Return to Syria: A Proposal from Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Return to Syria: A Proposal from Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Return to Syria: A Proposal from Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

By : David L. Suber and Roshan De Stone

Syrian refugees in northern Lebanon draft peace proposal to create safe return zones in Syria

As the sun sets over the sea, Abu Mohammed looks northwards to the Syrian border. We are on the mountains of Akkar, Lebanon’s most northern region; fifty kilometres away from the village where Abu Mohammed lived every day of his life until he was forced to flee in 2012. Driving down the mountain towards his new home, a huddle of tents in the middle of Akkar’s strawberry fields, Abu Mohammed sighs. “I miss Syria.”

Lebanon currently hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. With refugees accounting for over twenty-five percent of its population, social, economic and political tensions are at a breaking point. Unlike in Jordan or Turkey, the construction of formal refugee camps is prohibited and most Syrian refugees and Palestinians refugees from Syria (PRS) live in substandard conditions; renting land in informal settlements, garages, unfinished buildings, sheds and even animal shelters. According to the 2017 data collected by the UN, more than seventy-five percent of Syrian refugees live below the poverty line, with the same proportion of refugees also unregistered. Unregistered refugees are unable to legally access the labour market and have little choice but to survive on exploitative labour and humanitarian aid. The constant threat of arrest and hostility from host communities exacerbates conditions.

However, refugees are not the only ones to suffer from the current situation. Most Syrian refugees and PRSs have settled in Lebanon’s most marginalised regions, placing them in direct competition for access to work, public services and resources with vulnerable Lebanese communities. Consequently, the influx of refugees is often citedas a reason for Lebanon’s stagnating economy. Equally, Lebanon’s socio-political stability rests on a precarious sectarian balance, one that could be threatened by the predominantly Sunni refugee population. Haunted by past memories of Palestinian refugees’ involvement in the country’s fifteen year long civil war, the fear that the presence of Syrian refugees could be a catalyst for instability and conflict within Lebanon is widely felt.

Speaking to representatives from the Arab League, the UN Security Council, and the EU in September 2017, Lebanon’s president Michel Aoun stated that Lebanon could not sustain the presence of Syrian refugees for much longer. “My country cannot handle it anymore”, he said, suggesting that Syrians should start returning to “calmer areas” in Syria. His words were echoed by Prime Minister Hariri a few months later. And while such words were caveated with the guarantee that Lebanon would never force returns, human rights advocates fear the possibility of indirect refoulement, whereby government-promoted hostile policies towards refugees could make living conditions for refugees so unbearable that they would be indirectly pushed to leave the country.

When a deal between Hezbollah and militant groups in Syria repatriated over three thousand Syrians last year, reports of refugees facing bombing, torture, and imprisonment provided insight into how dangerous pushing for returns can be if carried out without proper safety checks. 

 

To Stay or to Go

As conditions deteriorate for Syrian in Lebanon, refugees increasingly face the difficult choice of whether to stay, despite growing hostility and hardship, or to leave. “I would love to return home.” Yara, a single mother of sixteen from Aleppo living in an informal camp in Akkar tells us. “We had a house and land and we would grow food. I love Syria. But we cannot go back, it is too dangerous now. There is no other place for me to go to.”

Reports of Jordan deporting refugees back to Syria and Turkey shooting refugees at the border are well known amongst the refugees in Akkar, meaning few desire to relocate to these places. And the chances of being resettled to Europe gets slimmer by the day. Yara’s husband tried to reach Europe via sea, but she has not heard from him since he left on a blow up dinghy in 2013. And it is not only Syrians disaffected with the regime who are caught in this conundrum. Yussef, who has served in the Syrian military, also feels that he cannot return: “I do not have any personal problems with the regime, but returning to Syria would be too risky just because of the address on my ID. I come from a certain area of Homs…that is all it would take to get me arrested.”

Nonetheless, despite the continued violence in Syria, many refugees advocate for return. “We cannot stay here forever” says Abu Mohammed, a Syrian teacher living in Akkar, “Returns need to be voluntary and carried out in areas that are truly safe. But in order to ensure that, we need to start organising ourselves now, so that when the times comes to return, we will be ready.”

Abu Mohammed worked in a school in Homs before coming to Lebanon in 2012. Today he is a key spokesperson for a proposal for peace in Syria, written by an informal network of Syrian refugees. The proposal is the product of a rare process, where Syrian refugees have found the strength and resilience to create a platform upon which they can speak for themselves about the conditions needed for return to Syria to occur in a safe and dignified manner.

The catalyst for the creation of the peace proposal was the new legislation passed by the Lebanese government in 2015, which made it harder for Syrians to renew their papers, exposing many to unemployment, arrest and detention. “It was not always like this” Khaled, a long-term intermediary for the UN, told us during an interview in Tripoli. “Before the border was open. When my first daughter was born, we had no problem registering her. But when my second girl was born last year, I had to pay thirteen hundred dollars to get  someone to register her in Syria so she did not become stateless.” With eighty-three percent of Syrian children born in Lebanon since the beginning of the crisis lacking birth registration, Khaled’s story resonates with many.

“I do not blame the Lebanese authorities when they say that the situation has reached its limit and Lebanon cannot do more than this”, said Abu Mohammed. “But Lebanon will not help us more than it is now, so we must seek alternatives.”

The network behind the proposal is made up of Syrian refugees from different confessional communities, often represented by the shawish (leaders) of camps in Akkar and the Beqaa. “The people who wrote the proposal have very diverse backgrounds and come from different places in Syria, there are teachers and farmers, mostly from Homs, but also from Damascus, Aleppo, Raqqa” Abu Mohammed told us“It was written here in Akkar and has been slowly gathering support. We also keep in touch with people in Syria, as well as with refugee communities in Turkey and Jordan. Many call us by phone or Skype to ask what is the progress.”

The strength of Abu Mohammed’s conviction stretches well beyond his words. When he was offered the chance to travel to Europe with a humanitarian corridor he turned it down to stay with his wider family in Lebanon and to continue to run the school he had helped set up. Five hundred children from over twenty-two different refugee camps come to his school every day. “My work in the school goes hand in hand with the peace proposal. It is crucial we help ourselves over here, but this cannot be a long-term plan, we want to return to Syria as soon as we can.”

 

The Proposal


The peace proposal advocates for the establishment of safe demilitarised zones in Syria, based on Articles 14 and 15 of the IV Geneva Convention for the Protection for Civilian Persons, which sets the conditions for the establishment of neutral zones in areas of warfare. Such zones would allow for the return of refugees and displaced people.

One such zone has already been identified south of Homs, between Qusayr and Yabroud, stretching between the Lebanese border and the Homs-Damascus highway. This area is currently under the control of Hezbollah and the Syrian regime. Home to more than twenty percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, this region has been chosen for its proximity to the Lebanese border and its agricultural resources. The proposal for safe return areas is “beneficial for all parties” explains Abu Mohammed, “as Lebanon would guarantee its border to be open for voluntary returns to this region, and Syrians would be allowed to attempt a first return to their country.”

“One of the main reasons Syrians do not want to be in Syria today is out of fear of vengeance and of our children being arrested or drafted in the army. This fear involves everyone, even regime supporters. The strength of the proposal is one: that it speaks to all Syrian refugees”.

In a UN survey carried out in 2017, seventy percent of Syrian refugees expressed the desire to return to Syria if they felt there was somewhere safe for them to return to. “We fled from our homes in Syria because we did not want to kill or be killed. We have paid an enormous price for our freedom. We want to live with freedom and dignity, and we want to make a peaceful return to our homeland,” said Abu Rabia, a former resident of a refugee camp in Akkar, today resettled in Italy.

 

The Role of Operazione Colomba

Looking for a way to promote the proposal and gain support amongst the international community, Abu Mohammed met with Operazione Colomba, the only humanitarian organisation with a permanent presence in the camps of northern Lebanon since 2014. Strong from its protection and peace-building experience in the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in Columbia, and in demilitarised nonviolent communities such as the village of At-Tuwan in Palestine, Operazione Colomba has gained international experience in promoting safe zones in places of protracted violence. Seeing the importance of the proposal and understanding the dangers faced by refugees who get publicly involved with politics, Operazione Colomba helped to circulate, translate and promote the proposal. Most recently, a Syrian delegation from the refugee camps has been presenting the proposal to EU officials such as the EU Vice-President and the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.

 

Critiques of the Proposal

However, not everybody is in favour of the idea. Interviewing a number of refugees living in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli, the proposal was met with many doubts; many fearing for their safety and livelihood were they to return to safe zones without a political settlement taking place first“Without weapons?” One women laughed. “Impossible. All it takes is one rocket. And how would we live? The land is covered in mines, my home is destroyed. What would I do?”  Many refugees in Lebanon see safety and security as the first conditions to return, with access to basic services and employment opportunities also as key.

Abu Mohammed is no novice to such questions and having been previously detained in Syria, he is aware of the risks that return to Syria could entail. “We know that such a solution today seems too far-fetched and unrealistic. With the recent sieges and bombings continuing in Syria, it is difficult for anyone to speak of return. For today the proposal is impossible, but one day the violence will lessen.”

Most refugees feel trapped in a stalemate between a country that does not want them and a country to which they cannot return. To Abu Mohammed’s eyes, the proposal is a starting point to begin opening up routes to move on from such impasse, working on finding alternatives between degrading treatment abroad and war at home. “Return is key to any solution,” he insists, “and it will happen eventually.”

“This war has been long, but it will not last forever. The day it will be over, we want to be ready to return in a safe manner no matter who wins the war. Even if we will simply move in other provisional camps at first, it will be better to live in a camp in our own country than here.”

 

Other Opinions

Lorenzo Trombetta, a Middle East expert based in Beirut, was consulted when the proposal was at its embryonic stages. The first time Operazione Colomba told me about the proposal I was very skeptical. But after learning more about their work they do in Akkar, I took a more listening attitude.”  Trombetta does not see the feasibility of truly safe zones being established in the near future. “For most of the actors in Syria, the idea of safe zones is more a strategy to further political and military goals rather than a method of civilian protection.” With the failure of past de-escalation zones all too present, Trombetta warns of the difficulty of disconnecting zones of safety with zones of influence and the future demarcations of post-war Syria. “No safe zone can be established without first reaching a political settlement with the government and its allies. You may find statements of solidarity amongst EU institutions, but they are unlikely to act unless they believe it to benefit their diplomacy in Lebanon.” As demonstrated at the international conference recently held in Rome, international diplomacy in Lebanon is mostly concerned with anti-terrorism securitization and stability. “The Western consensus towards Lebanon is to keep it as the bench outside the football pitch, make sure Syrian refugees can survive and wait without spilling over towards European borders.”

Those behind the proposal are only too used to the hollow promises of politicians, but they also hope that with support from EU countries, local players would be more likely to take the proposal seriously. Alex, a member of Operazione Colomba who has lived in the camp for over two years, acknowledges the risk that regional actors might try to use the idea of humanitarian zones to further their own political ends. “There is a lot that will have to be negotiated and that will depend on what happens in the near future. But on the core tenants of the proposal we cannot negotiate: on the need of security, food, healthcare, and the request of dignity Syrian people want back.”

Whilst Trombetta believes that any true safe zone could not exist in the near future, he does not deny the possibility completely. “Operazione Colomba and the Syrians who wrote the proposal are working at the forefront of what the current situation allows.” He concedes that while keeping nuance against misinterpretations of the proposal advocating for an unsafe return, there is a need to start working on the idea of safe return zones in advance and to start from social inclusion. “Remember to look beyond the national borders on maps.” He points out how the triangle formed by the cities of Homs, Tartus, and Tripoli is a very resourceful and interconnected socio-economic area, gravitating the north of Lebanon closer to Syria than to the more politically and economically distant Beirut. Roots of support for the proposal could grow from the re-establishment of local economic activities through projects of social inclusion and cohesion between Syrians in Akkar and their communities of reference in Syria. “We need to aid the construction of a socio-economic context that can precede the physical return of refugees in the foreseeable future.”

International aid organisations have expressed concerns that such a proposal is premature and that establishing safe zones would risk supporting efforts of forced returns from Lebanon where basic security conditions are far from being met. When asked to comment, the International Red Cross replied stating that any return should be done in a safe, dignified, and informed manner in accordance to international humanitarian law, and that such conditions have been currently met on the ground.

Many points remain unclear in the safe zones proposal, such as issues of governance, mobility, and access. When facing such questions Alex replies that the Syrians involved in the proposal, alongside Operazione Colomba, are constantly evaluating details in accordance with the evolving situation. “When we are asked about the details of the proposal, we often say that it is like asking a child who they want to be when they grow up. We cannot know now how safe zones will form, it is too early and it will always depend on which interlocutor we will face the day we will sit down and discuss. But it is still important to ask the question, to spur imagination and the will to change this situation.”

For the millions of Syrian refugees surviving in rapidly deteriorating conditions, there are not many alternatives. This is why for those behind the proposal, working for the establishment of safe return zones is not more unrealistic than a scenario in which millions of refugees stay endlessly in a foreign land.

 

Conclusion

Caught between the growing hardships of displacement and premature conditions for return, Syrian refugees in Lebanon have to walk the fine line between advocating for safe and dignified return whilst careful not to fuel excuses for coerced refoulement.

“Why are the representatives of the forces destroying our country the only ones sitting at the negotiating table?” asks Abu Mohammed, as he mends a leak in his tent. “Refugees are treated as if their only role is to run away from war, becoming powerless victims begging for help. We want to show you how far is this from reality.”

In the midst of growing escalation in Syria, the peace proposal, coming from civilian refugees, provides an example of what wars too often leave out: the voices of those who refuse violence. Against all odds, a group of Syrians are trying to launch a message of peace, taking concrete steps towards a proactive involvement in negotiations. Notwithstanding the necessity of a political settlement to be found in Syria to bring war and violence to a halt, refugees want to part-take in the process. They are asking for the ear of the international community not to fall deaf to their call.

Apr 1, 2018 Lebanon

Syria Media Roundup (Mar 1-31)

[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Syria and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Syria Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to syria@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]

Inside Syria

Life Under Assad’s Bombs in a Damascus Suburb (01 March 2018) The campaign has left at least five hundred civilians dead and thousands injured. The people of Eastern Ghouta are also speaking for themselves. Here are some of their voices.

In Syria, ‘Never Again’ Has Become ‘Never Mind’  (02 March 2018) In the 1990s, atrocities in the Balkans and Rwanda raised choruses, after the fact, of “never again.” The again is now, in Ghouta, Syria, and nobody is doing anything to stop it.

How Sectarianism Can Help Explain the Syrian War (06 March 2018) The Syrian war is not a clean-cut sectarian conflict as some would suggest. However, a study of sectarian trends and dynamics can illuminate some overlooked aspects of the war, says Fabrice Balanche of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Russian military plane crash in Syria kills 39 (06 March 2018) Officials say aircraft was not brought down by enemy fire, and a technical fault may be to blame.

Government forces split East Ghouta apart, leaving residents with ‘nowhere to go’ (11 March 2018) Syrian government forces advanced and cut Eastern Ghouta in two, while residents said they have “nowhere” to seek safety from a barrage of aerial and ground attacks in the rebel enclave.

Syrian Observatory says war has killed more than half a million (12 March 2018) The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said on Monday about 511,000 people had been killed in the Syrian war since it began seven years ago.

Sick and injured start leaving Syria's besieged Ghouta (13 March 2018) Sick and injured civilians left a rebel enclave in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta on Tuesday under the first medical evacuation since one of the deadliest assaults of the seven-year war began nearly a month ago.

Dozens of medical patients leave besieged East Ghouta in Russian-backed evacuation deal (13 March 2018) Dozens of civilians left the rebel-held suburbs east of Damascus on Tuesday in the first medical evacuations from the besieged pocket since pro-government forces escalated a military assault there last month.

Afrin: Turkish forces 'encircle' Syrian Kurdish city (13 March 2018) The Turkish military says it has surrounded the Kurdish-held city of Afrin in northern Syria, the focus of an offensive against a Kurdish militia.

The Smell of Fear and Death (14 March 2018) Zaina Erhaim says that the situation in Eastern Ghouta, Syria is horrific. While male photographers are capturing visuals of the suffering, women are telling the stories behind that footage.

Arrests and torture of Syrian refugees returning home reported (17 March 2018) Evidence grows of systemic abuse of vast numbers of Syrians going back from Europe. 

After my recent trip to Syria, I knew Afrin's fall was inevitable – now we must concern ourselves with the next phase of war  (18 March 2018) Erdogan is triumphant, maybe too triumphant, but it is unclear where he goes from here.

Syria war: Dozens killed as rockets hit Damascus market (20 March 2018) At least thirty-five civilians have been killed in a rocket attack on a busy market in a government-held district of Syria's capital Damascus, state media report.

Syria war: Air strike 'kills children in Eastern Ghouta school'  (20 March 2018) An air strike has reportedly killed fifteen children and two women sheltering in an underground school in Syria's besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region.

Airstrikes near Idlib elementary school kill 16 children in bomb shelter, first responders say (21 March 2018) Pro-government airstrikes killed twenty civilians, including sixteen children, inside a bomb shelter near a school in central Idlib province on Wednesday.

Syria war: First rebels leave defeated Eastern Ghouta town (22 March 2018) Syrian rebels and their families are being evacuated from a key town in the besieged Eastern Ghouta region as part of an agreement with the government.

Syria war: Rebel evacuations from Eastern Ghouta gather pace (25 March 2018) Syrian rebel groups have pulled out of more towns in the Eastern Ghouta, as the government tightens it grip on the enclave outside Damascus.

Thousands to depart East Ghouta in second evacuation deal, only Douma remains (25 March 2018) As many as four thousand people are expected to depart from the opposition-held Eastern Ghouta town of Arbin on Sunday, a Syrian state media correspondent said during a live broadcast from the area.

Assad’s Divide and Conquer Strategy Is Working (28 March 2018) After months of merciless bombardment, the Syrian regime is now exploiting rebel rivalries to win back Eastern Ghouta.

Items Looted From Eastern Ghouta Find a Market in Al-Assad District (29 March 2018) Carloads of stolen goods are being taken out of Harasta and sold on the streets of Damascus, Alsouria Net reports.

ISIS Takes Place of HTS in Al-Qadam South of Damascus (29 March 2018) In a surprise attack, the jihadist group surrounded regime forces, killing scores, Souriatna reports.

Syrian Arab Republic: Afrin, Flash Update No. 2 (as of 29 March 2018) Following a prolonged period of military operations in the Afrin district of Aleppo governorate since 20 January 2018, some 137,070 individuals from Afrin district are estimated to have been displaced to Tall Refaat, Nabul, Zahraa, and surrounding villages, and to Kafr Naseh, and Fafin, east of the Tall Refaat area. Some fifty thousand to seventy thousand individuals are believed to remain inside Afrin city.

Personal Essay: Caring For Mental Health Under The Bombs (30 March 2018) In this installment of Syria Deeply series of diaries from Syrian care providers, Abdullah, a psychosocial community health worker with a local partner of the International Rescue Committee in Idlib, discusses his work helping families cope with depression and other mental health issues that are rampant across the city.

Army Finds Field Hospitals, Weapons Factories in Ghouta (30 March 2018) Field commanders tell SANA that much equipment had been looted from government institutions. 

American service member dies in Syria after Trump promises to remove U.S. troops (30 March 2018) An American service member was killed Thursday by an improvised explosive device in Syria, a US military official confirmed, marking the second American killed in action there since the United States began backing local forces in a conflict President Trump has vowed to leave.

Trapped between rebels and air raids, civilians in Eastern Ghouta face chaos (30 March 2018) As the Syrian rebel enclave collapses, aid groups struggle to help those fleeing.

 

Regional and International Perspectives

Syria and the Problem of Left Solidarity  (01 March 2018) As the tragedy in Afrin develops, North American and European leftist platforms have been disseminating calls by Kurdish armed groups for solidarity with victims of military violence in Syria’s northern district of Afrin. Such solidarity is much needed and deserved, but so is international solidarity with civilians elsewhere in Syria. Instead, the Western Left has largely remained silent in the face of the unimpeded massacre in Eastern Ghouta. The striking hypocrisy forces us to re-examine how our concept of international solidarity applies to the unarmed victims of this war.

Millions of Syrians’ lives depend on whether they’re designated as ‘refugees’ (06 March 2018) Maja Janmyr and Lama Mourad examine the many categorizations that shape the lives of Syrians in Lebanon today and how these labels have been constructed.

Russia’s Greatest Problem in Syria: Its Ally, President Assad  (08 March 2018) Neil MacFarquhar writes "Mr. Putin can neither withdraw nor push real political change in Syria without risking the collapse of the Assad government, which would jeopardize both the effort to diminish American influence in the region and Mr. Putin’s own prestige. Mr. Assad, well aware of his leverage, resists Russian attempts toward compromise with the Syrian opposition."

Think the War in Syria Is Winding Down? Think Again.  (15 March 2018) The conflict, having long since fallen into the hands of foreigners, is flying along on its second wind.

Paper Tigers (13 March 2018) On the seventh anniversary of the start of Syria’s uprising, one of its most prominent victims is liberal internationalism.

Saudi Crown Prince Says U.S. Troops Should Stay in Syria (30 March 2018) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants the US military to maintain a presence in Syria, despite President Donald Trump’s declaration that American forces will be pulled from the war-torn country in the near future.

Trapped between rebels and air raids, civilians in Eastern Ghouta face chaos (30 March 2018) East of Damascus, a long and brutal battle is coming to an end. After seven years, the rebel enclave in Eastern Ghouta is close to being fully recaptured by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The fallout for civilians is already painful and chaotic, and the future uncertain.

  

Policy and Reports

Life Under Assad’s Bombs in a Damascus Suburb (1 March 2018) Wendy Pearlman and Loubna Mrie share stories of Syrians in Eastern Ghouta who face tightened siege and aerial bombardment.

For Syrians in Lebanon, No Formal Plan for Return (1 March 2018) The Lebanese government risks losing international support should it develop a formal repatriation plan for Syrian refugees. This has raised concerns that non-state actors will spearhead repatriation efforts, says Dima Mahdi of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.

Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma and distress – report (6 March 2018) A Save the Children study says Syria’s mental health crisis has reached a tipping point, and that severe distress among children could cause life-long damage

SYRIA IS NOT SAFE: WHAT HOPE FOR 3 GENERATIONS WITHOUT A HOME? (12 March 2018) Today marks 2,557 days since the start of the war in Syria. People in Need works to ease the suffering of tens of thousands of people in Syria every month.

What Does the New Women, Peace, and Security Index Measure? (13 March 2018) The ambitious “Women, Peace, and Security Index” (WPS Index)—launched in October by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) and Peace Research Institute (PRIO)—makes up for the omission of gender inequality measures in conflict monitoring frameworks, state fragility analyses, political instability estimates, and various indicators from leading think tanks. 

How women are collaborating to tell stories that break through the noise on Syria (21 March 2018) Sarah Jilani writes: "The past two years have seen a surge of books and memoirs authored by women that capture the far-reaching human consequences of the Syrian civil war. " 

Turkey: Mass Deportations of Syrians (22 March  2018) Human Rights Watch announced that Turkish security forces have routinely intercepted hundreds, and at times thousands, of asylum seekers at the Turkey-Syria border since at least December 2017 and summarily deported them to the war-ravaged Idlib governorate in Syria.

War crimes evidence in Syria 'overwhelming', not all can be pursued: U.N. (26 March 2018) War crimes investigators and activists have amassed an “overwhelming volume” of testimony, images and videos documenting atrocities committed by all sides during Syria’s war, a UN quasi-prosecutorial body said in its first report.

  

Documentaries, Special Reports, and Other Media

If I remain alive: The Ghouta diaries (26 February 2018) On 18 February 2018, Syrian regime forces intensified their bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, an area home to almost four hundred thousand people that has escaped government control since 2012, been besieged almost ever since and is controlled by mostly Islamist and jihadist groups. So far the assault has killed more than 550 civilians, including around 140 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Documenting Syria: Alaa Hassan Interviewed by Julia Meltzer (28 February 2018) An interview with Syrian photographer Alaa Hassan about his book Cardboard Castle, which is a selection from five years of photography of the metropolitan area of Damascus, Syria prior to the 2011 Syrian uprising.

Eastern Ghouta Syria: The neighbourhoods below the bombs (02 March 2018) Whole neighbourhoods in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus have been flattened and thousands of families displaced, amid a government assault to retake it from rebels.

Confronting Putin, Part 5 (09 March 2018) Megyn Kelly presses Putin on Russia's involvement in Syria's civil war. Putin claims that the Syrian government’s reported use of chemical weapons is "fake news."

Watch Megyn Kelly’s extended interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kaliningrad (11 March 2018) Megyn Kelly’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin continued in Kaliningrad, Russia, where they discussed the recent indictment of thirteen Russians, chemical attacks in Syria, and other issues. The interview took place on 2 March.

No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria (March 2018) This astonishing book by the prize-winning journalist Rania Abouzeid tells the tragedy of the Syrian War through the dramatic stories of four young people seeking safety and freedom in a shattered country.

Kidnapped Royalty Become Pawns in Iran’s Deadly Plot (14 March 2018) Qatar went to extreme lengths to secure the release of a captured hunting party—including a disastrous population transfer in Syria.

An Arabic translation of this report can be found here: نيويورك تايمز: قصة مئات ملايين الدولارات القطرية سلمتها الدوحة الى حزب الله لقاء رهائن الأسرة الحاكمة

American mother of 8 trapped in war zone Deana Lynn is a 44-year-old mother from Michigan and she has been trapped in Ghouta, Syria, since 2000 with her husband and eight children. She is calling on President Trump to help Syrian citizens

The Argentine Mahjar (16 March 2018) In this episode, Lily Pearl Balloffet discusses transnational connections between Latin America and the Eastern Mediterranean. In particular, we focus on how the mahjar influenced the Middle East in the twentieth century and how Arabic-speaking Argentines forged community ties within Argentina.

Among the refugees: a filmmaker’s epic journey from Syria to sanctuary  (18 March 2018) Alex Farrell walked through ten countries alongside a family of Syrian refugees. His ground-breaking documentary records their perilous journey.

Meet the disabled Syrian boy who is always smiling (23 March 2018) Seven-year-old Mustafa lives in Jordan with his grandmother and his sister. The country has taken in more than six hundred thousand Syrian refugees.

  

Maps

 

The Carter Center: Syria Conflict Mapping Project Reports

Syria Conflict Update: February 22-28, 2018 The Syrian government’s siege and bombardment of Eastern Ghouta remained intense despite two separate ceasefires from the United Nations and Russia. Fighting around the borders of Eastern Ghouta continued, as did opposition shelling of Damascus city. In northern Syria, new opposition coalitions have taken significant territory from Hai’yat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Qa’ida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra), apparently with minimum fighting. Operation Olive Branch, the Turkish-led offensive into Afrin, gained control over the whole of the Syria-Turkish border from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, a Kurdish-led organization in northern Syria).

Syria Conflict Update: March 1-7, 2018 The Syrian government’s bombardment of Eastern Ghouta continues, despite ceasefire attempts and UN Security Council Resolution 2401. Humanitarian aid deliveries have been repeatedly hindered by continuous violence, and have only delivered a fraction of the food and medical supplies agreed upon by all parties. The Turkish-led Operation Olive Branch achieved new gains during this reporting period. Turkish and allied opposition forces have pushed towards the city of Afrin from both the north and south, forcing the United States and its Kurdish allies to declare a halt to ground operations against ISIS in eastern Syria.

Weekly Conflict Summary: March 15-21, 2018 During the reporting week, pro-government forces once again took significant territory from the remaining opposition pockets in Eastern Ghouta. Ahrar al-Sham forces located in Harasta have agreed to an evacuation, along with six thousand civilians. Despite the deal, other opposition forces have continued fighting. A major rocket attack on a Damascus market originating from one of the nearby opposition controlled areas, killed at least thirty-five civilians. Humanitarian aid deliveries to the area remain hindered, and aid groups are struggling to find sufficient shelter for the growing number of IDPs. Operation Olive Branch, the Turkishled offensive for northwestern Syria, took the city of Afrin from defending Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, a Kurdish-led organization in northern Syria). 

Syria war: Eastern Ghouta rebels announce ceasefire  (23 March 2018) One of the remaining Syrian rebel groups in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, has announced a ceasefire.

Regime Gains in Damascus, Syria: March 12 - 26, 2018 (27 March 2018) Pro-Bashar al-Assad regime forces, including Russia and Iran, forced the reconciliation and evacuation of two of the three opposition-held pockets in the besieged Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. Salafi-Jihadist group Ahrar al-Sham fully evacuated the town of Harasta under a deal brokered by Russia. Activists reported that roughly 4,500 local residents, including more than 1,400 fighters, ultimately departed Harasta for Idlib Province on 22-23 March.

Arabic links

المسيحيون العرب والخلافة الأموية المبكرة: إعادة نظر بنقش جديد (February 12 2018) يتضمن المقال دراسة مفصلة لنقش عربي قصير يذكر "يزيد الملك" مع رمز الصليب، ويتبنى أطروحة مفادها أن المسيحيين العرب في بلاد الشام عدّوا يزيد بن معاوية ممثلًا لهم.

الطفل الذي قتل مرتين  (March 03 2018) سجل مركز توثيق الانتهاكات VDC مقتل ثلاثة أطفال اختناقاً بغاز الكلور. تعذر على والد أحد هؤلاء الأطفال دفن ابنه فور وفاته بسبب كثافة الغارات واستهداف الطائرات الحربية لكل جسم متحرك على الأرض. فقام بحمل جثمان الابن والاحتماء بقبو مبنى المجلس المحلي في بلدة الشيفونية. ليلقى حتفه هو أيضاً لاحقاً بقذائف النابالم الحارق ويتحول مع ابنه لجثتين متفحمتين عثر عليهما لاحقاً في المكان. 

 “الهوية الوطنية” الإشكالية المتجددة (March 03 2018) وبعد أن تشتّتوا في الأصقاع تعددت الإجابات على السؤال البسيط: “من أنت؟”، فالسوري المهاجر منذ ما قبل الحرب يصرّ على تعريف نفسه استناداً لحقبة قدومه الآمنة ليوضح أنه ليس لاجئاً، والقادم الجديد قد يشدد على منطقته التي جاء منها ليجد أشباهه، أو على طريقة عبوره ليقترب من رفاق المعاناة أو ليهرب منهم، وبالتأكيد يصطف هؤلاء وأولئك حسب انقساماتهم السياسية والدينية الأسبق، فلا يوفرون فرصةً للتذكير باختلافاتهم وخلافاتهم بل وحتى لخلق خلافات أخرى.

سوريا: ثورة الفلاحين الذين لم يعودوا كذلك (March 04 2018) برز سؤالان مركزيان منذ بدايات الثورة السورية عام 2011 أثارا دائماً حيرة وغضب مؤيديها: الأول، لماذا لم تثر المدن السورية (والمقصود هنا دمشق وحلب)؟ والثاني، لماذا لم يتمكن المعارضون السوريون من التوحد وتشكيل جبهة صلبة قادرة على قيادة الثورة سياسياً وعسكرياً؟

أنقرة وظّفت تناقضات دولية في حملتها على عفرين فنالت صمتاً وتواطؤا (March 05 2018) فجأة اختفت الانتقادات الدولية للسياسة التركية مع بدء عمليتها على منطقة عفرين، بدل أن تشتّد، مع تدفق الصور والأخبار الآتية لتساقط مدنييّن يومياً في عفرين وتدمير البنى التحتية والمعالم التاريخية فيها.

فدوى محمود.. سيدة مازالت تقاوم الاستبداد من زمن الأسد الأب إلى زمن الأسد الابن (March 08 2018) فدوى محمود: سيدة سورية اعتقلت في زمن الأسد الأب، واليوم تعمل على قضية المختفين قسرياً في زمن الأسد الابن

من أجل وحدات تحليلية أكثر دقة: رد على لبنى الأمين (March 09 2018) ريما ماجد ترد على لبنى الأمين منتقدة الوصفات التوافقية في الشرق الأوسط.

The English version of this article can be found here: In defense of accurate categories: A rejoinder to Loubna El Amine

خارج النص - سورا يكشف الدولة المتوحشة في سوريا (ج1) (March 11 2018) خصص برنامج "خارج النص" حلقته لـ "الدولة المتوحشة" للكاتب والباحث الفرنسي ميشيل سورا الذي حلل الدولة الطائفية في سوريا منذ نهاية السبعينيات قبل أن يختطف في بيروت ويسكت صوته. 

تربية إدلب تعلق الدوام في عشرات المدارس بسبب القصف (March 13 2018) علّقت مديرية التربية والتعليم في إدلب الدوام في عدة مدارس ضمن مجمع إدلب والبلدات القريبة يومي الثلاثاء والأربعاء، بسبب القصف الجوي لطائرات النظام وروسيا على المنطقة.

يونيسيف: أكثر من 900 طفل قتلوا في سوريا خلال 2017 (March 13 2018) ثّقت منظمة الأمم المتحدة للطفولة “يونيسيف مقتل 910 أطفال سوريين، وتجنيد 961 آخرين على الأقل، خلال العام 2017. بحسب وكالة أنباء الأناضول.

الأزمة السورية.. هل تنتهي بالحسم العسكري؟ (March 15 2018) ناقشت حلقة "سيناريوهات" المسارات المحتملة للأزمة السورية، وطرحت ثلاثة سيناريوهات لها؛ أولها الحسم العسكري الذي قد ينهي به النظام وحلفاؤه سيطرة فصائل المعارضة المسلحة على ما تبقى لديها من معاقل. 

الحرب السورية بالأرقام (March 15 2018) تتوقع دراسات أممية أن يواصل الاقتصاد السوري انكماشه بنسبة 3.9 بالمئة حتى عام 2019 و يتوقع أن يحتاج حوالي عشرة ملايين سوري إلى الإعانات الطبية و الإغاثية بشكل أو بأخر بعد سبع سنوات دامية أدت إلى تدمير أجزاء كبيرة من البنية التحتية و زيادة في المعاناة المعيشية لملايين السوريين.

إعادة الإعمار بعيون خبراء سوريين (March 16 2018) كيف من الممكن لعملية إعادة إعمار سوريا أن تتم؟ هل تلعب دول الخليج دوراً فيها؟ ماذا عن الأوربيين والصين والولايات المتحدة؟ جهاد يازجي وسنان حتاحت يقدمان لسوريالي رؤيتهما بهذا الخصوص.

هل نندم على الثورة؟ (March 18 2018) محمد ديبو يكتب في ذكرى الثورة السورية: "إن فعل الثورة لا يستوجب الاعتذار، ولا التراجع ولا الندم. وعلى الصعيد الشخصي، لو عاد الزمن إلى عام 2011؛ لكان لي المواقف نفسها، ولشاركت في التظاهرات التي شاركت فيها، وعلى الصعيد العام، كانت سورية ستسير في المسار الذي سلكته نفسه، لأن نهر التاريخ لا يمكن أن يقف في وجهه أحد، والثورة لم تكن إلا نتاج تراكمات قديمة وحديثة، تراكبت فوق بعضها البعض، وانفجرت على النحو الذي نشهده اليوم. بل إن ما رأيناه من فجور وانحطاط وإجرام هذا النظام وداعميه، يكفي لكيلا نندم على أننا صرخنا في وجهه: حرية." 

العنف كجائحة عالمية أو "تأثير سوريا" (March 18 2018) يكتب علي سفر"’تأثير سوريا‘، عبارةٌ لم تعد مجرد نحت تجريبي في سياق تحديد المصطلحات التي يحاول كثيرون وضعها للتعبير عن ظواهر تكرر حصولها هنا وهناك، فصارت أشبه بموجة عامة، لابد من البحث في أسبابها طالما أن تأثيرها بات يتجاوز محليتها. 

في صباح العام الثامن للحرب: عن كل تلك الأشياء التي لن ننجو منها (March 18 2018) هلا مصطفى تكتب "عشت طوال السبع سنين الماضية في سوريا ومع ذلك هناك الكثير الكثير بخصوص هذه الحرب مما لا أعرفه ولا أفهمه، أو حتى ما لم أعد أذكره"

سقوط عفرين: "أزدهاك" التركي حطّم تمثال "كاوا الحداد" مجدداً (March 18 2018) بعد ساعات من إعلان الجيش التُركيَّ وقوات الجيش السوريّ الحر السيطرة على مدينة عفرين، بعد خروج مقاتليَّ وحدات حمايَّة الشعب الكردية منها، بدا أن الحرب دخلت مرحلة جديدة. فقد تناقل روّاد مواقع التواصل الاجتماعيّ صوراً تظهر مقاتلين داخل مدينة عفرين، وهم يسقطون ويحطمون تمثال كاوا الحداد،البطل الكردي الأسطوري الذي أنهى ظلماً تعرض له الأكراد على يد ملك فارسي يدعى أزدهاك، في مشهدٍ مُشابه لما فعله تنظيم داعش في سوريَّا والعراق، حين حطم ودمر التماثيل الأثريَّة وشواهد القبور في الأماكن التي دخلها.

بالفيديو.. قصة تمثال كاوا الحداد في عفرين من صنعه وحتى تحطيمه (March 20 2018)عمل ثلاثة من النحاتين في 18 آذار 2016، على صنع تمثال جديد للأسطورة كاوا الحداد، كلهم أمل في نصب هذا الرمز الكوردي في عفرين.

مصادر: معارضون سوريون يوافقون على إخلاء مدينة في الغوطة (March 20 2018) قال مصادر بالمعارضة ومسؤولون ووحدة الإعلام الحربي التابعة لجماعة حزب الله اللبنانية المتحالفة مع الحكومة يوم الأربعاء إن معارضين سوريين سيخلون مدينة محاصرة في الغوطة الشرقية وذلك في أول اتفاق من نوعه في المعقل الأخير لمقاتلي المعارضة قرب العاصمة. 

سورية إذا خرجت من حربها: توقعات بمزيد من قوة اليسار وحضور المرأة الاجتماعي (March 22 2018) ليس صحيحاً أن السلطة السورية ذات قاعدة استناد طائفية، بل قاعدتها الاجتماعية عابرة للطوائف وهي تستند إلى السنة، الذين يشكلون غالبية التجار والصناعيين الذين كانوا قاعدة صلبة للسلطة هم والفئات الوسطى المدينية، مثلما تستند إلى الأقليات (ماعدا الأكراد).

تصوير جوي لتجمع مسلحي حرستا في الغوطة الشرقية لدمشق قبل خروجهم إلى إدلب (March 23 2018) وثق مقطع فيديو تم تصويره بواسطة طائرة "درون"، عملية تجمع مسلحي مدينة حرستا شرقي دمشق استعدادا لمغادرتهم إلى محافظة إدلب، ويُظهر الفيديو حجم الدمار، الذي لحق بالمدينة نتيجة المعارك.

سورية و”الرماد الثقيل”: الطائفية جذوراً ومصائر (March 23 2018)

حمود حمود يكتب "كما أنه من الصعب التفكر بـ “الدين”، كهوية، أو قل كناظم مخيالي يربط بين جماعة ما (لا يهم ما إذا كان هذا الناظم يَنْظمُه ربّ أم لا)، من غير التفكر به طائفياً، فكذلك الأمر ينطبق على وجود الطائفية نفسها، والتي لا يمكن التفكر بوجودها من غير مجتمع طوائف. هل بالفعل أنه لا طائفية من غير طوائف؟"

حقوق النساء السوريات منتهكة حتى في بلدان اللجوء (March 25 2018)

في ظاهرة اللجوء الصعبة وتشرد السوريين وانتشارهم حول العالم بحثاً عن الأمان، يَعلق السوريون بين مجتمعين، فلا هم في المجتمع الأم الذي تعودوا عليه ورضخوا لشروطه وقوانينه، ولا هم قادرون على الخطو نحو المجتمع الجديد والتأقلم معه والتعوّد عليه ومعرفة قوانينه.

ناجية إيزيدية ترسم معاناتها مع داعش في لوحاتها (March 27 2018)

 “ماتزال صورة والدي المختطف على يد تنظيم داعش متمترسة بجدار ذاكرتي، أحاول مراراً وتكراراً أن أرسمه في لوحاتي، وأتخيل أنه عاد مع شقيقتي وأشقائي وأولادهم وزوجاتهم إلى البيت.” بصدى أنة مقهورة تدخل “سهيلة دخيل تعلو” الناجية الإيزيدية في تفاصيل أسرها مع عائلتها من قبل مقاتلي تنظيم داعش في الثالث من شهر آب/أغسطس 2014، حيث مايزال بعضهم مجهولي المصير. 

يوميات سورية: تغيراتٌ بنيوية، أم مجرّد تكيّف؟  (March 28 2018) مولات ضخمة ومطاعم بديكورات حديثة وملاهي عامرة بالشابات الفتيات المهدورات في قاعاتٍ مسمومة وأثرياء جدد بلا عمل وبلا شهادة علمية أو خبرة وبلا اسم، لهم لقب واحد واسم واحد حيتان الزمن الصعب، الزمن الضائع، “تجار الحرب” وأصحاب الخطوات الواثقة الجديدة.

عندما تصبح شربة الماء مِنحة (March 26 2018)                                                                                                       

وبعد كل التطرف الذي يحتويه مشهد قبنض، هل سيكون لنا من حجة على دوماني أو حرستاني أو عربيني إذا ما استبدل بحبة المشمش قنبلةً ورمى بها من سبّب له اليأس والإهانة وفقدان الأمل. هؤلاء التائهون الخارجون من الغوطة هم سوريون، سواءٌ أأخطأوا أم أصابوا، الأرض أرضهم وبردى امتلأ بعرق تعبهم قبل أن يمتلأ بدموعهم، بردى نفسه الذي سقى دمشق قبل أن تأتي الشركة وتجفف المنبع وتعيد بيع الماء في قارورة.

تقييم الاضرار التي اصابت موقع ماري الاثري (March 27 2018) بعد تحرير الجيش السوري لمحافظة دير الزُّور, قامت كوادر المديرية بإجراء تقييم أولي للإضرار في عدد من المواقع الاثرية التي طالتها يد الاٍرهاب ومنها موقع ماري تل الحريري ، حيث تبين وقوع دمار كبير على الأبنية التي اكتشفت من قبل البعثة الفرنسية خلال العقود السابقة ومنها قصر زمري ليم الشهير الذي يعود تاريخ بناؤه الى بداية آلاف الثاني ق.م وكذلك تم تدمير السقف الذي بني لحمايته من العوامل الطبيعية

دوما مقابل تل رفعت صفقة روسية جديدة (March 27 2018) المفاوضات المباشرة بين الجيش الروسي و«جيش الإسلام» محتدمة لمستقبل دوما في غوطة دمشق. كما أن المحادثات بين الجيشين الروس والتركي مكثفة لتقرير مستقبل تل رفعت في ريف حلب، ما ذكر بالمفاوضات غير المباشرة سابقاً لتقرير مستقبل القطاع الجنوبي من الغوطة بالتزامن مع تقدم قوات «غصن الزيتون» التركية من مركز عفرين، شمال حلب، الأمر الذي أوحى بأن عمليات توزيع قطع سوريا بين القوى الخارجية مستمرة.

العيش في المؤقت (March 29 2018) يميّزُ ياسين الحاج صالح بين مستويات مختلفة من علاقة اللاجئين بالزمان حسب القدرة على امتلاك مكان شخصي أو عائلي،  كما يمّيز بين صورتين للوعي الذاتي للاجئ، مثالية وواقعية.

رغم المخاطر، الصحفيات السوريات ينقلن الحقيقة (March 29 2018) يكتب حسن عارفة عن تجارب الصحفيات السوريات في ظل سيطرة هيئة تحرير الشام على إدلب وريفها والصراع بينها وبين جبهة تحرير سوريا.

دوما تتأرجح بين الإعلان عن التوصل إلى اتفاق وبين نفيه (March 30 2018) جيش الإسلام يقول إن التقارير الخاصة بعقد اتفاق لخروجها من دوما غير صحيحة

أهالي دوما، بين مطرقة النظام وسندان ”جيش الإسلام“ (March 31 2018) مع سيطرة الجيش السوري على أغلب مساحة الغوطة الشرقية بعد خروج فصيلي ”أحرار الشام“ من حرستا، و“فيلق الرحمن“ من زملكا وجوبر وحزة وعربين، وهي المناطق التي بقيت تحت سيطرته في القطاع الأوسط، أصبح واضحاً بأن الوجود المسلح لفصائل المعارضة السورية أصبح محسوماً في تلك المنطقة، والتي شهدت أعنف حملة عسكرية عليها منذ بداية حصارها في نهاية عام ٢٠١٢. لكن يبقى السؤال الأهم، ما هو مصير فصيل ”جيش الإسلام“ المحاصر في مثلث دوما، وبعهدته ما يقارب ١٤٠ ألف مدني؟