John wrote:** 10-May-2019 World View: Syria's Idlib: Al-Assad's assault continues, displacing 250,000
The renewed assault by Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russian
airstrikes, has been going on for two weeks, forcing about 200,000
people from their homes, according to various reports.
...
--- Related:
** 1-Dec-18 World View -- Evidence grows of Assad's 'final solution', extermination of Arab Sunnis in Syria
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ ... tm#e181201
** 28-Oct-18 World View -- Syria peace summit issues delusional call for political solution in Idlib
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ ... tm#e181028
I went to Syria to visit family a few years back for the summer, when the earlier signs of the uprising began to unfold.
Most the time we stayed in Damascus. I remember every Friday my cousins would say “Hey let’s go see whatsup at the city Centre!” Only a 15 minute walk from us
Every time we went, thousands of protestors (peaceful, believe it or not. at least at this stage) swarmed the center. Shoulder-shoulder. Cars, buildings, and people were decorated in white, red and green. Hundreds of Syrian flags waved along with pictures of Bashar al-Assad, honoring the president in front of a handful of (professional) cameras.
People climbed tall buildings and spat fireballs (vodka + fire) and everyone put on quite a show, it was truly entertaining !
I’m still unsure what to make of it, however. Before I returned to America, the last time I went to the protest (festival?), the crowd had dwindled to about 60-70% of the peak I witnessed my first visit (3 months earlier). And I assume not long after, the protests stopped completely.
This may be useless information, but maybe not. My cousins and I are Christain, but we had Muslim friends, both Shia and Sunni, one of whom I lifted with but then went on to join the (Free?) Syrian Army.
The crowd consisted of a hodge-podge of beliefs. Maybe they were in disbelief, denial of the atrocities being committed by the man (men) whom they have learned to praise since birth. One guy went up to me, grabbed me by the shirt and pinned me to a wall asking
“who do you love more, God or Bashar!”
“Well God, of course”
He lifted me off my feet
“God.. or Bashar”
..
It’s clear though, these people had immense love for their president. but as they became more exposed to the reality of their regime’s savagery, the rebels uprising, and seeing/hearing tanks outside their homes roaming the streets, it got to the point where “If we didn’t hear a bomb or missiles going off every hour, we would think something is wrong.”
people began taking sides. I know one that fled to Germany. A few that went to fight for the rebels. And several others (Christains) that received visas to move to America.
I hope I haven’t said too much, and that some of you get something out of this story.
Appreciate all that you do, John