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ORSAM<br />
CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STRATEGIC STUDIES<br />
the school in our neighborhood, as well as<br />
to the other schools around two tears ago.<br />
They established a close relationship with the<br />
people. They held meetings, conversations on<br />
education. They met with students’ parents,<br />
visited neighborhood residents, and became<br />
to know us by name. Our children started to<br />
have education in a good, happy and peaceful<br />
atmosphere. Then we heard that those who<br />
were appointed as teachers were indeed undercover<br />
police officers. They asked children<br />
questions such as; who liked Bashar Assad,<br />
and whether they had Assad’s photo in their<br />
house. They blacklisted people depending on<br />
the statements of children who said “My father<br />
doesn’t want the photo of Bashar Assad<br />
at home”, and “My uncle swears at Bashar<br />
Assad and spits in his photo”. After the information<br />
on all the children at school and their<br />
families were collected and recorded, an operation<br />
was carried out in the neighborhood.<br />
Those who didn’t like Bashar Assad and who<br />
didn’t have his photo hung on the wall of their<br />
houses and who swore at Assad were all taken<br />
into custody, and we haven’t been hearing<br />
from them.<br />
ORSAM: What kind of changes took place<br />
after the outbreak of events?<br />
Abid al Salih Naf’i: First of all they raised<br />
the rents to extremely high levels. Then they<br />
raised the duties. Increase in raw materials<br />
and labour all got worse. We endured despite<br />
all.<br />
ORSAM: How did you decide to come to<br />
Turkey?<br />
Abid al Salih Naf’i: My son is doing his military<br />
service near Damascus. When he took a<br />
leave of absence, he told us something he witnessed.<br />
They send Sunni soldiers to Sunni villages<br />
with simple arms. Then Alawite troops<br />
follow them with armored vehicles. Sunni<br />
soldiers and the Sunni opposition groups,<br />
namely the Free Syrian Army (Jaish al Hur)<br />
clash with one another. As they are the soldiers<br />
of Assad, of course, they have to engage<br />
in an armed conflict; and people are killed in<br />
both sides. Then the Alawite troop coming<br />
in armored vehicles surround our village and<br />
they open random fire in the village. Tens of<br />
people are killed both among the members<br />
12<br />
ORSAM<br />
Report No: 157, May 2013
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