Social Media Monitor: “The Epic Battle”

Damascus is witnessing an “Epic Battle”, according to the Free Syrian Army, FSA. This offensive was launched by the FSA on Wednesday, February 6 in an attempt to break the regime’s control over the Syrian capital. So far there has been no major breakthrough and reports about fighting inside and around Damascus became scarce as of yesterday (Tuesday, February 12).

Regime supporters have tweeted, saying that the battle was a failure.

"Damascus's Epic Battle has failed...with the compliments of the Syrian intelligence' lions."
“Damascus’s Epic Battle has failed…with the compliments of the Syrian intelligence’ lions.”

Haitham al-Malih, a member of the opposition leading alliance The National Coalition, was worried that reports about the battle would compromise the FSA.

"Media shabbiha are on alert to know news of the Damascus battle and they are providing information for fighting shabbiha; I hope every Syrian would stop disseminating information about the battle."
“Media shabbiha are on alert to know news of the Damascus battle and they are providing information for fighting shabbiha; I hope every Syrian would stop disseminating information about the battle.”

On a political level, the ex-spokesman of the Syrian National Council, SNC, Radwan Ziadeh considered the battle a normal reaction to the regime’s rejection of dialogue.

"The advancement made by the Free Syrian Army is a response to Assad's regime, which refuses any logic other than militarism, but the [FSA] has the upper hand in military action."
“The advancement made by the Free Syrian Army is a response to Assad’s regime, which refuses any logic other than militarism, but the [FSA] has the upper hand in military action.”

Opposition activist Hadi Zaidan criticized the SNC for supporting the FSA’s battle:

"The SNC's call to endorse the battle to 'liberate Damascus' is clear evidence that it is disconnected from reality. The SNC does not understand the problems that come ith militarism and is sometimes mislead by rumours… It has proven unfit to represent the Syrian people, let alone lead them."
“The SNC’s call to endorse the battle to ‘liberate Damascus’ is clear evidence that it is disconnected from reality. The SNC does not understand the problems that come ith militarism and is sometimes mislead by rumours… It has proven unfit to represent the Syrian people, let alone lead them.”

Salamiyyah hit again

Less than three weeks after the explosion that hit the city of Salamiyyah in the province of Hama, more than fifty people were killed in a bombing outside the city on Friday, February 8. The victims were civilians on their way back from work in an amunition factory.

Opposition supporters expressed their sorrow, even though the victims contributed to the regime’s war effort; some even implied that the act is aimed at the revolution.

"I'm not mourning [the dead] only because they are from Salamiyyah or innocent; it's also because the revolution itself is being bled."
“I’m not mourning [the dead] only because they are from Salamiyyah or innocent; it’s also because the revolution itself is being bled.”

Activist Hussam al-Katlaby criticized Al-Jazeera for failing to report on events in Salamiyyah.

"Either 56 victims are not news or Salamiyyah is not a Syrian city, and so it will not figure in Al-Jazeera's bulletin about Syria. Perhaps news of Salamiyyah will appear in the bulletin about the Maghreb."
“Either 56 victims are not news or Salamiyyah is not a Syrian city, and so it will not figure in Al-Jazeera’s bulletin about Syria. Perhaps news of Salamiyyah will appear in the bulletin about the Maghreb.”

Opposition Supporters Denounce Patriarch’s Visit

The Maronite Patriarch Bshara al-Raei’ performed a visit to Damascus to celebrate the day of Saint Maroun, the patron saint of the Maronite faith, on Saturday, February 9. He also participated in the ceremony to initiate the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna al-Yazigi. The Maronite church is an oriental Catholic church and its patriarchal see is based in Lebanon. Supporters of the Syrian opposition, both Lebanese and Syrians, denounced the visit as they considered it an endorsement to the regime.

The Lebanese journalist Hisham Melhem, a Washington-based reporter of Al-Arabiyya channel and the Lebanese daily An-Nahar, qualified the visit as political:

"This is a political visit par-excellence; it is a blessing of Assad by Bshara al-Raei' and cannot be justified otherwise, whether 'His Eminence' admits it or not. This is shameful."
“This is a political visit par-excellence; it is a blessing of Assad by Bshara al-Raei’ and cannot be justified otherwise, whether ‘His Eminence’ admits it or not. This is shameful.”

Activist Ali Atassi commented on Facebook, saying:

"In [his speech], Patriarch Raei' said: 'The talk about democracy and reforms is not worth a single drop of the blood of an innocent human being.' Why, patriarch of hatred, do you associate democracy with the killing of innocent people, while you ignore the despotism in which arms you lie? It is the first and foremost cause for shedding every single drop of innocent people's blood."
“In [his speech], Patriarch Raei’ said: ‘The talk about democracy and reforms is not worth a single drop of the blood of an innocent human being.’ Why, patriarch of hatred, do you associate democracy with the killing of innocent people, while you ignore the despotism in which arms you lie? It is the first and foremost cause for shedding every single drop of innocent people’s blood.”

Activist Kinan Kouja commented on Facebook, saying that the visit shows that Christians are indeed scared for their future:

"The problem does not lie in the visit itself, or the position taken by the [Maronite see to support] oppression and show an obsession with an alliance of minorities; the problem is that the current position taken by the patriarch is actually popular among Christians and it shows that Christians are really scared…"
“The problem does not lie in the visit itself, or the position taken by the [Maronite see to support] oppression and show an obsession with an alliance of minorities; the problem is that the current position taken by the patriarch is actually popular among Christians and it shows that Christians are really scared…”

Al-Qaeda’ Supporters: Adults and Kids Alike

A YouTube video showing a child chanting for Al-Qaeda went viral last week. The video, presumably filmed in Binnish in the countryside outside Aleppo, shows a nearly 10-year-old boy eulogizing Ossama Bin Laden and Mulla Omar, Taliban’s leader. The long song also includes a clear threat of cutting Alawites’ throats.

Eiad Charbaji, a prominent activist from the town of Darayya, commented on Facebook, saying:

"I was horrified by this video…I don’t blame the child because he doesn't know what he's saying; I blame his father and those who are cheering for him. Cleanse our revolution form these black crows; these ignorant people who come from the early pre-Islamic era."
“I was horrified by this video…I don’t blame the child because he doesn’t know what he’s saying; I blame his father and those who are cheering for him. Cleanse our revolution from these black crows; these ignorant people who come from the early pre-Islamic era.”

Secular activists were also alarmed by a YouTube video showing extremist fighters shredding the flag of the revolution in Saraqeb in the province of Idlib.

A comment published on Al-Mundassa Al-Souriyya blog criticised what happened because it is desecrating the flag for which “60,000 citizens have been martyred.”