SYRIA: Seeing the women in revolutionary Syria

The battle for Syrian women’s liberation is multi-faceted; and from first-hand experience, we learn just how often the intersectional modes of oppression are themselves used to undermine power.

‘Syrian women, revolt against every authority!”. Poster courtesy of The Syrian People Know Their Way collective.

SYRIA: On the Syrian Revolution and the Kurdish Issue – an interview with Syrian-Kurdish activist and journalist Shiar Nayo

By Joseph Daher

Translation from Arabic to English: Saroujah Sakran

Original article in Arabic: https://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/عن-الثورة-السورية-والمسألة-الكوردية-ح/

Shiar Nayo is a Syrian journalist, activist and anarchist of Kurdish descent who has lived in exile for around a decade. In this interview, Shiar talks to us about the relationship between Syrian-Kurdish forces and other Syrian opposition groups, both before and after the revolution; about the thorny relationship between Kurdish activists and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and other pressing Kurdish questions that have become more urgent that ever.

عن الثورة السورية والمسألة الكوردية, حوار مع الصحفي والناشط الكوردي السوري شيار نيّو

شيار نَيّو صحفي وناشط و اناركي سوريّ من أصل كوردي، يعيش في المنفى منذ حوالي 10 سنوات. يحدّثنا شيار في هذه الحوار عن العلاقة بين القوى الكوردية السورية وقوى المعارضة السورية الأخرى، قبل الثورة وبعدها؛ عن العلاقة الشائكة بين الناشطين الكورد وحزب الاتحاد الديمقاطي (PYD)؛ وعن أسئلة كوردية أخرى باتت أكثر إلحاحاً من أيّ وقت مضى

SYRIA: Hostage to politics: Syria’s prisoners

By Leila Al Shami

The brutality of any regime can be judged by the way it treats its prisoners. Under a highly authoritarian regime such as Syria’s the prison, and with it the entire security apparatus, acts as the primary means of social control through both the perpetuation of fear and the delivery of punishment for acts of transgression. It is the apex of the repressive apparatus of the State; the means by which to crush dissent and debilitate and dehumanize those who dare to challenge the center of power. The imprisonment and brutalization of political opponents, a key strategy of the dictatorship of Hafez Al Assad, continued under his son Bashar. This has only intensified since the uprising began in 2011 to levels of inhumanity and sadism unparalleled in our time. The Syrian regime has proved itself devoid of any morality. It’s only interest being self-preservation, continuation of power, and the domination and subjugation of the Syrian people.

SYRIA/PALESTINE: Oday Tayem, Son of the Two Intifadas

By Budour Hassan

On 29 August 2013, Syrian security forces arrested Palestinian-Syrian activist Oday Tayem after raiding his house in Jaramana, a regime-controlled suburb southeast of Damascus. In the five months following his incommunicado detention, attempts by Oday’s family members and friends to know the specific security branch where he is being held have failed.

Born on 12 May 1993 south of the Syrian capital in al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp, Oday is the eldest of three brothers. His father is a refugee from the ethnically-cleansed village of al-Shajara, near Tiberias, and his mother’s family was displaced from Kafr Kanna, a town near Nazareth, in the 1948 nakba.

SYRIA: ‘Revolution within the revolution’ :The battle against ISIS

From: Syrian Anarchists أناركيون سوريون Facebook page

By Leila Al Shami

Those that have bought into regime narratives that it is engaged in an existential battle against Al Qaeda terrorists must be feeling a little confused this week.

Revolutionary activists have long been protesting against the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), known locally as Daesh, the main Al Qaeda affiliated group in Syria.[1] Comprised mainly of foreign militant jihadi fighters, ISIS has focused on consolidating its control over large parts of territory primarily in the north of the country rather than fighting on the front lines or coordinating with armed opposition groups. It has established Islamic emirates in areas under its control implementing a strict interpretation of Sharia law, alien to the vast majority of the local population, and assaulting the rights of women and minorities including dictating women’s dress and attacking churches.[2] The group has also been responsible for carrying out brutal attacks against civilians, public executions and sectarian killings.[3] Over recent months ISIS has carried out assaults on Free Syrian Army (FSA) positions and kidnapped and executed FSA commanders. It has also targeted civil opposition activists, particularly media activists, leading to raids of offices and arrests in Raqqa, Aleppo and most recently the heart of the revolution; Kafranbel.[4] In ISIS detention centers torture, floggings and summary executions are common.[5] Rejecting this group, its ideology and practices, protesters regularly chant slogans at demonstrations saying “ISIS and the regime are one” or “Daesh leave”.[6] Women have played an important role in these protests, such as the stand against ISIS in Al Raqqa by brave revolutionary Suad Nofal which inspired other women to protest across the country.[7]

SYRIA: Who are Assad’s fascist supporters?

From Black Lilly blog, presumed to be a rally in Greece

By Leila Al Shami

The Assad regime has won the support of fascists and far-right nationalist parties and organizations across Europe. These include the National Front (France), Forza Nuova and CasaPound (Italy), Golden Dawn and Black Lilly (Greece), the British National Party (UK) and the National Rebirth of Poland, Falanga and All Polish Youth (Poland).

SYRIA: Interview with Apatris on the Syrian revolution

Photo credit: Aljazeera

The following is the English version of an interview with Leila Al Shami originally published in Apatris (a Greek anarchist newspaper). It gives a general overview of the Syrian revolution, including questions of military intervention, the situation in Kurdish areas, anarchist currents within the popular struggle and suggestions for solidarity

ماذا يمكن للثوري الايطالي كاميليو بيرنييري أن يقول اليوم للثوار السوريين

مازن كم الماز

بعد محاولته التصدي للفاشية في وطنه إيطاليا اضطر الثوري التحرري كاميلو بيرنييري ( 1897 – 1937 ) للجوء إلى المنفى فرارا من قمع الدوتشي , و مع اندلاع الثورة الإسبانية عام 1936 تطوع على الفور في صفوفها .. بعد المواجهات الأولى التي نجحت في إجهاض انقلاب فرانكو , تحولت ثورة العمال و الفلاحين الإسبان إلى صراع مسلح طويل و قاسي , و إلى جزء من صراع إقليمي بين قوى سلطوية متنافسة كانت على عتبة حرب قارية و عالمية جديدة , يشبه كثيرا ما جرى مع الثورة السورية

SYRIA/PALESTINE: Palestine and the Syrian Revolution

Via: Palestinians in Syrian Situation Face Book Page

This is a transcript of a presentation given by Palestinian anarchist Budour Hassan on 17 November 2013 at a Teach in on Syria in New York organized by the MENA Solidarity Newtork US . There is a link to the video of the presentation below.

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