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Notes on Syria

In a region where colonialism, imperialism and authoritarianism are entangled in a web of interests, rebuilding Syria and developing a mass movement against Israel and US as well as an appeal to renew the spirit of 2010/2011 of overthrowing the rotten, authoritarian and crime-complicit regimes are inseparable. A ‘free Syria’ cannot be free in a sea of unfree region. 

When I posted a comment similar to the above on alquds.co.uk, replying to an article by someone defending the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al Sham’s stance on Israel, my comment about the reactionary forces involved was censored and went unpublished.

“For too long,” writes Hicham Safieddine, “the Assad regime invoked the conflict with Israel to justify its repressive measures against its people. Its opponents have long dared it to launch resistance in the Golan. Now that the opposition is in power, no such plan is in sight.” Thus fighting colonialism and authoritarianism should not be exclusive.

The current picture and new Syrian regime’s outlook say that adaptation and concessions will be the order of the day; the US, Israel, Turkey, the EU and others will be shaping the Syrian future and more; rifts between the different factions in Syria will materialise if not in the context of power sharing, it will be around Israel and the role of other foreign powers in Syria.

What do the reactionary forces have for Syria? “The new Minister of Economy affiliated with HTS reiterated this neoliberal orientation a few days after saying that ‘we will move from a socialist economy…to a free competitive economy’. Regardless of the complete fallacy of describing the previous regime as socialist, the class orientation of the minister was clearly reflected in the emphasis that ‘the private sector… will be an effective partner and contributor to building the Syrian economy’. No mention was made of workers, peasants, public state employees, or of any trade unions and professional associations in the country’s future economy.” 

The reactionary nature of the new regime is also manifested in the role of women in society. A view and position that appeals to many men in Syria, not only HTS members. Women’s roles, according to them, “must align with what women can perform. For instance, if we say that a woman should be Minister of Defence, does this align with her nature and biological makeup? Undoubtedly, it does not.”

This is a new-old material for Western liberals. While imperialist and regional forces work on coopting the new regime and setting their terms and conditions in a context of the struggle of influencing and configuring society, missionaries will be directly and indirectly supported by states that are supporting genocide in Gaza. The green light will be given by the US and its allies once they deem HTS is not ‘terrorist’ and will adhere to ‘the values of democracy and respect of human rights’ – a regime that ‘we can do business with’.

Yet it is disgusting to see some leftists, Stalinists and even marxists, focuse on the role of imperialism and ignore the brutality of the Syrian regime. The toppling of the Syrian regime by reactionary forces does not mean ignoring the freeing of prisoners from Assad’s regime dungeons and the end of one form of decades long of oppression. 

How could a revolutionary oppose capitalist and imperialist oppression, exploitation, etc. and remain silent on torture, rape and killing of activists, especially that the regime, not the Islamist groups, including ISIS, were responsible for most of the killing, torture, pain, displacement … of Syrians? 

While liberals not only ignore the structural oppression capitalism and imperialism inflict on people, but also genocide, these leftists keep silent on other forms of oppression and repression – bigger ones at times.



I completely agree with Joseph Dahr on this: “To advance demands such as democracy, social justice, equality, Kurdish self-determination, and women’s liberation in order to build solidarity among the country’s exploited and oppressed, Syria’s progressives and democrats will have to build and rebuild popular organisations from trade unions to feminist movements, community groups, and national structures to bring them together.”



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