Syria's Everlasting Hope

Feb. 9

Image of Syrian White Helmets Search and Rescue.

February 8th, 2023

Syria, what a tragedy you have endured on your sweet mountainous land. Despite the calamities, people continue to focus on politics. Rhetorical talking points regarding the Syrian government have increased as the world waits for news from search and rescue efforts. What occurred in Türkiye and Syria earlier this week is beyond words when one considers the turbulent environment that has existed for the past 13 years.

I write to Syria because we share a special bond; every Palestinian understands the abrasive nature of being isolated and neglected in the same way that Syria has been for the past ten years. In May 2022, I was invited to Nord University in Norway to discuss the integration of Syrian refugees in Canadian public-funded schools. During my presentation, I shared statistical-based evidence that highlighted the resilience of Syrians, who have faced the most challenging circumstances in the last 40 years. The fact that nearly half of the Syrian population had been forced to flee their homes, three-quarters of Syrian refugees have reportedly suffered from PTSD, and almost 60% of Syrians lacked access to safe, nutritious food made the audience uncomfortable - and rightfully so. Syria is not to be romanticized. Too much death and destruction has occurred for observers to be apathetic. The audience was intrigued by the psyche and state of mind of the students I was working with, prompting me to enlighten them about global responses to different crises and how Syrians were not afforded the luxury of feeling like victims waiting for aid. The response to what happened in Syria was mediocre compared to the reaction to Ukraine. In answering the looming question, I alluded to Syria's inability to take on victimhood and instead hold onto the hope of returning. Many were surprised and perplexed by the idea that Syrians, for all they had faced, still held onto sentiments of hope and faith. A professor from the education faculty at Nord questioned the idea of faith for return and raised notions of fear of the unknown, causing me to rethink my answer and question whether my love for Syria blinded me from seeing hope within those I worked with.

Since May, I have been struggling with questions about the state of mind in Syria. After images were posted online this week regarding what had happened, I began to ask myself what more Syria could endure before its psyche transitioned to a state of helplessness - a place of no return where the body and soul cease to exist. I must clarify that I do not see helplessness as a tragic phenomenon, but rather as a form of individual liberation. To kill off one's own physical or mental state, whether that be by abandoning national roots or suicide, is an individualist escape that neglects collective liberation - what Syria once stood for. When I responded in May that my students held onto the hope of returning, it was because I felt they embodied the principles of what it means to be Syrian, which centers around the hope of collectivity. Syria has shown that through all its trials, collectivity is the essence of one's existence. Expressing amazement over the faith in return that Syrians have maintained is disingenuous as it detaches Syria from its core - collective hope. To be Syrian today means to be resilient in ways that are foreign to Western eyes. Syrian resiliency is not entirely tied to overcoming the odds, but in resisting past trials in shaping the future and not losing the imagined land that all Syrians remember fondly. The resilience attached to Arabs fleeing catastrophes cannot be made to fit media narratives of "feel-good" storylines that depict people who bounce back after international aid arrives. We must see Syria for what it has always been - a land that necessitates communal action aimed at rehabilitating, advocating, and securing the safety and well-being of Syria and its people.

Syria may have lost countless innocent lives, including children and elderly, but it has not wavered in its demand for the return of its land. The unwavering faith of the Syrian people in the restoration of their homeland is a testament to their resilience and determination. Just like Prophet Muhammad and his companions held out for their return to Mecca, all Arabs must respect and support Syria's aspirations to reclaim its sovereignty.

While the images of Syrian children's bodies are heart-wrenching, we must not let it detract us from our goal of aiding the Syrian people in regaining their power and freedom. They have endured the brutal oppression of autocratic authoritarianism, the wrath of American imperialism, and the rage of radical reactionary Islamism. We must acknowledge and honor their unwavering resilience in the face of such hardships.

The testimonies of torture, executions, bombardment, violent sexual perpetuations, and material suffocation paint a grim picture of the injustice that has plagued Syria for over a decade. We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to such atrocities and normalize them as de facto rule. As the world's attention shifts and the cameras move on, we cannot let Syria fall into oblivion.

It is essential to redirect the focus to the systemic NATO-backed sanctions and the autocratic domination of the Assad family. The only way forward is a united, humanist response from neighboring Arab countries to aid in the restoration of Syria. A free Syria will not only bring an end to the unbearable pain and suffering of the Syrian people but also usher in a new era of hope and unity for the entire region.

May God bless Syria, Türkiye, and Lebanon, and may their pain and suffering be alleviated.

To help Syria and Türkiye donate to:

Molham Volunteer Team:

https://molhamteam.com/en/campaigns/439

Red Cross Syria Appeal:

donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/syria-c…

Syrian American Medical Society:

https://www.sams-usa.net/donate/

SOS Chrétiens d'Orient:

jedonne.soschretiensdorient.fr

The UN crisis relief

http://crisisrelief.un.org