Social Media Monitor 30-10-2012

A failed truce

After holding numerous talks with United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, both the Syrian regime and opposition announced their commitment to a truce during Al-Adha holiday, from the morning of Friday October 26 until Monday October 29, while retaining their “right to retaliate.” However, fighting continued in Maarat Al-Noman, Aleppo and Deir El-Zor. The death toll did not decrease during these specific days; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that 400 people, most of whom were civilians, died during the holiday.

Since the first day of truce, Syrian activists expressed their deep disappointment. Members of the Greater Damascus Coordination Committee sought help from God, Lakdhar Brahimi as well as the Islamic and international communities.

“In the name of the revolutionaries and rebels of Harasta, we seek the interference of the Islamic and [international] community, in order to stop this so-called truce, which has increased violence and shelling… where are you Brahimi? And where is the Arab conscience? God, we only have you.”

Syrian activist Rima Dali, who is known for having held a banner in front of the parliament urging Syrians to stop the killing, commented on the continuous bombing under the truce.

“The sky, covered with MiG warplanes, declares that there is no need for a truce. Pigeons have flown away and will no descend on this land,” she wrote on Facebook.

Syrian filmmaker Osama Mohamed commented on the failure of the truce on the first day.

“We shrouded him in green,” he wrote on Facebook. This verse from an old revolutionary song hints at the failure of Barahimi, whose first name means ‘green’ in Arabic.

Doomed by hope

 

A demonstration on Thursday October 25, one day before the official start of the truce. Medhat Pasha Market, the old city of Damascus – Youtube

Damascus witnessed several peaceful demonstrations before and during the holiday.  Perhaps the most important of these were the ones that took place near the Umayyad Mosque and at Medhat Pasha Souk in the old city, despite the tight security measures and presence of pro-regime militia members, the shabbiha. Protesters chanted for the martyrs and displaced people and demanded the fall of the regime. A similar demonstration took place in the Damascene suburb of Jobar.

Syrian activist Iyad Sharabji praised the return of peaceful demonstrations. “When conditions became a bit better, demonstrations, chanting and banners returned to the streets,” he wrote on Facebook. “This is a clear sign that the Syrians are eager to express themselves in this beautiful way. Those who forced them to carry arms could not annul their pacifism. Who said pacifism has ended?”

Activists called for the continuation of demonstrations. Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat urged everyone to take to the streets to see how serious the regime is in respecting the truce.

“May demonstrations take over in Syria; let it be a test of the regime’s intentions..!” he wrote on Facebook.

Syrian journalist Wael al-Tamimi, who lives in the United Kingdom, called activists to exploit the truce in order to intensify peaceful protests.

“If they sheath their weapons, raise your voices again: Syria wants freedom,” he wrote on Facebook.

Fresh pro-revolutionary graffiti were also seen on the walls in several regions. In Douma, outside Damascus, the Facebook page Sam’s Lens published a photo of a saying by the late Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous, “We are doomed by hope.”

The holiday and freedom went hand in hand in Sarakib in the Idlib province. The Facebook page Judran Saraqib published a photo of a graphitised holiday greeting called for freedom.

A sad holiday

For the second year in a row, holiday joy is still missing from most of the Syrian homes. In Aleppo, people took advantage of the intermittent calm to do their holiday shopping. A photo published on the Facebook page Lens of a Young Halabi shows the market in Qasr Al Bustan quarter in Aleppo relatively filled with shoppers during Al-Adha.

Well-known activists greeted the Syrian people during the holiday. The head of The Movement to Build the Syrian State Loay Hussein hoped for peace in the coming holiday.

“I wish every Syrian a safe and peaceful holiday next year… We do not need to either kill or be killed,” he wrote on Facebook.

Writer Fayez Sara wrote addressed all the Syrian victims through his Facebook page, saying “There will be a holiday when Syria becomes free; when it has peace, justice, dignity and equality.”

Syrian opposition activist Suhair al-Atassi (@suhairatassi) wondered if the regime is offering a gift to the Syrian people while continuing to commit murder: “#Syria Did the truce become the gift of the murderer?” she wrote on Twitter.

Activist Hammouda Mekawi, who lives in Jordan, remembered Ibrahim al-Qashush, the singer of the Syrian revolution who was allegedly killed by the regime last year.

“In this holiday, Syrians forgot to greet the martyr Ibrahim al-Qashush… May your soul triumph.”