Syria - The Revolution (Preview)

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Living in Assad’s Syria before the revolution was like living my life in a big prison. But the walls and boundaries were in my thoughts and my dreams. I was afraid everywhere, because the security forces could arrest me at any time and torture me and even kill me if I was talking about banned topics. And those who should be telling the truth: journalists, media and teachers were corrupted by money and power. Or too scared to tell the truth. When the revolution came, I was filled with hope. It was what I had waited for, in so many years. I remember my first demonstration. I was so scared. I could not imagine that I would be able to shout loudly about the frustration I felt. I remember that I took a few steps into the demonstration, and then backed away, and then dared to rejoin again. Shouting freely from my heart was so foreign to me. But I was filled with life, felt alive, as if someone had slept inside me all these years and just woke up. It was as if something inside me began to grow there, like a seed that has been in the dark for many years who suddenly feel the earth and sun and water. My heart began to beat, and my heart demanded freedom. Although I knew that I could die in the demonstration, I knew I had to be there.
For the first time I was able to explain all the feelings and thoughts that had been hidden. For the first time I was able to talk about the ugly truth about Assad’s dictatorship. That time I was happy and relieved. But I was soon arrested. The Shabeha* came to one of our demonstrations and beat me with sticks. I started bleeding from my head and was taken to a small cell with 14 other young men and the Shabeha started torture us with cables. I was left, laying on the ground nearly naked all the night. It was so cold. Then they cut my hair and humiliated me and talked bad about my family. They left all of us without food for several days and we had to drink water from the toilet to survive. They took me to the confession room and tortured me because I refused to sign a paper saying I was an armed terrorist. I had to pay a very large sum of money to get released. But I was lucky. Most prisoners never leave Assad’s prisons alive. Still, this week of arrest was the harshest experience in my life and I wish that no one in this world had to go through this experience.
Page 1 and 2: SYRIA - The Revolution
Page 3 and 4: Intro: Malek Tarboush 1 Syria befor
Page 8 and 9: But even after this, I couldn’t s
Page 11 and 12: 8 The Schools are Empty
Page 13 and 14: Many are the students and children
Page 16 and 17: (Above) Eid festival launched by th
Page 18 and 19: (Above) Sidra is an orphan girl. He
Page 20 and 21: (Above) Painting by children of Ayn
Page 22 and 23: (Above) Because of heavy shelling a
Page 24 and 25: (Above) Child playing with a balloo

Syria - The Revolution (Preview)

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