Diary of a new generation

The Syrian revolution has quickly become a common, nationalist cause carried forwards by the elderly, the young, women and children, all driven by love for their country.

I will focus on a group of young men and women who have devoted themselves to making the whole world hear the voice of their revolution. They represent a new generation whose only aim is to see the Syrian people free.

Every day, Youssef, Juan, George, Hanin, Alia, Muhammad, and Shadi – these are pseudonyms that the group members use for security reasons – sit for hours on end in front of their computers in order to reveal to the entire world the injustice perpetrated against their people. While some of them have been friends for a long time, enthusiasm for the revolution was the real reason that brought them together.

The regime has long boasted of its secular, anti-sectarian values, and used this “virtue” in order to try and legitimize itself and its crackdown on the opposition. These young people, however, have shown brotherly love for each other, and a common belief in their country’s future, despite their religious and ethnic differences.

What the group lacks in numbers it makes up for in teamwork and determination to topple the regime, regardless of their fear of oppression.

Youssef, the spiritual father of the group, acts as its main coordinator. His presence reassures the rest of the group members, many of whom are close friends of his. Hanin, for her part, is Youssef’s right hand and the group’s dynamo, while both George and Juan, Youssef’s close friends, are two like-minded young men whose greatest ambition is to bring freedom to their people.

As for Ali, his greatest quality is composure; he can remain calm and optimistic during the most difficult of times.

“Captain” Mohammed is the group’s throbbing heart; his work consists of updating their website with the latest news on the revolution -whereas Shadi is the group’s poised, mysterious and valiant revolutionary.

And last but not least, Alia’s kindness goes hand in hand with her sincere sense of patriotism.

Working towards their common goal

The members of this group, as well as most of the young people involved in the peaceful Syrian revolution, are highly qualified, yet they find themselves unable to get a decent job in a country that is supposed to be theirs. Now that they have used their voices and writing to break the barrier of fear, all of these of revolutionaries are looking forward to a prosperous future; they hope their lives will be different from those of their parents and grandparents, who have been oppressed and suffered at the hands of the current regime.

These young people have embarked on a co-ordinated mission to document their revolution as thoroughly as possible. Armed with nothing other than their personal laptops and the internet, each one of these activists liaises with revolutionary committees in other cities in order to check the reliability of the news they receive before publishing.

They hope that one day they will no longer have to hide their names and faces. But for the time being, anonymity remains crucial to their personal safety.

The revolutionary spirit

These revolutionaries have only each other as friends; they have all left behind their pasts, their commitments, and probably the childhood friends who did not share their ideals.

“The friendship we share thanks to the revolution is the best anyone could have,” said Alia.

These friends meet every evening in order to share stories and documents they have gathered during the day, and sift through them in order to filter out unreliable news; their aim is to present the truth without any exaggeration.

In their work, every group member has something unique to offer: Youssef spends no less than 16 hours daily in front of his computer, communicating with people both in Syria and abroad, and encourages the rest of the group to engage in serious debates. Alia, on the other hand, insists on personally participating in the demonstrations. As for Mohammed, he is very scrupulous; he does not hesitate to criticise the others for their mistakes, even his closest friends. He is also able to bring any discussion to fruition.

George shows no fear of the regime, but he always makes sure to remind his friends to take the necessary security precautions. He is also the most reliable member when it comes to checking the trustworthiness of any doubtful news.

Ali rarely partakes in the discussions, but his contribution is always very valuable. As for Hanin, she is very confident, and her love for her country is unqualified.  Whereas she seems a bit too harsh on her friends, they respect her for her sincerity, patriotism and hard work, since she is one of the group’s most active members.

Juan’s dedication knows no limits; this kind-hearted young man who respects all of his friends, works relentlessly and is willing to endure anything to see Syria free.

Shadi is very wise and daring, but he rarely contributes to the group’s discussions. Whenever he does, though, he usually announces very important news that leaves his friends with a smile on their faces.

Serious discussions and unforgettable memories

The discussions are wide-ranging and touch on the group’s feelings of joy, sadness, fear and determination. Hanin, who sometimes refuses to discuss her ideas, usually agrees with Youssef, but not with the rest of the boys. Hanin specifically differs with Juan, but she makes sure to apologise to him whenever she feels she might have offended him.

Freedom of speech and democratic voting are the main elements of the group’s work, which is why Juan willingly accepts to engage in any debate.

George’s great sense of humour makes the group’s discussion more enjoyable. Even though he is Christian, George often asks his friends, “In which mosque shall we pray and start demonstrating today?”

His friends then smile and tell him that it is up to him to choose.

But more importantly, the group members also show respect for each other’s different religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds: George sometimes reminds Muhammad to pray, whereas every Saturday night, Hanin tells George to go to bed early so that he could wake up on time for the Sunday mass.

As for Alia and Juan, they have become very close friends in a matter of few days, even though they never met before the revolution.

“When will the revolution end so that we can celebrate our freedom?” the two of them often repeat.

Alia avidly asks Juan questions about Kurds, a community whose customs and characteristics do not figure in the national curricula.

Throughout the discussions, Ali often remains quiet, until he decides he should emphasise an important point, or diffuse tension by making an amusing comment inspired by the revolution. As for Mohammad, he humorously teases Youssef by threatening to reveal his real name.

And finally, Shadi, who is often withdrawn, occasionally tries to test Hanin’s patience by engaging in very lengthy debates with her. But no matter how much they differ, Shadi and Hanin’s love for Syria always brings them closer together.

This small mosaic is a faithful representation of a unified Syrian society; despite their different religious, ethnic and regional backgrounds, the members of this group are joined together by their devotion for their country.

Those who accuse the opposition of sectarian bigotry have much to learn about tolerance from this generation.