MJD Movement For Justice & Development in Syria - Write A Letter To An Editor Page

If you read an article or editorial that misrepresents the reality in Syria it is your duty to inform the newspaper editor. Don’t underestimate the power of the press. Newspapers are highly influential. As a conscientious Syrian, you can have a role in deciding how your country is portrayed in the press worldwide.

Write About Common Misconceptions

Articles about Syria sometimes contain wrong ideas about the current situation in Syria. In times these ideas can serve as powerful propaganda tools for the regime. We should be on the lookout for them to debunk them at any possible opportunity.

“Syria is a force for stability in the region” False. During the past 40 years the regime has been involved in five major wars with its neighbours and one internal conflict lasting at least four years. In addition, the Syrian regime has supported numerous terrorist groups including those that bomb passenger airlines and carry out high-profile assassinations. In fact, studies have shown that due to the inherent internal weakness of the Syrian regime, its survival is directly linked to its ability to destabilise the region. Like a common thug who terrorizes the weak and vulnerable, the regime must be confronted, not appeased.

“Syria is a secular state” False. Syria is in fact a sectarian state. In a proper functioning secular state, the state does not interfere in religious affairs and vice versa. Also in a secular state, a person's religious conviction does not prejudice her/her holding public office. The Syrian regime habitually tells preacher what they can and cannot say, and utilizes religious sentiments in a cheap way for propaganda purposes. The Syrian regime has also carried out a determined sectarian policy particularly in the armed forces and the security services to favour some sects over others. Syria is a pale imitation of a genuine secular state.

“Syria must be engaged to resolve Iraq/Lebanon crises” False. The Syrian regime is actually part of the problem, not the solution. Syria is actively supporting elements within Lebanon that want to overthrow the democratically-elected government and thwart the inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. In Iraq, Syria has openly declared its alliance to notorious sectarian militias linked to acts of torture and mass murder, and who are actively undermining stability and reconciliation. Syria thrives in moments of crises. It actually engineers or deepens existing conflicts in order to gain credit with world powers by appearing to resolve them. It is a trick that must not be fool the world again.

“Bashar al-Asad is a young moderniser” False. Bashar al-Asad represents a continuation of the undemocratic rule of his father. Ever since his takeover as president, he has done nothing to promote free speech, civil liberties, human rights or democracy. He has failed to reign in the mukhabarat, the notorious secret police, or to reform the judiciary or any arm of the executive. Despite the cult of personality which is engulfing Syria, Bashar is unwilling to engender a genuine reform process. According to Amnesty International's latest annual report, 2006 was the worst year for human rights in Syria since 2000. Things are getting worse, not better.

“Syria is the only Arab country that protects minorities”False. As a rule, Syrians over the centuries have always been tolerant of minority religious and ethnic groups. That is something inherent in Syrian society. It is not due in any way to the current Syrian regime, which has in fact persecuted certain ethnic, religious and tribal groups, and actively carried out a divide-and-rule policy by manipulating local rivalries for its own interests. Relations between minority groups are worse than what they were before the regime seized power.

“Syria is witnessing an economic boom” False. What Syria is witnessing is an economic bubble which will burst with tragic consequences. The "boom" is driven by the short-term housing needs of one million Iraqi refugees. Once these refugees return to their homes, property prices will crash and with it the Syrian currency and the hopes of millions of wage earners. Real economic progress cannot be achieved in a country where a functioning market does not exist, and where the state still controls large swaths of the economy. What little benefits are only enjoyed by the super rich who are linked to the regime, while the vast majority of Syrians take on second or third jobs, or work as labourers abroad, simply in order to survive. Economic progress cannot be achieved in a system badly lacking in transparency and social justice.

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