Mohammed al-Faruqi
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- May 9, 2017
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On Struggle, Suffering, and Meaning
Interview with Syrian dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh. Originally published on 29/08/2017.
"The impossible is what happened in Syria. So it is an expression of hope: for once the impossible worked on behalf of the downtrodden, the weak, people who for almost two generations were suppressed, were despised, were denied any political agency—and even humanity.
This happened in Syria, and then another impossible thing happened: the crushing of the impossible revolution out of existence. I believe that not a single person on the whole planet expected that at least half a million Syrians will be killed, more than half of the population will be displaced inside and outside Syria, one third of buildings will be destroyed, eighty percent of the population will live under the poverty line, and that Bashar al-Assad will stay in power.
This is another impossibility that happened in Syria—and under the sponsorship and patronage of the influential powers of the international system. All of them. Mainly, actually, the US, but Russia was very active (though in different ways than the Americans). The Russians were more brutal, but the Americans engineered the situation. And the Israelis, of course, were very active in this; the Americans and the Russians are unified in supporting Israel and in giving “security” a high priority.
Because the revolution was impossible, and because the destruction of the country and Syrian society was also impossible, I tend to believe that we should look for a solution in Syria also outside the realm of the possible. Take the realm of ethics. You know that ethics, values, are relegated to metaphysics, to the impossible, to the unthinkable. Well, the unthinkable should be thought of, and it is only in this realm of justice, freedom, and the sanctity of life, that we should look for a solution in Syria.
This means, of course, that Bashar al-Assad and all of his men should be held accountable and should be brought to justice, and that Syrians should for once own their country. It is our Syria, not Assad’s Syria. We want to be respectable human beings in our country. We don’t want revenge, but we want justice and accountability. This is the third impossibility that, if the world is sane—if it is not a Syrianized world—it should help us achieve."'
https://antidotezine.com/2017/08/29/struggle-suffering-meaning/
Interview with Syrian dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh. Originally published on 29/08/2017.
"The impossible is what happened in Syria. So it is an expression of hope: for once the impossible worked on behalf of the downtrodden, the weak, people who for almost two generations were suppressed, were despised, were denied any political agency—and even humanity.
This happened in Syria, and then another impossible thing happened: the crushing of the impossible revolution out of existence. I believe that not a single person on the whole planet expected that at least half a million Syrians will be killed, more than half of the population will be displaced inside and outside Syria, one third of buildings will be destroyed, eighty percent of the population will live under the poverty line, and that Bashar al-Assad will stay in power.
This is another impossibility that happened in Syria—and under the sponsorship and patronage of the influential powers of the international system. All of them. Mainly, actually, the US, but Russia was very active (though in different ways than the Americans). The Russians were more brutal, but the Americans engineered the situation. And the Israelis, of course, were very active in this; the Americans and the Russians are unified in supporting Israel and in giving “security” a high priority.
Because the revolution was impossible, and because the destruction of the country and Syrian society was also impossible, I tend to believe that we should look for a solution in Syria also outside the realm of the possible. Take the realm of ethics. You know that ethics, values, are relegated to metaphysics, to the impossible, to the unthinkable. Well, the unthinkable should be thought of, and it is only in this realm of justice, freedom, and the sanctity of life, that we should look for a solution in Syria.
This means, of course, that Bashar al-Assad and all of his men should be held accountable and should be brought to justice, and that Syrians should for once own their country. It is our Syria, not Assad’s Syria. We want to be respectable human beings in our country. We don’t want revenge, but we want justice and accountability. This is the third impossibility that, if the world is sane—if it is not a Syrianized world—it should help us achieve."'
https://antidotezine.com/2017/08/29/struggle-suffering-meaning/
