By: Noor Salahuddin, Chicago, IL

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times, titled “Syrian Children Offer Glimpse of a Future of Reprisals”.

Read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/middleeast/in-syrian-conflict-children-speak-of-revenge-against-alawites.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

In it, David Kilpatrick wrote of the hundreds of Syrian children in Jordan’s Zataari camp who are forced to spend their days in tents, away from home, without the food, shelter, and education they desperately need. Mr. Kilpatrick’s thesis was that all of the Sunni children he met in this camp were overwhelmed by their hatred of President Bashar Al-Assad, his government, his supporters, and most importantly, the Alawites - members of a Shia sect of Islam which makes up ten per cent of its population. In this article, Mr. Kilpatrick repeatedly expressed his shock and concern at the apparently inherent violence and intolerance abundant (manifest) in these children’s nature. He expressed fear for the Alawite population of Syria, which, according to him, “see [Al-Assad] as their best protection against sectarian annihilation”.

Mr. Kilpatrick relates the mindset of these children in a fashion that reveals them to be almost barbaric on an intrinsic level. What he fails to address in his article, however, is the mental trauma these children have experienced at the hands of the Syrian government and its supporters, the result of which is a desire to perpetuate this violence in the form of revenge.

While the Syrian Civil War has caused extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, economy, society, and global image, it has also irrevocably damaged the collective psyche of Syrian children. Armed militias, such as the government-backed Shabiha, have perpetrated unspeakable physical violence and ethnic cleansing against defenseless women and children. Eyewitnesses have reported that such groups have adopted the “scorched earth” policy; after the Syrian military shells a protesting village or town, the Shabiha further terrorize the residing population by burning homes, firing at families, and destroying everything in their path - whether combatant or civilian, whether man or child, it makes no difference. Air raids and shelling of civilian populations continue despite the United Nations forbidding the Syrian government the use of heavy weapons against civilians.

According to reports, Syrian children as young as eight have been beaten, arrested, detained, used as human shields, tortured and raped in prisons, and killed in an effort to crush and immobilize protesting neighborhoods. Perhaps the single worst incidence of violence committed against children was at the Houla massacre, on May 25th, 2012. The United Nations reported that at least 49 children, younger than ten, had been systematically and deliberately executed in this shameful event carried out by the Syrian military and the Shabiha. Those children that survived the massacre endured armed militia men breaking into their homes and watched their entire families shot point blank, knifed, or butchered by machine guns. Even though the Syrian government denied its involvement in this incident, the UN reported clear evidence that the Assad regime was directly responsible for the attacks. A video posted online of some of the murdered children showed their wrists bound with blue ties, which means that they were tied up before being shot. Modest estimates report that of about 30,000 civilians who have died during the 15-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, about 1,200 are children. Syrian security forces have killed, arrested and tortured children in their homes, their schools or on the streets. In many cases, security forces have targeted children and treated them with the same cruelty as adults.

Jarred and disoriented by the never-ending violence, about 1.5 million Syrians, including women and children, have been displaced within the country and tens of thousands have fled Syria for neighboring countries such as Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon. Some of these are the same children which Mr. Kilpatrick encountered in the Zataari camp of Jordan.

Syrian children display signs of deep emotional scarring, thoughts of revenge and murder, and getting “even with the enemy”, reactions which should not be difficult to fathom considering the history of violence against them. The purpose of this article is not to justify or promote these children’s views. It is to state that violence and hatred are not inherent; they are learned through negative experiences and societal influences. Expecting Syrian children to have an untarnished view of their world is not logical as they were not brought to refugee camps in Jordan from a utopia. They were brought to Jordan’s refugee camps from a country divided against itself, with the all too vivid images of violence and hatred still in their minds. They were taught by their authority figures that violence and hate prevail over peaceful protests and tolerance. Until and unless this young generation is given positive role models and reinforcement, empowerment through a proper education, and most importantly, security for their future, their worldview will be just as skewed and distorted as it is now and they will remain prone to regurgitating what they have been fed up till now; hatred and violence.

By: Mohammad Hassam Kang

A hacktivist-sponsored release of files known simply as the "Syria Files", by online groups Wikileaks and Anonymous, are embarrassing many top level officials, as they include emails from political figures, and ministries associated with the Assad regime. The 2.4 million files released last Thursday were brought to the attention of major media outlets in the Western and Middle Eastern capacity, such as Al Akhbar in Lebanon, Al Masry Al Youm in Egypt, L'Espresso in Italy, NDR/ARD in Germany, Owni in France, Publico.es in Spain, and The Associated Press.

                Disputes between Wikileaks and AP ensued, suggesting that AP denied "collaborating" with Wikileaks, and issued a statement saying they were simply reviewing material for coverage. A hard battle is being fought to bring the content of the emails to the attention of the public in both the Middle East and Western nations, where people can make a difference in the direction of affairs. The brutality carried out by the regime has so far been historically significant as much of the Middle East embarks on a period of modeling western democracy to bring about political change.

                The emails contain details about inner-workings of the Syrian government and influences on its economy, as well as on the maneuvering of Western diplomacy, and companies to stall progress in the region. One Wikileaks spokesperson stated that those in the West, "say one thing and do another" in their latent support for the regime. The email details how many western standard multi-national corporations are caught selling equipment to the Syrian military, while at the same time condemning its actions, and stating as Secretary of State Clinton did with such alacrity, that the regime's "days are numbered". Although some have supposedly pressed for international sanctions, official actions dictate that commercial bonds that are profitable are not easily broken by the few western nations that condemn the violence in Syria most fiercely.

                Firms from the U.S, Italy, and Britain, where Assad's first lady Asma al-Assad originates, were seen carrying on business as usual, much to the dismay of the western media that has exaggerated, and in some cases, fabricated the support by Hezbollah, Iran, and Russia. However, money has been granted to firms in New York and private English tutors from England to help polish the tarnished image of the Assad regime. Emails circulating between New Yorker Brown Lloyd James who was given $5,000 a month in a public relations deal with Assad, as well as emails between Assad and mystery woman Lamis Omar, indicate that Assad took considerable time to polish his western image, and that of his wife.

                One such news article in Vogue magazine that wished to accomplish just that, made a full page spread of Asma al-Assad, affectionately referring to her as a "rose in the desert", which is undoubtedtly quite an imaginitive statement used to describe someone who called the children of the town of Homs, which was obliterated by Assad mercenaries, “retards” in joking emails. Among other magazine ventures, James Forbes was also called in for consulting.  In another instance British MP George Galloway communicated with figures in the Assad Regime as late as 2010, calling Assad "His Excellency" in an e-mail. Yet another example is an international firm Selex from Italy, which sold vast communication equipment to Assad soldiers. These are just some of the early revelations in the hundreds of thousands of emails that were leaked.

   Atleast the assistance by online bloggers in blocking surveillance and helping organize opposition says much more about their concern for the plight of civilian protestors, as the U.N bickers over how to get involved. While the seemless and inane posturing persists, over 17,000 have died at the hands of the military crackdown, and many are starting to ask: with leaders like these, who needs leaders?

Who: Sheikha Munira Qubeysi

Sheikha Munira Qubeysi is considered one of the most influential leaders as she appeared in “The 500 Most Influential Muslims” list in 2009. She is the founder of the largest women-only Islamic movement in the world called Qubeysiat. Qubeysiat offers Islamic education exclusively to girls and women. She is the head of 80 schools in Damascus, which enroll 75,000 students.

Her movement focuses on learning the Quran and Hadith by heart. Because religious education of women was previously neglected, the rise of this much needed movement has allowed it to become incredibly successful. It is currently the leading Islamic movement in Syria, where it originated. She has now accomplished a large chain of madrassas (religious schools) throughout the Middle East.

Considering this great accomplishment, it is no surprise that Sheikha Munira Qubeysi has been titled the 31st most influential Muslim in the world.

By: Anas Alkatib - Davenport University

On Saturday April 14, 2012 a fundraise was held by the Syrian American Medical Society-Michigan Chapter (SAMS-MI). The fundraising was to help out the Syrians that are in dire need of medical supplies inside Syria mainly and assist in helping Syrians that are in refugee camps outside of Syria in neighboring countries.

Dr. Abdelmajid Katranji, who is with SAMS-MI and was the Master of Ceremony, did the opening in which he outlined what SAMS is and what it does. SAMS is a medical organization, a charity that directs medical relief to Syria. Comprised of 7 teams in which they try their best to help, assist, and direct resources to Syrians who can’t get basic and major medical needs.

Afterward, the SAMS-MI President, Dr. Opada Alzohaili, was the first keynote speaker in which he talked about the situation over in Syria. SAMS national president Dr. Zaher Sahloul said, “Syrian problems range from bed wetting, psychological traumas, nightmares, post-traumatic stress disorder, when we went and visited Turkey refugee camps. Some of the stories about the horrors that were happening in Syria are that when the injured go to a hospital, the people would get kidnapped, tortured and killed.”

Later on, Dr. Katranji introduced Dr. Reza Nassiri who is a professor of psychiatry and Global Dean of Health. He pointed out the views of Arab nations and the contrast between them and the United States. There is a high percentage of discontent in the Arab world against the Syrian regime and the desire to take action, while in the United States, a high percentage of the people are of the opinion to not take action on the matter.

Right after that, Professor Randy Hillar, a professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University, explained the psychiatric traumas that the people will face and are facing on a daily basis, which will most likely stay with them for a long time and how it will affect the population over in Syria, which will not take months or years to heal, but a generation or two. People that are silent, the voices that haven’t been heard, are the most victimized.

Dr. Robert Rutha, Chairman of the International Medical Corps (IMC) said that the IMC is one of the main, if not the main, resource to deliver medical and relief supplies to Syrians and Syrian refugees.

In recognition of Z-Medica Quick Clot product. SAMS extended its gratitude and awarded the CEO of Z-Medica who donated more than 17,000 units of its innovative products.

SAMS thanked all the sponsors and partners such as Zaman International, whose founder, Najah Bazzi, attended the event.

Starting with the fundraising, a big nod was given to Abu Al-Hakam Al-Siba’I who donated the most precious thing one can donate: he donated his son who was a medic transporting injured people and received 11 bullets in the process.

To support the cause you can go to: http://internationalmedicalcorps.org.