rouzana, Syrian Revolution in the Languages of the World (SRLW), Syria
Ruba Alkhouli, Syria/ Spain
Ruth Reigler, Scotland
Sa’ed Adel Atshan, Brown University, Palestine/ United States
Saad Hajo, Cartoonist, Syria
Sahar Burhan, Painter, Syria
Sahar Sadjadi, Amherst College, Iran/ United States
Sai Englert, United Kingdom
Saleem Lubbad, United Kingdom/ Palestine
Saleh Fekry, Cairo, Egypt
Sandra Hetzl, Germany
Santiago Alba, philosopher and writer, Spain
Sarah Bracke, Harvard University, United States/ Belgium
Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut, Lebanon/ Palestine
Sebastiao Nascimento, Brazil
Seda Altug, Bogazici University, Turkey
Senay Ozden, Syrian Cultural Center, Turkey
Sergio Viña, Spain
Sheena Gleeson, United Kingdom
Shereen Hassan, PHD candidate, Palestine.
Sherry Wolf, Associate Editor, International Socialist Review, United States
Shiar Youssef, Shiar
Shon Meck fred, United States
Sonja Mejcher-Atassi, America University of Beirut, Lebanon/ Germany
Stefan Christoff, media maker and activist, Canada
Steve Graham, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Sune Haugbolle, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Talal Alyan, Palestine/ United States
Tania Khoury, Lebanon
Thomas Kvilhaug, Norway,
Va Za Eliza Miscior, Seville, Spain
Veronica Ramadan, United States
Wael Elasady, ISO & Co-founder of Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, United States
Walid Daou, Socialist Forum, Lebanon
Yasser al-Zaiat
Yasser Khanger, Poet, Ex political prisoner in Israeli Prisons, Occupied Golan, Syria
Yasser Munif, Emerson College, Syria/ United States
Yassin al Haj Saleh, Writer, Syria
Yusef Khalil, activist, Lebanon/Syria/US
Zhaleh Sahand, Activist, Iran/ United States
Ziad Majed, Writer, Lebanon/ France
SOURCE: Syrian Revolution Support Bases
Tahrir-ICN 
what about the conclusions of Seymour Hersh and this (independent) research body saying that the sarin attacks were perpetrated not by the regime but by elements in the opposition?
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin
http://whoghouta.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-conclusion.html
they have been widely refuted as bullshit eg. http://eaworldview.com/2013/12/syria-special-chemical-weapons-conspiracy-wasnt-seymour-hershs-exclusive-dissected/ & http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-does-seymour-hersh-knows-about.html & http://warincontext.org/2014/04/06/seymour-hershs-alternate-reality/ & https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/542509-hersh-and-the-red-herring