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(God is the greatest...)
(The people want to topple the regime...)
Smuggeling 23 Minutes of Revolution
The first time I felt so guilty
I was sleepless for three nights after that day
I convinced one of my friends to join a demonstration
He joined us and he was beside me. Suddenly, he vanished!
He was attacked by five men they pulled him away and I pulled him back
they thought that I am a security forces officer!
That's because you look like a thug (Laughters...)
Wwhen the uprising started, It was terrible if someone got arrested
but we got used to it
In Hama,the uprising began in the marginalized neighborhood
They lack health care, education, and economic development
We were surprised that the protesters are conscious about issues
such as peaceful demonstrations and the rejection of sectarianism
Young men from Hama aren't allowed to volunteer in army
except for people who are 100% pro-government
No jobs for them
If a businessman in Hama became successful
security forces imposes a "percentage" on him
a compulsory payment every month or a percentage of profits.
If he refuses to pay
they will defame him
and accuse him of being for example a traitor, an Israeli agent
a terrorist, Al-Qaeda member or a member of the "Soldiers of the Levant", or whatever
The Regime forced us to become medics, journalists, cameramen and correspondents
they called us names, they called us homeless and germs
Gaddafi is better than them
His father Hafez al-Assad killed my father and all my seven uncles
and he killed my grandfather
and one of my cousins, In the massacre of Hama in 1982
My father and all my seven uncles and he killed my grandfather in 1982
37 boys and 22 girls of my family became orphans. I'm the older one. I'm now 38 years old
(We will remove Bashar with our strength Syria wants freedom)
The uprising surprised us all
Only young people are creative enough to create new ways of thinking about protest
We are, as the old opposition stick to our old ways in fighting the regime
Even the chants used in the demonstrations
funny chants, and the comments. The old generation can't come up with such ones
because we are stuck with certain statements, that we've been repeating
The youth are giving a new spirit to the struggle, and even to us
No no no... here, we should write:
"Declaration Number One: The Regime lost its legitimacy
signed by Syrian People"
We haven't voted on using this statement
Why? But it's a strong one!
We started protesting in Hama two or three weeks after Daraa
Young people were afraid
Because we have a strong oppressive regime
Nobody can forget the massacre of 1982
After Daraa moved, we planned to move
to prevent the regime of singeling each region out
We decided to gather in Omar Ebn al-Khattab Mosque
and to chant "God is the greatest"
and we will find good people who can follow us
In Syria, gatherings are illegal everywhere except in mosques
Starting a demonstion from a mosques is an old heritage in the Syria trandition. Since the French mandate
people used to protest in the Omayyad mosque
and to chant "The religion is for God and the homeland is for us all"
This is an innate form of religion that is not politicized
The 1936 treaty was discussed in the Omayyad mosque
The triety contained civil concepts
and equality between all citizens including minorities
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
that statement is a reaction from the street that is very simple
they masses won't come up with a political statement but a chant like "God is the Greatest... Help us against the oppressor"
If you need paint, I can bring you shoes dye
I need nothing, but to stir the mixture
It's more than what Bashar deserves
I swear, I can feel these days that I am a human being
I can talk without fear!
I have never talked to a stranger about hereditary or intelligence.
I’m pinching myself because I can’t believe it's true!
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
In "Friday of the children of freedom"
We were carefully prepared
Someone Donated 50,000 s.p.(1000$) worth of flowers and 70 pigeons
It was an amazing scene
Most of the protesters were carrying carnation flowers... red or white
The protesters passed by al-Baath party branch
And threw rice and flowers to the police officers
Suddenly I heard the sound of three shots being fired far away,
then it increased too much
I saw how people fell dead
and there were children among them!
Every father attended with his child
Some were carrying their children and some were
holding their children hands of 7 or 6 years old
The scene was really unbelievable
They put steel gates on the entrances of old Hama
The government installed the gates on Thursday evening
The protesters were surprised by the gates as a result, there was a stampede
the crowd went crazy
Injured and dead bodies filled the place
We tried to help some injured people
"al-Horani" Hospital received all wounded people
Many families, women, and children came to "al-Horani" Hospital and made
a shield to prevent security officers to take and arrest the wounded people
One of the young men was trying to help a wounded man
when he got shot and fell dead above him
Another six tried to help him but they all fell dead above him
They are more terrible than Neron
No one is the world has committed such atrocities
(We are ready to sacrifice ourselves for our country as martyrs)
(millions of us are going to heaven)
(The people want to topple the regime)
Security forces are the ones who broke it
They placed it in this area
I’ll tell you what happened at the Assi square during the Friday of Saleh Al Ali
I was there
All the protestors even women without veils
will cover up as a mean to protect their identities
So if you notice that all the women are covered up
that doesn’t mean that all of them normally wear the veil
It’s a way to protect their identities
When they saw me in the car without a vail they started cheering happily
"Greet the Alawites!!!" (Alawites don't ware vails in general) So I greeted back to them
I felt like the whole city is one big united community
taking care of their wounded and martyrs
No one expected the massacre to happen Because it was the day of “freedom children"
it was a very peaceful demonstration
the protestors were carrying lots of flowers
Children holding roses were in the first two rows of the rally
I think the children were asked to leave before the march reached Al Assi square
Pigeons were released and all the slogans were pre-considered
There was no provocations that required such a heavy handed response
It is likely that there was a pre-considered plan to carry this out
I've been told that when the demonstration came close to the security forces
the first two lines of the security forces moved aside
and then immediately the shooting started
We needed blood, but the security forces were surrounding the Blood Bank
So we had to collect blood on the spot We drew blood from volunteer donors
checked their blood type and gave it to the victims
We were asked to not admit any victims into the hospital
We told them we are working within the laws of the Ministry of Health
That this is a hospital and we are required by law
to admit and treat any emergency case we receive
and take care of the patient at least for the first 24 hours following admission
After that it’s up to the patient if he/she wants to stay or discharge him/herself
We asked them to show us a memo or an executive order not to admit patients
so we can post it outside and tell people that according to these orders
we are not allowed to admit emergency cases
Of course it is impossible for such an order to be issued because it's implicating
These are hospitals after all
When I was in detention there was a guy with us
who is studying for his Master's degree
This guy had just finished from participating in a demonstration
he was in a taxi with his friends
It turned out that the driver was an undercover agent for the regime
So he drove them straight to the secret security branch
(Friend joking) Did the driver ask for a fee for the ride?!!
I was arrested two hours before them
Each three people were held in a single cell
We ate, drank, slept, went to the toilet, took showers, all in this cell
Of course the cell didn’t have a bathroom
(Friend joking) all in the suite!!
Were you in a four or a five stars cell?
We were three in the cell... so three stars!! but it was like a 5 stars cell!!”
There were cameras in the cell
Out of nowhere, the door open and a big tall man
He grabbed this guy, dragged him out and slapped his face
once, knocking the guy to the floor
"You want freedom!!" he asked, another smash knocking the guy’s face into the floor
He then hit the guy’s head with his foot as he was lying on the floor
The guy was knocked out for 24 hours
When the barrier of fear was broken and people became aware of the issues at stake
They started to go out to demonstrate peacefully
The security forces kept at bay and avoided confrontation with people
Initially when Bashar became president, we had high hopes
After all he is a doctor, a young educated and open-minded president
who can improve things in this country
We had many wishes which we thought could become possible
We could turn the page over the events of 1982
I swear by God that we have forgotten the events of 1982 and its martyrs
but the government didn't
If they arrest someone born in 1994 they still ask him:
"whom of your family was killed in those events?"
"Man! I have nothing to do with the fact that a distant cousin of mine was killed then!"
"No you are a murderer just like him!"
This area of Hama was bombed the most It is destroyed
The massacre happened on the 3rd of June, right here
The demonstrators were out On our right is a Baath party building
And over here, volunteers from the demonstrators formed a crowd control line
to stop people coming into contact with public order police protecting the building
The security forces, waited until three or four thousand demonstrators
moved close to the Al Assi square, and then opened fire
This area was showered with bullets Many people were killed
Those marching in the first line of the demonstration where all killed here
right here in this area
Trucks were parked right here. And where used to move both the dead and wounded
(We don't kneel to anyone but God)
[in reference to popular Baathi slogans that raise Bashar to the level of God]
(Leave)
I went to the state security forces center
The questions were concise and straight to the point
"Did you say such and such" I told him: "yes I did"
"What are you asking for" Spontaneously, I told him
"we do not want to feel fear. You are the security forces"
"You should be on the side of the people to protect us not to suppress us"
"we want to speak out freely without fearing the consequences"
I was then transferred to the female jail in Doma
80% of those submitted to torture are serving prison sentences for felonies
There is no civil justice at all... at all
Humiliations, torture, beatings on the feet and use of torture devices were widespread
What is the use of all these abuses These were criminal cases
Even if a female prisoner confesses under torture, the accuracy of this information
can be questioned in a criminal case as it was obtained under torture.
To be honest, I was surprised that even the civil justice system
was suppressed after the events of the 1980s
I read today is "The Aleppo Volcano" no no the Thursday is the Thursday of "The Aleppo Volcano"
It's the Friday of "Leave" I'll give him a call to double check
You don’t need to. I’m sure. It’s the Friday of "Leave"
I'm going to tell you a true story I saw it with my own eyes
There was this man, who had nothing to do with the demonstrations
He was carrying a bag of tomate sauce and going home
Obviously the tomato sauce was to prepare a meal They [security forces] caught him
and questioned him about the sauce
They asked them if it was going to be used in faking videos about those killed and wounded!
I swear to God guys, He was carrying the tomato sauce back home to prepare a meal!
Yeah, he should have said this tomatoes sauce have multiple use... some for cooking and for faking video!!!"
(We want to topple Bashar by our sheer determination)
(Syria wants freedom)
I felt that the Syrian citizen lacks any form of protection
It's not just a matter of political oppression It’s the oppression of all rights
Over decades, ordinary people endured unbelievable levels of humiliation
Now, we are seeing the results
People are going out asking for their dignity Nobody was left with their dignity intact
My experience in prison has shown me
how much we are deprived of a credible justice system
that protect citizens and ensure their rights
It is possible that someone be imprisoned for a very long time despite being innocent
Sign: Only people can give the legitimacy
Don't headache us, as if no body else can write sings...
It has dried, just put down on the rug
(Prevail, Darkness of the Prison, we don't fear the darkness...)
We had been waiting eagerly for the next Friday to come
It took too long...
It seemed more than seven days until the Friday would come
Barrier of fear has broken
We had been congratulating each other for breaking the fear barrier in People
And sending SMS messages saying: "congratulation, it is broken"
we could not say "the fear barrier is broken"
and despite of that, everyone understood the messages.
We can say that since the 3rd of June
or rather the massacre of the 3rd of June has toppled the Regime
not only in Hama but in all over Syria
The two years have passed
In fact, I faced no discomforts while I was in the prison
Actually, I feel ashamed to talk about any suffering I had
in comparison with the real suffering of the people
it is shameful
the whole Syrian people has given a lot of sacrifices that nobody can imagine
The best view from the top, we can keep recording amazing videos until we send them
(Daraa, we are with you till death...)
(The people wants to topple the Regime...)
(One, one, one, Syrian people is one...)
(One, one, one, Syrian people is one...)
The Beginning