Syria - The Revolution

But even after this, I couldn’t stay away from the demonstrations.
I had to be brave, for my dignity, for my country and for my freedom.
Our demonstrations and slogans threatened the dictatorship.
Our courage was dangerous for the regime. They tried to build the
prison of fear within us again, but now we were alive, our hearts was
strong and nothing could make us go back to silence.
Shortly after, the military began shooting us. One by one, people fell
in the demonstrations and their hearts stopped beating.
People died by the hundreds. Soon thousands.
It was after this the opposition started to use weapons do defend the
people in the demonstrations.
It is important to remember this. The revolution in Syria was
peaceful for a very long time and the people who got killed in the
demonstrations were unarmed.
But the silence of the international community and the brutality of this
regime forced the opposition to take up arms.
Assad’s forces have continued to kill us since then. And they still
focus on killing us who don’t bear arms.
Every day the helicopters fly over our houses where we civilians live.
Where the schools and hospitals and markets are located.
They are dropping barrels filled with explosives and sharp metal
pieces aimed to kill and hurt as many people as possible.
And they try to stop food, water and medicines to reach us.
Despite all this, it is better to live in the liberated parts than in the
regime areas. For in the liberated areas, we have the freedom to
express ourselves and put words to our thoughts and opinions. We
can discuss freely. We are alive inside, because we lived in fear for so
many years and now we have to throw away this fear.
If we become afraid and silent again, the regime has won.
I think that the European people should learn more about Syria and
Assad’s dictatorship. To understand what happens and what our
struggle is.
Not long ago, Europe struggled against dictatorships and fascists who
used to burn books and use terror to control people’s thoughts.
Now we in Syria are fighting for the same freedom as Europe did
60 years ago. I hope that this book can help people outside Syria to
understand us, and support us in our revolution.
Malek Tarboush, Photo journalist in Aleppo
*”Shabeha” are criminal gangs paid by the regime of al-Assad and the
Ba’ath Party to kill, torture and spread fear among civilians in Syria.”
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