Who are these people with their well manicured looks, their matching white hats and flags and requisite Bashar posters as statesman, warrior and man for all seasons? Do they really believe that they represent the majority of Syrians and that the men women and children protesting peacefully for change are but the poor ignorant minority? Even if it was so, why are they so heartless? Has the blood of their compatriots spilled so savagely by men who utter Bashar's name next to God's in their chants not repulsed them?
It is an irony of ironies that the heir to the Arab Baath Socialist party has carefully built and indoctrinated this privileged class of Syrians as the buffer between him and the unwashed masses. This منحبك (we love you) class was built to reflect an air of modernity and sophistication that Bashar has sought to project over the last decade. Yet, clearly, this veneer of sophistication is thin and, as has become clear over the last twelve weeks, supported by a corrupt and repressive state infrastructure.
The منحبك crowd should be told that carrying posters of your leader as idol or big brother is so 20th century. They should also be told that if they want real sophistication, they should listen to their less privileged compatriots from the hinterland. Those compatriots understand, much more than they do, the importance of freedom and dignity. They understand that without those very basic tenets, you cannot built a thriving successful country where citizens enjoy equal rights and opportunities.
6 comments:
Abu Kareem
I really wonder who they are. Where they came from and where they think they are going.
Do they think at all?
Do they love, do they live, do they dream?
All in all, they're just bricks in the wall.
AF
Abu Kareem,
Some of them are misguided. We must be wary of demonising the 'other' and prepare ourselves mentally for the day when we'd have to forgive. Their actions are inexcusable, but to truly undue the legacy of over forty years of oppression, we will have to start by not hating them when this is all over. It's difficult, but I think that kind of soul searching will help Syria move on.
AF,
Absolutely: we don't need no thought control :)
Maysaloon,
Couldn't agree more. I don't hate them, I am just trying to understand them. They are paralyzed by fear of the unknown; and they suffer from the Stockholm syndrome as one Syrian blogger rightly pointed out several weeks ago.
well said, Abu Kareem. And well said Maysaloon. South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation is a much better model than Iraq's anti-Baathist revenge.
Interesting too the Khaldunian dynamic. Once upon a time the Baath represented the uncouth rural masses.
It's not surprising that those who are living more comfortably aren't going to be as likely to rebel, however what I think is surprising is that so many have already paved the way for the rest of the Syrian public and yet you still have a decent segment of the higher income bracket that will still at least go through the motions of showing support of Bashar, whether earnest or not.
Speaking of the "man for all seasons" comment, I googled the منحبك pictures of Bashar. The man could have a calender if he doesn't already. You have casual Bashar, a smiling, almost playful Bashar, and of course, enough for more than one month of serious Bashar.
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