Middle East Focus: Syria: Between the Ba’athist Frying Pan and an Unknown Promising Fire……..

Arabia Deserta

Syria: Between the Ba’athist Frying Pan and an Unknown Promising Fire……..

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

“In the gift shop of Damascus' Chapel of Ananias, a middle-aged Christian man called Sari explained who he thought was to blame for the stories of government brutality emerging from his country. "All the international media are liars," he said. "Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN – they are all lying. There is no trouble here in Damascus." Syria's more than 2 million Christians account for around 10 per cent of the total population and are just one minority in patchwork of different creeds. But in interviews this week, some of them said many in their community were uneasy about the anti-government protests convulsing their country……… There is also, he admits, a fear that Islam might usurp the secular – albeit repressive – brand of Baathist socialist rule in Syria. "Right now Christians can celebrate Easter. They can wear whatever they want. They can go to the church in safety ………..”

Personally, I usually urge people in most countries of the Middle East to try the fire for a change. Having tried the frying pan for 30 years (Egypt), 40 years (Syria), 42 years (Libya), 33 years (Yemen), 80+ years and 210 years (a couple of mysterious kingdoms), why not the alternative? As long as it is not modeled after any other Middle East regime. I know, I know, experiences with fundamentalist regimes (Iran, Gaza, Saudi Arabia) have not been good. Nor the experience with the usual one-party Arab regimes (Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Algeria....). But one is bound to hit the right track at some point.
Change is always better than stagnation (preferably change that you can believe in).
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com