Displaying items by tag: Syrian Economic Crisis

The country is experiencing an extremely dangerous situation on all levels, and it is not “doing well” in any sense. Nevertheless, both the country and the Syrian people have a rare historic opportunity for a fundamental turning point that could lay the foundations for the long-awaited state: a strong, independent, and just state, in which power truly belongs to the Syrian people both officially and in practice. That means power belonging to the more than 90% of Syrians who live below the poverty line; those who produce the nation’s wealth yet receive only a tiny fraction of it; those who come from all ethnicities, religions, sects, and ideological and political backgrounds, united by the fact that they are “underneath”, in contrast to those who are “above”. The latter also come from all ethnicities, religions, and sects, but are united by the fact that they appropriate the greater part of what Syrians produce through their labor and daily toil—and even through the blood they have shed over decades in defending and trying to improve this country.

The areas and sectors covered by popular protests taking place daily across the country have become so extensive that merely attempting to count and document them would require a huge team of observers on the ground, as well as in the various communication and social media outlets.

The famous English writer Samuel Johnson said in the 18th century: “Facts of life are stubborn things”. In the Syrian reality, the facts of life are stubborn and painful: the realities of rampant poverty, unemployment, IDP camps, a paralyzed economy, and deteriorating education and healthcare. These facts and realities cannot be ignored or bypassed — neither by diverting attention toward secondary sectarian, ethnic, or religious conflicts and contradictions, nor through attempts to numb social consciousness with hypothetical mega-projects that are largely touristic and showy in nature, resembling Beirut’s Solidere alongside an entire country suffering from poverty and slums.

Protests of a socioeconomic nature, centered around people’s demands have been growing in both depth and scope over recent months and weeks. Estimates range between 50 and more than 80 protests, demonstrations, and gatherings during the past three months, across various Syrian areas.

There are many indicators that there is a deliberate and organized escalation of sectarian, religious, and ethnic incitement and sedition rhetoric in Syria. Most of this is happening on Facebook pages, amplified by algorithms and by external and internal cyber armies. A much smaller portion is taking place on the ground, with the aim of turning these Facebook “Wars of Dahis and al-Ghabra” into a new Syrian bloodbath.

The protest, which all the forces of the old past and its ghosts—both abroad and at home—tried to exploit and divert from its demands on the one hand, or intimidate and frighten on the other, has succeeded in overcoming all these obstacles, marking a turning point in modern Syrian history.

Recent weeks have revealed a gradual rise in socioeconomic protest movements carried out by Syrians across various parts of the country and in many economic sectors: from teachers to taxi drivers and street vendors, as well as the struggles of residents of the Jobar and Qaboun neighborhoods to preserve their rights and property. These also include protests against increased taxation rates, rising service prices, and the lifting of subsidies—especially for electricity and telecommunications—along with threats of privatizing the healthcare sector, and the grievances of dismissed employees or those still working but facing wage deductions or repeated delays in receiving their salaries.

On February 17, 2011, in Damascus’s al-Hariqa market—before any foreign interventions, before any influx of money or weapons, and as a natural, spontaneous result of the accumulated oppression, injustice, and anger—crowds of Syrians chanted in the face of the authorities and their representatives: “Thieves! Thieves!” They also chanted: “The Syrian people will not be humiliated”.

The fire raging in the Syrian province of Sweida has subsided, after its flames had burned the hearts of all Syrians, leaving behind more blood, pain, and tragedies. Although this fire has subsided, it has not yet been completely extinguished; like the fires lurking under the ashes throughout the country, as a result of problems and crises accumulated over decades, especially during the past 14 years, none of which have yet been addressed in a wise, serious, genuine, and responsible manner.

There is hardly any disagreement among Syrians about the major political imperatives facing the country. Foremost among these imperatives are the unity of the country’s territory and people; its sovereignty and civil peace; genuine transitional justice, not vindictive, retributive, or selective, allowing for redress for past harms and is based on an examination of the underlying causes to prevent their recurrence. The imperatives also include a unified national army that ends the faction-based divide and is built on competence and a comprehensive national identity that views all Syrians as equal citizens, and its mission is to defend Syrians against external aggression and uphold the constitution, which in turn must protect the freedom of Syrians in its political, social, and cultural dimensions.