Muallem: “Yes, we want the Golan Back on a Silver Platter.”

Walid Muallem – Syrian Foreign Minister – “Yes, we do want to get the Golan back on a silver platter,” he said. “Let’s face it — it’s our land and our right to have it back is the most normal thing in the world.”

(AFP) Muallem said Syria supported further indirect contacts with Israel, which were frozen after the Jewish state launched a massive offensive against the Gaza Strip in December.

“We think a resumption of indirect contacts with Israel through Turkish go-betweens is the best way of getting to direct negotiations, but first and foremost we have to be confident that there is a political will in Israel to achieve peace,”…

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Syria deserved Western respect for the constructive role it had played in its smaller neighbor Lebanon in recent months, adding that Damascus did not interfere in the legislative elections and will not interfere in forming Lebanon’s next cabinet.

“Syria did not intervene in the Lebanese elections. Syria will not interfere in the formation of a new Lebanese government, but we want the new government to be a real government of national consensus between all parties that will secure Lebanon’s stability,” he said.

Syria backed a Hizbullah-led alliance in last month’s election in Lebanon that was won by the rival Western-backed coalition of prime minister-designate Rafik Hariri.

Hariri has said he is ready to renew the national unity government formed after factional violence last year, but only on condition that Hizbullah and its allies give up the veto powers on cabinet decisions they enjoyed in the outgoing government

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Syria on Tuesday to do its part to ensure the success of Middle East peace efforts and said “destructive elements” in the region that needed to be reined in.

“Syria has an objective interest in the success of the Middle East peace process and I call on Syria and also my counterpart Mr. Muallem to do its part,” he said at a joint press conference in Damascus with Muallem.

“There is no time to lose,” Steinmeier said after meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Muallem on the latest leg of a Middle East tour.

But he said the Syrian-backed Lebanese group Hizbullah and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas had shown “no interest in the success of the peace talks.”…

New Lebanon government awaits Saudi-Syria understanding

Lack of progress in talks between Syria and Saudi Arabia is holding up the formation of a new Beirut government set to group Riyadh’s allies in Lebanon with rivals backed by Damascus, a senior politician said.

Senior Saudi envoys have visited Damascus at least three times since Lebanon’s parliamentary election a month ago, won by the “March 14” coalition led by Saad al-Hariri and backed by Riyadh and Washington.

The talks have highlighted the influence of Saudi Arabia and Syria in the country……

The last round of talks in Damascus on Friday grouped Saudi Prince Abdul-Aziz, King Abdullah’s son, and Information Minister Abdul-Aziz Khoja, the former Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose country dominated Lebanon until 2005.

The talks ended without a breakthrough needed to smooth the way for Hariri, prime minister-designate, to form the new cabinet, the senior Lebanese politician said on Tuesday.

“The atmosphere is good because Syria and Saudi Arabia are not arguing,” the politician said.The source said the talks had focused on a possible Hariri visit to Syria, which the billionaire politician has accused of his father’s assassination. The Sunni leader, who was raised in Saudi Arabia, is Riyadh’s closest ally in Lebanon.

“The matter of the government formation is moving along naturally,” Hariri said on Saturday. “The government of Lebanon is formed in Lebanon … any other talk is incorrect,” he said.

……”The general impression is negative. The Lebanese have no role in the formation of their government,” Aoun said in an interview with Hezbollah’s al-Manar television.

“None of the Lebanese are involved. Receiving notification of what is going on outside is not participation.”…

Lebanese Opposition insists on its demand for veto power.

“The Opposition respects the President (Suleiman) and his shares in the government, but our shares are ours and his shares are his,” Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh said on Tuesday.

He hoped that the government would be formed in Lebanon.

….

Hariri is faced with three Syrian options:(al-Akhbar headlines translated by Lebanon Now)

…. Up until last Thursday, the dialogue between Riyadh and Damascus had resulted in three proposals submitted by the Syrian president to Prince Abdel Aziz. Bashar Al-Assad tasked the Saudi prince with briefing the Lebanese prime minister-designate on these proposals and conveying a clear position by Hariri in this respect.

The first of these proposals is for Hariri to form a majority government immediately in his capacity as a majority leader.

The second one pertains to the formation of a national unity government. Hariri would have to negotiate with the opposition, which would voice its demands in order to reach an agreement even if this requires that Hariri grant the opposition its obstructing-third demand.

The third proposal is for Hariri to visit Damascus, so that the Syrian leadership gets to know him if Damascus is to act as a mediator between him and the opposition to facilitate the formation of the government.

The leaders of Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar are not to be absent from the Sharm al-Sheikh Summit.(From as-Safir)

Arab sources indicate that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has decided not to take part in the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement set to be held in Sharm al-Sheikh on July 15 and 16. Instead he will send deputy foreign minister, Faisal al-Moqdad….

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri told his visitors that he will not accept any conditions binding his mission, and that if some insist on these conditions, including the “obstructing third”, he would rather tell the president he cannot form the government.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said that the coast is clear for [launching] a political consensus process “in which there is no predominance” and expressed hope that “the prime minister-designate will agree on forming a national unity government.”

A must read — The Qnion — by Qifa Nabki on the Hariri, Assad, Abdullah summit.

SyriaNews: Deputy Prime Minister Dardari says government salaries will be raised 35% until the end on 2010. Over the life of the 2005-2020 five year plan, government salaries will have been raised by close to 100%.

الدردري: زيادة على الرواتب بنسبة 35% حتى نهاية 2010 ومشاريع لتحسين المعيشة

الاخبار الاقتصادية

قال نائب رئيس مجلس الوزراء للشؤون الاقتصادية عبد الله الدردري إن الفترة حتى نهاية العام 2010 ستشهد زيادة في رواتب الموظفين تصل إلى 35%.

ونقلت صحيفة تشرين المحلية في عددها الصادر يوم الثلاثاء عن الدردري قوله إن “الفترة المتبقية من الخطة الخمسية العاشرة ستشهد زيادة للرواتب تصل إلى 35%، وذلك تطبيقاً لما نصّت عليه الخطّة من تحقيق زيادة على رواتب الموظفين تصل إلى 100%”.

وحققت الخطة الخمسية العاشرة 2005-2010 زيادة على رواتب الموظفين بلغت 65% فيما تنص الخطة على زيادة في الرواتب تصل إلى 100%.

وأضاف الدردري أن “النصف المتبقي من هذا العام مع العام القادم سيشهدان تطبيقاً لما ورد في الخطة الخمسية العاشرة التي وعدت بتحقيق زيادة على رواتب الموظفين تصل إلى الضعف عما كانت عليه مع انطلاقة الخطة، مشيرا إلى أن “هذه الزيادة ستأتي متزامنة مع مشروعات حكومية تهدف إلى تحسين معيشة المواطنين بشكل عام”.

وشهد شهر أيار من العام 2008 آخر زيادة على الرواتب والأجور للعاملين بالدولة والمتقاعدين بنسبة 25%، بالإضافة إلى رفع الحد الأدنى العام للأجور وكذلك الحد الأدنى لأجور المهن في جميع القطاعات بما فيها القطاع الخاص والتعاوني والمشترك بمقدار 25%.

Comments (69)


Amir in Tel Aviv said:

Who said the Golan is “Syrian”.?
Sykes said.? .. Picot said?

Why should we in 2009 fight, argue and bicker over 1916 too-straight lines,
that were drawn not in accordance with the interest of the peoples,
but according to imperial greed.

The ME didn’t have it’s definer – most important war yet, the Independence
war, from corrupt monarchs and from brutal military Juntas.

There’s no chance that the Arabs see what is going on in Latin-America,
in former soviet east Europe, and even in Iran, and wont demand
their demands. No chance.
So waisting time, money and energy over not-important piece of land,
is useless. Better wait to the real struggle of the peoples, that
will come sooner than later.
.

July 7th, 2009, 5:45 pm

 

Avi said:

Amir i agree that the golan is not to be given back to syria if assad is the main broker of our arch enemies (iran-hezbollah-hamas) but i do not agree that the golan is not important for israel it has a strategic importance and an economic importance for israel!!And the most important thing for israel in the golan is the water that runs south to the kinneret…Plus i do believe that some territories and druze villages like majd al shams is occupied and should be returned according to the druze living there and i know there people suffer, but ghajar which is lebanese even though it was taken from the syrian army should also logically be returned but the people do not suffer from being israeli at all;all the contrary if israel did not return ghajar when netanyahu was about to it is because the people of ghajar want to remain part of israel so it depends where in the golan amir+there is a small parcel which is israeli territory and was actually occupied by syria before 1967 well this land can not be returned even though assad wants it .Lets just say simply that if syria requires its land in the occupied golan then they will have to negociate directly with israel because the question is much more complicated than mouallem’s words….

July 7th, 2009, 6:01 pm

 

offended said:

Who said the Golan is “Syrian”.?

اللي خرطك

July 7th, 2009, 6:14 pm

 

Avi said:

Offended please i do have a point here the syrians refuse to understand that to negotiate with israel and you want israel or israelis to take you seriously then you have to sit on the same table…and indirectly like assad puts it only stalls the situation.I want peace between israel and syria and before the palestinian question i think it is vital if regional peace is to occur what do you think?

July 7th, 2009, 6:26 pm

 

Avi said:

Why do i feel like the only one brave enough to respond to me are israelis like myself or majid haters that only like to insult my people or my history…where are the so called moderates??the ones that everybody says that they will make peace with us one day…do they exist at all??or is ot just western propaganda and actually in syria there are only majids full of hate??

July 7th, 2009, 6:36 pm

 

jad said:

AVI
How many times we have to tell you to stick to your comment’s limit of 4 a day before we kick you out?
Your comments are extremely Repetitive, very annoying and without any substance to them.
So why don’t you stop and spare us from reading your crap ideas and your personal attacks on every person on here.
You either play by the rules or get lost and write somewhere else so
you better be smart and do exactly what I’m telling you.
Enough is enough!

July 7th, 2009, 6:58 pm

 

norman said:

Offended ,

اللي خرطك

I love it ,
I have not heard this one since i was a kid.

what are you Homsy , that is where i heard it.

July 7th, 2009, 7:09 pm

 

jad said:

This news for you Alex…any thoughts????????

معارض سوري يمتدح النظام بعد هجائه له لثلاثة عقود..! !

بيان من بشار سبيعي
07/ 07/ 2009

منذ إصدار بيان اعتزالي العمل السياسي المنظم بكل أشكاله وأنواعه منذ أكثر من شهرين , تسلمت الكثير من الرسائل والاتصالات الهاتفية من أعضاء في المعارضة السورية في الخارج تضمنت أكثرها تساؤلات إذا كنت أنوي الرجوع إلى سورية في المستقبل القريب , وقد كانت تلك الفكرة حينها من أبعد الخواطر عن ذهني لما فيها من مخاطر نسمع عنها فقط في الإعلام المعارض للنظام السوري في الخارج .
لقد كنت من الناشطين السياسيين أكثر الحدة في النقد لهذه الحكومة والأجهزة الأمنية في مقالاتي السابقة , وكنت أشعر آنذاك , أن ما أكتبه عن الممارسات الشمولية لهذه الحكومة ضد أبناء شعبها ووطنها واجب على كل مواطن سوري يعشق الحرية والديمقراطية أينما وجد فأنا لم أكن أعرف بعد مدى حقيقة رغبة الحكومة السورية في التغيير والإصلاح بجميع أشكاله وأطيافه ومدى جديتها في ذلك وكنت أتابع عبر الإعلام حالات الإعتقال والإدانات الصادرة عن محكمة أمن الدولة ضد نشطاء سياسيين وكتّاب في مجال الديمقراطية والحرية وحقوق الإنسان وهذا ما جعلني أكثر خوفاً على أن أفكر بجدية كاملة في الرجوع إلى ربوع الوطن بما أنني كنت واحداً من هؤلاء الأشخاص في السابق .
ولكن ظروفي الخاصة واشتياقي لبلدي وأهلي وأصدقائي بعد أكثر من ثلاثة عقود من الزمن في الغربة حملني على التفكير جدياً بالعودة , وهذا بالواقع ما حصل تماماً وعلى عكس ما كنت متصوراً , ها أنا أخط هذه الكلمات اليوم حراً طليقاً من أجمل مدينة في العالم دمشق .
كل ما أستطيع أن أقوله اليوم بعد أيام قليلة من وصولي إلى مسقط رأسي أن سورية اليوم تتغير نحو الأفضل , وتكبر وتزدهر وتنعم بالأمن والتسامح والمحبة تحت نفس القيادة التي كنت أشكك في نواياها الحسنة منذ شهور وهذا ما لم أكن أتصوره وأتوقعه ، إن ما سمعته وما شاهدته عن رئيس البلاد كان فائق التصور من فكر مستنير وفعل لمصلحة البلاد والوطن والمواطن ، كان ذلك بالحقيقة يفوق الوصف .
وأنا اليوم عاجز عن إيجاد الكلمات المعبرة عن الشكر والإمتنان لهذه القيادة لإتاحة الفرصة لي بأن أكون شاهداً ومشاركاً على الأرض في بناء هذا الوطن ورفع شأنه في مجال عملي المستقبلي .
وأتمنى أن تكون سيرتي الذاتية برهاناً لحقيقة التغيير والإصلاح المنشود ومثالاً للثقة والطمأنينة لكل مواطن سوري في الخارج يفكر في العودة إلى ربوع وطنه .
بشار سبيعي
عضو جبهة الخلاص سابقاً و مدير البرامج السياسية في قناة / زنوبيا /

http://all4syria.info/content/view/11162/96/

July 7th, 2009, 7:13 pm

 

norman said:

Jad,
Thank you that is terrific , Alex has a Lott to do with it , i am glad ,

July 7th, 2009, 7:47 pm

 

majedkhaldoun said:

Not only Golan must return to Syria,all palastine must come back to Syria.

July 7th, 2009, 7:57 pm

 

offended said:

My.

Bashar Sebaey’s article is…. outstanding. I hope he’s being honest.

July 7th, 2009, 8:00 pm

 

offended said:

Hi Norman.

No, I’m actually from Aleppo. But what difference does it make? It’s all Syria. And there are many exchangable slangs all over the place… : )

July 7th, 2009, 8:04 pm

 

norman said:

Hi Offended,

and i thought we are special in Homs,

July 7th, 2009, 8:12 pm

 

Avi said:

Yes i did know norman but still could you answer the question about your government having indirect talks with Israel ?do you think these indirect talks are just stalling techniques by your government?Since your government does not want direct talks.

July 7th, 2009, 9:31 pm

 

jad said:

Hi Norman
To be honest, I’m a little bit disappointed by Mr. Soubaei because he is bailing out of his past without facing it, regardless of that, I’m sure that everybody has his own personal reasons and beliefs that he lives according to them;

I did a very quick and rough translation of his last paragraph which summarizes his main points:

“All what I can say today after few days of my arrival to my hometown, is that Syria today is changing for the better, developing, flourishing and enjoy security, tolerance and love under the same leadership that I was questioning his good intentions for months, and that what I couldn’t imagine nor expect, what I saw and heard about the President of the country exceed my expectation of enlightened thoughts and acts in the interest of the country, the homeland and the citizen, that was truly unexpected.
Today I am unable to find words for expressing my thanks and my gratitude for this leadership to allow me to be a witness and a participant on the ground in the building of this nation (Watan) and it’s primacy in the my future work field.
I hope that my own personal experience is a proof of the change and the reform and is an example of trust and confidence for all Syrian citizens abroad to return home.” Bashar Soubaei

July 7th, 2009, 11:18 pm

 

trustquest said:

Jad, what this guy wrote is just funny. If you want to know how he really is thinking and have no time to analyze his letter, all you have to do is listen to all the interviews he made against the regime. If you do that and you concluded that he is genuine in his repentance, that mean you believe he did that not just did that to enter the country and leave safely, then you have a wonderful heart and good for you. On my side, I believe he is type of a guy who believes in: you gotta do what you gatto do. As Barth Brooks songs says:

Sometimes you’ve got to take the heat
If your gonna walk down on the mean street
Take the heat and you see it through
‘Cause sometimes it comes down to do what you gotta do

Sometimes it goes right down to the wire
And you might have to walk through the fire
Walk on, boy, all the way through
Sometimes it comes down to do what you gotta do

Someday they’re going to call your name
They’ll come looking for someone to blame
What’s your name boy? Hey you just tell them true
‘Cause they can’t take the truth from you, so do what you gotta do

Well they’ll call you a hero or a traitor
But you’ll find out that sooner of later
Nobody in this world is gonna do it for you
Do what you gotta do

July 7th, 2009, 11:41 pm

 

jad said:

Trustquest,
That was funny, believe me I don’t trust anybody of any side at the moment AT ALL.
I’m disappointed because it seems that he used the same personal attack like everybody else without having a real strong passion for a real change for the best and now he is using the same meaningless words to do the opposite..
I’m also disappointed because of the trust some people put in him and now he is turning 180 degree without a word of apology for them.
You may know how I think already, I’m with any smart opposition who has a real achievable goal that will benefit all of the Syrians and I don’t mind if someone work with the government to achieve that as long as he keep his dignity, his principals and keep the people trust untouched.
I guess we are asking for too much!

July 8th, 2009, 12:07 am

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

JAD,

I don’t know this person Soubaei, but the story reminds me of the affair
of Maxim Gorky’s return to Stalinist USSR. And even praising the
Gulag System.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn argues that Gorky’s return to the Soviet Union was motivated by material needs. I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.
Me like you, I trust no body. One could say, that North Korea is safe
too, and that the North Koreans “enjoy security, tolerance and love under the same leadership”.
.

July 8th, 2009, 12:54 am

 

norman said:

Jad,

take it easy on Bashar , he was lost and we showed him the way , he was blind and we opened his eyes , we kept telling him especially Alex , we kept telling him day after day that president Assad is well liked in Syria and that the country is moving forward , not as fast as some of us want , but still moving in a steady and secure way , he just had to see for himself , and now he did , i hope he will put his energy to help Syria as we all should ,

He reminds of the story of the old man that Jesus mentioned , when they asked him about forgiving the sinners , who had two sons , one took his share of the money and went on spending it while the other stayed with his family and helped , then when the son who was not ther for his family returned home after he lost his money , his father had a big party and when the other son complained , the old man explained , he was lost and now he is found so we should celebrate that he is saved.

July 8th, 2009, 2:07 am

 

norman said:

AVI,

Syria wants direct talks that can lead to something real ,as you probably know that there were direct talks between Syria and Israel in the nineties under Bill Clinton only for Barack to backtrack and renege on his deal in the last minute , so Syria is taking a cautious path wanting to know that the principles of lasting peace which basically that both parties feel that their rights were secured , for Syria it is it’s land integrity and for Israel is long lasting secure peace to it’s people without having to worry about their children and grandchildren right to live there , that is at least what was the goal of the early Zionists, peace and acceptance in the Hebrew homeland ,as i understand it.

July 8th, 2009, 2:30 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Folks
the operative phrase is
منذ إصدار بيان اعتزالي العمل السياسي المنظم بكل أشكاله وأنواعه منذ أكثر من شهرين

Sounds like the promise many have to sign before their release.

TQ
With respect to detachment from history, you are supposed to remove the mean before performing principal component analysis.

Speaking of mean values and trends, both Jad and You forgot the emergence of VCR as contributing factor related to Cinema’s demise in Syria. Marketing, industry strength, and copyright laws saved it in the US, but sadly, not for very long.

As for Mr. Subai3i, How about this song

You got to know when to hold ’em’ know when to fold ’em’
know when to walk a way, and know when to run

Jad
I was merely trying to see Shami’s comment from a different perspective. I have not turned Talib on you my friend.

July 8th, 2009, 2:44 am

 

Yossi (AKA Rumyal) said:

Aptly, the silver platter in the graphic is shiny yet empty. This is akin to Netanyahu’s pompous self-invitation to Damascus to discuss peace “without preconditions”.

July 8th, 2009, 5:27 am

 

jad said:

Norman,
That was a great example, but I don’t think it fits Mr. Soubaei.
I didn’t mean to be hard on him, I guess his past with his liberal and somehow secular ideas might be the reason for him being free and not in his ‘aunt’s house’
it was just MY TAKE! 😉

OTW,
I agree with you about the Video, it adds another factor to the Cinema disappearing mystery, which I think cover all the possibilities.
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand your last note though, what where you referring to?

July 8th, 2009, 5:38 am

 

Off the Wall said:

Derar Jad
I was referring to the Cabaret’s appropriate place discussion this weekend, which you concluded by asking me or shami or both of us not to worry about the possibilty of seeing naked dancers on the streets of Syria 🙂

Yossi
Sharp as ever, good point

July 8th, 2009, 6:24 am

 

t_desco said:

I sincerely hope that Steinmeier’s plans to “rein in” Hizbullah do not include using the STL to stir up sectarian tensions in Lebanon (the ‘civil war option’ of disarmament). Even Jumblatt doesn’t seem to approve of that idea (for the time being…).

Mehlis still sniping at Bellemare?

This article in German by Markus Bickel is critical of Bellemare and seems at least in part to be inspired by a “high-ranking former investigator”.

In the past Markus Bickel had managed to misrepresent March 8, so it does not come as a surprise that even the very headline of the article is wrong, based on the mischaracterization of a recent report by al-Liwaa according to which “Nasrallah has asked for “guarantees” with regard to alleged reports about the STL’s indictment against him”. In contrast, Bickel claims, citing “Al Liwa”, that Nasrallah had demanded guarantees for Asad.

It is, thus, with a grain of salt (and the taste of sour grapes?) that we have to take note of the suggestion that STL registrar Vincent stepped down from his post because he resisted the “politicization of the STL” (this would be rich, coming from Mehlis…).

Vincent’s criticism seems rather to be directed at Bellemare’s style of leadership. He is quoted as saying: “It takes only one person to bring down an institution, and it can’t be build by one person alone.” We also learn that Bellemare earned the nickname “Nero” during his time as UNIIIC commissioner in Beirut.

July 8th, 2009, 12:19 pm

 

Ghat Albird said:

THE 1916 STRAIGHT LINES DRAWN BY SOME EUROPEAN IMPPERIALISTS HAVE BEEN SUPERCEDED BY:

Bebe Netanyahu’s pet project, “A Clean Break.,, a New Strategy to protect and enhance Israel’s security (developed by Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, and other American neocons)

AND CITED BELOW:

“Securing the Northern Border”

“Syria challenges Israel on Lebanese soil. An effective approach, and one with which American can sympathize, would be if Israel seized the strategic initiative along its northern borders by engaging Hizballah, Syria, and Iran, as the principal agents of aggression in Lebanon.”

“Israel also can take this opportunity to remind the world of the nature of the Syrian regime.”

“Syria repeatedly breaks its word. It violated numerous agreements with the Turks, and has betrayed the United States by continuing to occupy Lebanon in violation of the Taef agreement in 1989.”

“Given the nature of the regime in Damascus, it is both natural and moral that Israel abandon the slogan comprehensive peace and move to contain Syria, drawing attention to its weapons of mass destruction programs, and rejecting land for peace deals on the Golan Heights.”

July 8th, 2009, 5:46 pm

 

Avi said:

but you know Ghat Albird, Israel has probably taken into account your point, but the problem is what might happen in the eventuality the succession to Mr Assad is much worse in Israel’s perspective…from what i understood the Muslim brotherhood movement that originated in Egypt is also very active in Syria so lets say safely that Assad’s regime will not be bothered by Israel or the USA.The ones that are really bothered by Assad are in Syria or Lebanon.

July 8th, 2009, 6:45 pm

 

avi said:

And Norman i really hope that Syrian youth are for peace with Israel and to stop meddling in Lebanon’s affairs i know that our youth wishes for this even when in it applies to our own country Israel.From a simple minded moron (like Jad would say specially the moron part) living in the war zone; peace.shalom.salaam

July 8th, 2009, 6:57 pm

 

Avi said:

And no Ghat Albird I am not thrilled by the idea of having to take the famous bus ride to combat with Syria,and take it to the first degree cause this would be my case,I think really war does not help to secure,only in extreme situations when attacked like from Gaza with mortars and missiles or in south Lebanon when soldiers are kidnapped and missiles are raining we must act accordingly; this the reality of how the common Israeli logic works.

July 8th, 2009, 7:10 pm

 

EHSANI2 said:

Akbar Palace asks Dr. Landis to tell Syria’s President and his wife that “every Israeli Jew would gladly hug and kiss them once they agree to cut ties to terror organizations and the countries that sponsor them.”

In effect, the Syrian President is asked to put all his eggs in the Israeli basket. He is asked to call Tehran and terminate his 30-year old relationship. Once done, he is asked to make a similar call to Nasrallah and inform him that its over. He is no longer welcome in Damascus and that he is effectively thrown under the bus. Presumably, the Syrian President will then be asked to send his security men to Mr. Meshaal’s office, pick him up and drive him straight to Damascus airport with a one way ticket to Sudan perhaps.

Now that the Syrian President haS followed the request of Mr. Akbar (doubtful that this is enough of course) and his leaders, Damascus may now get invited to sit across their Israeli counterparts for talks and hugs. Since the Syrian leader was so compliant with the above Israeli demands, these talks will be like a walk in the park. The Golan heights (1967 borders) will be handed back to Syria on the spot. Settlers will be removed and we all live happily thereafter.

This is the movie that Mr. Akbar and his leaders are directing and selling to the world.

Even if this were science fiction, it is idiotic at best.

Cut this tired nonesense please.

July 8th, 2009, 7:44 pm

 

Avi said:

Eshani you are completly correct in what you say but on the other side you refuse to understand that too many kidnappings and too many wars Gaza/ S. Lebanon 2006 or Gaza 2008 wars were permitted with the help of Assad there must be a garantee that this will stop the traffic of arms(and to stop this of coarse Assad can not severe ties with iran) and as for Ghajar or Majd El Shams and other occupied territory we can negociate but the Israeli land that Syria occupied in 1967 which is a small portion of the golan that israel occupys today can not and will not be returned to Assad even if he desires it…I think this should be clear to Syrians if not Israelis arn’t buying (israeli logic again)and with that i will stop today not to submerge this blog.Promise Jad!

July 8th, 2009, 7:57 pm

 

offended said:

OK, I incorrectly posted this on an older thread earlier.

You may have been following the story of the Palestinian refugees stranded at Syrian borders, I’m glad it’s come to an end:
_________________________________________

Risking Israel’s ire, US takes 1,350 Palestinian refugees

The State Department confirmed today that as many as 1,350 Iraqi Palestinians – once the well-treated guests of Saddam Hussein and now at outs with much of Iraqi society – will be resettled in the US, mostly in southern California, starting this fall.

It will be the largest-ever resettlement of Palestinian refugees into the US – and welcome news to the Palestinians who fled to Iraq after 1948 but who have had a tough time since Mr. Hussein was deposed in 2003. Targeted by Iraqi Shiites, the mostly-Sunni Palestinians have spent recent years in one of the region’s roughest refugee camps, Al Waleed, near Iraq’s border with Syria.

“Really for the first time, the United States is recognizing a Palestinian refugee population that could be admitted to the US as part of a resettlement program,” says Bill Frelick, refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch in Washington.

Given the US’s past reluctance to resettle Palestinians – it accepted just seven Palestinians in 2007 and nine in 2008 – the effort could ruffle some diplomatic feathers.

For many in the State Department and international community, the resettlement is part of a moral imperative the US has to clean up the refugee crisis created by invading Iraq. The US has already stepped up resettlement of Iraqis, some who have struggled to adjust to life in America.

The resettlement of Iraqi Palestinians is “an important gesture for the United States to demonstrate that we’re not heartless,” says Alon Ben-Meir, a professor of international relations and Middle Eastern studies at New York University.

But some critics say the State Department is sloughing off its problems onto American cities, especially since in this case the Palestinians were sympathizers of Hussein, who was deposed by the US.

“This is politically a real hot potato,” says Mark Krikorian, director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, adding, “[A]merica has become a dumping ground for the State Department’s problems – they’re tossing their problems over their head into Harrisburg, Pa., or Omaha, Neb.”

SADDAM’S GUESTS
Palestinian refugees came to Iraq in successive waves over several decades, first in 1948, then in 1967, and in 1991. They were treated well under Hussein but were also used to attack Israeli policies, and their presence was resented by many Iraqis.

After Hussein was deposed in 2003, many of these Palestinians were driven out of their homes and now live “at the mercy of the weather” in rough camps along the Syrian and Jordanian border, says Mr. Ben-Meir. The number of Palestinians in Iraq has fallen from around 34,000 to an estimated 15,000, with about 2,773 living in camps, according to the State Department.

The US, which takes in about 80,000 refugees annually, hopes to bring 17,000 Iraqi refugees this year.

CATEGORIZED AS IRAQI REFUGEES
While the US generally doesn’t accept Palestinians, Todd Pierce, a spokesman for the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, says that the Iraqi population of Palestinians falls under a different category from those in Gaza and the West Bank. Each applicant will be carefully scrutinized for terrorist ties, he adds.

The US reluctance to accept Palestinians is because it “doesn’t want the refugee program to become an issue in its relationship with Israel,” says a diplomat in the region, who requested anonymity because he is not cleared to talk to the press. But these Palestinians, he says, will be processed as refugees from Iraq.

Mr. Krikorian says the US should be the last refuge for those fleeing persecution. Only Jordan of all the Arab countries routinely grants citizenship to Palestinian refugees, he notes. More recently, says Mr. Frelick, Jordan has also shut its borders to Palestinians coming from Iraq.

Frelick, who has visited a camp on the Jordanian border, said the Iraqi Palestinians are “apolitical,” and “basically desperate, scared, miserable, and ready to just get out of Iraq.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0708/p02s04-usgn.html
_____________________________________

One still has to wonder though, if Israel wasn’t the racist, inhumane and usurping entity that it is, why would it get ‘ireful’ over Palestinian refugees getting settled in the US?

July 8th, 2009, 10:27 pm

 

jad said:

Alex,
Another news that might be of interest for you, I was looking for the origin of this but I couldn’t find anything written about it in the report of Freedom House:

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=1

أوباما يلغي الدعم المالي المقدم للمعارضة السورية!

داماس بوست
06/ 07/ 2009
قالت منظمة «فريدوم هاوس» الأميركية، في تقرير نشرته على موقعها الإلكتروني، إن إدارة أوباما رفضت تجديد الدعم المالي المقدَّر بخمسة ملايين دولار، لبعض المنظمات السورية غير الحكومية التي تعمل في الخارج، وفي مقدمتها منظمة «ثروة» التي يرأسها المعارض السوري عمار عبد الحميد (ابن الفنانة السورية المعروفة منى واصف). وقد أدّى وقف المساعدات الأميركية إلى اضطرار المنظمة لإغلاق مكتبها في واشنطن وتسريح العاملين
فيه

http://all4syria.info/content/view/11131/113/

and here is the original post:

http://damaspost.com/?page=show_det&id=19107&select_page=4

July 9th, 2009, 1:07 am

 

offended said:

Ammar Abdulhamid is a bright guy. And I wish he’d find something more mainstream to help Syria instead of the hardline contrarianism he’s been adopting.

July 9th, 2009, 5:22 am

 

Majhool said:

Offended,

Just a reminder that mainstream stream syrians Do Not like the regime.

Stats? Elections?

Norman,

Showed him the way? You are delusional for sure. atleast, Jad, Offended, Ehsani and Alex have logic you on the other hand have a self esteem issue.

Snakes Kebob?

July 9th, 2009, 9:23 am

 
 

offended said:

Majhool, being mainstream isn’t necessarily falling in love with the regime.

Ayman Abdel Nour of allforsyria stands as a good example.

July 9th, 2009, 11:41 am

 

avi said:

yeah majhool she really is my type.

July 9th, 2009, 12:09 pm

 

norman said:

Sorry Majhool ,
I did not mean to challenge your intelligence , the note was meant for other people.

July 9th, 2009, 1:30 pm

 

jad said:

Those are some of the excellent and meaningful articles just posted on the website of Mr. Quadi NesaSy.org
They worth reading, I think they meant not only for the proposed law itself but for any public case we have in Syria, it shows the struggle we, individuals and organizations alike, are facing understanding each other and uniting our effort to make the system to work for us instead of working in its favor regardless what side we stands for:

http://nesasy.org/content/view/7643/336/

أن تأتي متأخرا.. “شرٌّ” من أن لا تأتي أبدا! ردّا على تجليات مولانا الحاج صالح
(لكن الخطأ الفادح الذي ارتكبه الحاج صالح، وارتكبه غيره ممن سيتعرفون على ذلك لاحقا، أن عصر “ديمقراطية الانترنت” قد بدأ فعلا، راميا جميع أنواع الأصوليات في المكان نفسه حيث المشروع الأسود: سلة القمامة.
وبالتالي، فإنه لم يعد بإمكانه أن يتاجر بالآخرين دون أن يجد من يصفعه ليعيده إلى ما تبقى من رشده (إن كان قد تبقى منه شيئا!)، وليقول له: احذر.. ولى زمن “حصانة الأصولية العلمانية”، وزمن “حاصنة الأصولية النضالية”، مثلما ولى من قبله زمن “حصانة الأصولية الدينية”. فإذا أردت أن تبقى في أبراج التنك خاصتك، وتحلم كما تشاء بأبراج العاج، فهذا شأنك! أما أن تتجرأ على أن تمس غيرك بسفاهة.. فستجد أن سفاهتك نفسها قد ردت إلى وجهك.
ولعلك الآن، وغيرك، ستستيقظ لتعرف أن صبية في السادسة عشرة من عمرها، ممن تخرز أنفها باللؤلؤ المقلد، وشاب في العمر نفسه ممن يلونون شعورهم بالأزرق والأحمر، أولئك الذين لا تكف عن احتقارهم، هم أكثر منفعة لوطنهم ومواطنيتهم، لأسرهم وأسرتك، لمستقبلهم ومستقبل أطفالك.. من انشغالك الدائم باستنطاق مرآتك ما لا تنطقه.. فهما فعلت لن تحظى إلا بجواب واحد منها: “حلّ عنا!”.)

http://nesasy.org/content/view/7647/336/

نداء.. نداء.. نداء: اختفاء غامض لمنظمات حقوق “الإنسان” في سورية!

(ونظرا لحالة أعضاء المجموعة المتمثلة بإصابتهم المفاجئة بالصمم التام، والبكم التام، والعمى التام، بحيث أن أصواتهم قد انقطعت فجأة طوال شهر ونصف من انكشاف المشروع الأسود، بعد أن كانوا في عز ألقهم ونشاطهم في إصدار سلاسل يومية من البيانات المنددة بطلب رئيس مفرزة حرس محكمة أمن الدولة العليا فنجان شاي مخمر، وعدم تزييت أقفال سجن عدرا المركزي، وعدم السماح لهم بزيارة تفتيشية مفاجئة لسجن صيدنايا الأكثر مركزية… فإننا نوجه هذا النداء لكل أصحاب القلوب الطيبة والخيرة أن يساعدونا في البحث عنهم، وإعادتهم إلى قريتهم الصغيرة الوادعة المطمئنة.)

http://nesasy.org/content/view/7651/110/

مشروع التفتيت مرفوض كـ”ورقة عمل”، مثلما هو مرفوض كـ”مشروع قانون”

وعلى هذا الأساس، بات من المؤكد أن رئاسة مجلس الوزراء التي يبدو أنها اضطرت لإعلان رفضها المشروع “شكلا ومضمونا” (رغم أن بيان المكتب الصحفي سها حتى عن كلمة “مشروع”، وسماه “قانون”)، تحت ضغط شديد من المدافعين/ات عن حياتنا بوجه الهجمة الأصولية التكفيرية أيا كان مصدرها، لم ترمِ المشروع كما أملنا، في “سلة القمامة”. بل حتى لم يوضع على الرف، أو في الأدراج. وإنما ما جرى حقيقة هو أنه بقي على الطاولة، مع لعبة جديدة في “التسميات”.

July 9th, 2009, 4:33 pm

 

Nur al-Cubicle said:

Hello all:

My eyes nearly popped out when a saw a bottle of Bekka Valley 2007 Clos Saint Thomas white at the wine store. Enjoying a chilled glass. Wonderful! Now for some Syrian wines, please.

Cheers,

Nur

BTW, Bibi Netanyahu’s father, who lives in the US, says Bibi has no real intentions of a 2-state solution

July 9th, 2009, 4:57 pm

 

jad said:

Offended
I don’t know Mr. Abdulhamid in person and I have no way to judge except through his writing and what I read on his organization website, to be very honest with you, I’m not impressed at all and I don’t trust him for a representative of my views, I think his ego is bigger than his mission and at some point he is letting it taking over his vision. He is like many who are loosing their target when they try to build their cases over a personal base against the regime.
I’m not qualify to give my judgment and I know that I’m giving one here but after reading lots of his articles and the cases his site want to discuss I can tell that he is not building any real public case to get the support needed, what he is doing is telling stories of the unfortunate and make us feel sorry and sympathy with them but in my humble opinion the case is bigger, deeper and more important than getting only our sympathy, I think he or anybody else who want to get support from us the average Syrians, he should represent his case in a different and more balance way, we need to see the benefits of the alternatives, we need to point out the problems and analyze them through all and every layer they have and more important we need to try to fix them (like it or not) we need to be there in Syria and we need to be working with/close to the government regardless of our feeling toward it especially for people who are full time committed to their cause.
Asking someone to take a clip from his/her phone for couple poor kids playing around the garbage as a normal thing who happened allover Syria / interviewing an unemployed poor men / showing a clip of the illegal butcher houses (which should be report directly to the government instead of telling us) and taking pictures of Kurds celebrating using their own flag without the existence of a single flag of the country they are asking to be part of is not the way to show your case, no Syrian will support any Kurd seeing those images, we will immediately take the government side and believe them that Kurds want to separate that part of Syria to be their own country, while reality is more humane than that, the reality is that Kurds have the right from the government for school, education, healthcare and a citizenship in the country they belong to regardless of their ethnic background and that what is missing in all of his messages on the website.
He needs to concentrate on the case and solutions not only his views, concentrate on the missing basic element for Kurds to become citizen before showing their political stands and the celebration under the moukhabarat siege and not using any Syrian flag at all.
He needs to communicate with the government through his organization and get a true public support not a sympathy or personal feeling towards him or the cases he represent.
I know in advance that some of my Syrian commentators wont agree with my words and I totally understand their stands, but I just want them to think of what I wrote and not take it as if I’m against the opposition because I’m not, nor I’m a government supporter because I’m seeing loads of unforgivable mistakes, mismanagement and destruction for the Syrian society, environment and development.
I strongly believe that we need every honest voice possible to move forward and we need to unite our vision first before we do any meaningful change and I think it is going to be very slow, very long and a very difficult mission but we have no other choice. We can’t let the system to take over every aspect of our life and be free to do that, we need to stand against it and make it do what is in the best of all of us instead of letting it paralyze us behind its bars where we can’t do anything useful.

(Dear Norman) And that is my take!

July 9th, 2009, 5:44 pm

 

norman said:

jad, you said :

He is like many who are loosing their target when they try to build their cases over a personal base against the regime.

That is exactly what the problem with the opposition .

July 9th, 2009, 6:27 pm

 

Amir in Tel Aviv said:

ALEX (..and all),

Two posts ago you posted a letter by Cynthia McKinney: “from an Israeli Jail”.

https://joshualandis.com/blog/?p=3546&cp=all#comment-229416

What she wrote in that letter looked strange to me, but I didn’t want
to comment, before having looked into this. Well, today I have.

BTW, Cynthia McKinney is now back and safe in the States.

Mrs. McKinney writes about a “black” woman who shares her “prison” cell.
That woman is from Ethiopia. Well… a clear line has to be drawn
between illegal worker (who’s working visa has expired, or who cross
the border illegally in order to come to Israel to work ), and a refugee.

Mrs. McKinney writes : “there is no UN in Israel”.
There is. I went today to see it in my eyes. It’s situated on
Ben-Yehuda street. not far from what we call “Beit EL AL”.
I went in and asked questions. They issue “refugee Yellow document”
when they’re convinced that a person is a refugee. Usually, for
Sudanese and Sudanese from Darfur.

They will not issue such a document to an Ethiopian.

With this document, the person will go to the Israeli interior ministry
(some 1000 m away), and will get a permission to stay and WORK in Israel.!!!

Former congress woman Cynthia McKinney is a lier and propagandist.
You can figure out her agenda with the sentence she writes:
“…Zionism has surely run out of its last legitimacy if this is what it does to bla bla bla”. Lier.
.

July 9th, 2009, 8:26 pm

 

Majhool said:

Offended,

OK, I got your point. Personally, I like to see whole spectrum. From the far left to the far right including everything in between in all contexts: social, political and economical, and always under the rule of law.

Accommodating both extreme guarantees what’s lies in between. After all a sound and a healthy system is one that accommodates conflicting interests. It does not have to be one or the other.

A capitalist should be able to advocate his/her interests, and so should a farmer. A conservative Muslim or christian has to be able to push his conservative agenda and so should be the case for an atheist.

Sometimes, I feel that the gap between those who favor the regime and those who don’t in this forum is rather narrow. But it appears that there is a trust issue.

Some of those who favor the regime assume that the other side while advocating the rights of large segments of society, for the better good of the entire society, has necessarily sectarian motives, and always desperately reading between the lines, even if there is nothing to read, trying to find a justification to go back to their stereotypical assumptions .

The other side is guilty of this too, but probably to a lesser extent since the upper hand and the ultimate control lies on the other side.

It’s so bad that even when it’s obvious, such as first lady makes a false statement, none would object. Everyone seems to be in his/her bunker taking sides.

We must get over it. I do acknowledge that things are better that it was under late Assad. However relative improvement does not mean that that it’s over. It’s over when all have a say in their country and that conflicting interests are respected and accommodated.

July 9th, 2009, 10:29 pm

 

Majhool said:

Jad,

I would like to thank you for posting these links with the regard to the proposed “civil law”.

I tend to agree with Haj Salih, I was against the law but was struck as to the mistrust and fascism that was manifested during the past period.

I felt, just like Saleh did, that someone is trying to steer that “mistrust” I always complain about. Which is rather strange to be allowed or even start in an authoritarian system such is that of Syria.

It reminded me that state of public demonstrations in Syria. You are just allowed to demonstrate in the street for the cause that is approved by the government.

It’s like the government choose to assemble a public enemy of it OWN creation to prolong the rift.

I can tell you this; in the period prior to the” revolution” the religious establishment was irreverent and overshadowed by the modernist and the constitutionalists in the Muslim elite.

Assembling and reassembling that monster in order to retreat to one’s comfort zone is not productive.

July 9th, 2009, 11:25 pm

 

jad said:

Majhool,
Thank you for explaining your points, I may disagree with some point you mention there regarding Haj Saleh and his harsh and uncalled for attack on someone who his intention was the good of the society, but I think that is very normal because I totally agree with your previous note “Sometimes, I feel that the gap between those who favor the regime and those who don’t in this forum is rather narrow”

Regarding the proposed law and either if you are with or against the way the whole crises was run, I personally think that Mr. Quadi did a great job and he was truly working hard and very passionate and honest in his motives.

The only thing I’m seriously concerned about and thinking of is that the government/someone dealing with this whole issue and pulling it out of discussion is somehow suspicious.
It looks as if they intentionally wanted to take the public attention from something else more important, and that what I’m afraid of and I think that we all (willingly) took the bait.
I know that it sounds like the usual conspiracy theory thing we are famous for, but for a Syrian government without an obvious or public humiliation by the presidency veto to pull out something it introduce that quickly just because of writing materials and some talk shows and to uncover from the beginning the privacy over their work and let it out in the public and the newspaper in this easy way makes you think.

Regardless of my own suspicion paranoia of the government and their intention, I’m somehow pleased that this case can be used as a precedent for any future conflict we ‘sure’ will have with the government and I personally learned a lot from it.

July 10th, 2009, 12:01 am

 

Majhool said:

Jad,

Looks like we are in agreement for the most part.

Cheers

July 10th, 2009, 12:15 am

 

norman said:

Jad,

Your note #42 was great ,one of the best road map to better Syria , Your take sound like my take , how about that.

July 10th, 2009, 2:21 am

 

trustquest said:

Jad
To get to understand what is going on, will you please answer those questions first:
Is Mr. Kudsi site nesasy.com is blocked inside Syria
Is all4Syria site is blocked inside Syria
Is all thing written by HajSaleh, in opposition sites is blocked inside Syria

Second set of questions:
-Does Mr. Kudsi support the civil society who is working on abolishing the emergency Law which is the mother of all wrongs, is that part of his agenda or dose he care only about women killed in passion.
-The language used in the attack on the dark minded Talaban who wrote the civil law paper, is very harsh and make you think is this comity assigned by MB or by the Government who is placed by the regime, if they were assigned by the later, that means the attack should be on the responsible party for their bad choices and can easily be accused of conspiracy, NOT THE CIVIL SOCIETY, who is the villain here?
-I did not read of any human being in Syria paid his dues and loves his county like Mr. Saleh who spent 20 years in prison, educated himself in prison and he is coming with very interesting and intelligent analysis which even posted here before in SC. He is showing high intellectual ability in stripping the regime from its moral values and I think the smear against him from government supporters is very clear to me an orchestrated shameful campaign.

July 10th, 2009, 2:36 am

 

jad said:

Dear Norman
Thank you very much, I agree with you about some opposition leader being unable to get over the personal issues and being stuck in what they built around them, at the same time few of them has a very good dialog they are trying to start with everybody.

Trustquest,
I just hope that your question is as simple as I understand if not please forgive me and explain it later in more clear intention:
1- While the government is blocking all those sites I can get to them using a proxy so if I want to read what they are writing I can do that and it’s up to me to take what I think that help me understanding the situation without I stuck with one view.
2- I believe that Mr Quadi is concentrating on one very important issue which is women rights and the women equality that unfortunately our society is insisting of ignoring and we are a backward society when it comes to our women, so for me personally I think that he is doing a good job in that field. Should Mr. Quadi talk about the emergency law instead, I’m not sure if he wants or if he needs to add that to his work, I believe that we don’t need as individual to open too many fronts at the same time which might hurt our main cause. In short, I don’t think it is a necessary for me that Mr. Quadi to prove his good intension by writing about the emergency law, do you?
3- From what Mr. Quadi wrote he did attack both the committee and the government and I didn’t see the unbalance you are referring to and I didn’t read that he attacked the civil society in his mission.
4- I agree that Mr. Haj Saleh suffered for his principles, but he wasn’t the only Syrian who did and that doesn’t make him always on the right side, at least not for me, I prefer to read every piece anybody write as separate so sometimes I agree and other times I disagree.
5- Not being an enemy with the government doesn’t mean that someone is justifying or working within the government agenda, so when I read that reply to Mr. Haj Saleh article I didn’t in any way have the impression that Mr. Quadi is attacking the past of Mr. Haj Saleh, he was purely defending himself and his act, nothing more nothing less and for that I disagree with you on this remark “I think the smear against him from government supporters is very clear to me an orchestrated shameful campaign”

July 10th, 2009, 4:14 am

 

Bassam AlKadi said:

شكرا لكم/ن مرة أخرى. أتابع نقاشاتكم الهامة دائما، وهي فعلا تفيدني كثيرا.
أرغب بتقديم بعض الإيضاحات، مع اعتذاري لعدم تمكني من ذلك بالإنكليزية.
1- كلنا شركاء محجوب في سورية، لكن نساء سورية لم يحجب نهائيا. ولاحقته هي أورغ وليس كوم.
2- السيد ياسين الحاج صالح بقي في السجن 12 سنة وليس 20. وكاتب هذه السطور بقي في السجن، لنفس السبب، 6 سنين، ثم اعتقل مرة أخرى لسنة كاملة.
3- المشكلة مع مقالة السيد صالح لا تكمن أبدا في انتقاداته، بل إن انتقاداته الأساسية، وتساؤلاته حول خلفية ما يجري كانت عميقة ومفيدة. المشكلة كانت فقط في أنه خصص ثلث مادته للهجوم الشديد على عملنا. وهذا الهجوم اتخذ طابعا غير مفهوم نهائيا بسبب من أنه لم يحلل عملنا، بل فقط أكد أننا شركاء في إثارة الفتنة الطائفية، نحن والمشروع في خانة واحدة، نحن أدوات في يد السلطات تحركنا كما تشاء. وأخيرا: نحن مجرد قرود ترقص على إيقاع الطبل.
ويعرف الجميع هنا أن المجتمع المدني يميز بين الأشخاص. فإذا جاءت الاتهامات من أطراف أخرى تم التعامل معها. بينما إذا جاءت ممن هم محسوبون على المجتمع المدني، صمت الجميع.
نحن نعتقد أن ذلك خاطئ تماما. وأنه من حقنا أن نرد بقسوة على اتهامات من هذا المستوى. خاصة أن الذي وجه الاتهامات لا يولي أصلا اي اهتمام لما يجري في المجتمع السوري إذا لم يكن على المستوى السياسي.
وأنا شخصيا، والعديد من الناس، يتابعون ما يكتبه الحاج صالح وآخرون باهتمام شديد. إلا أن ذلك شيء، وأن يعطي لنفسه الحق باتهامات بالغة الخطورة، وغير مبرهنة بأي مستوى، وفي لحظات خطيرة تماما، هو شيء آخر.
4- “مرصد نساء سورية” لم يهمل جانبا واحدا متعلقا بمجال اهتمامه. بمافي ذلك قانون الطوارئ. وسبق لنا أكثر من مرة أن اعتبرنا قانون الطوارئ واحدا من ثلاثة عناصر قانونية رئيسية في الوضع السيء للمرأة في سورية (إلى جانب قانون الجمعيات، وقانون الأحوال الشخصية). لكن تناول قانون الطوارئ، وغيره، من الزوايا الأخرى هو أصلا خارج نطاق اختصاصنا.
5- لا نعتقد أنه كلما واجهتنا مشكلة مع الحكومة، أو الأجهزة الأمنية، يجب أن نجعلها مشكلة المشاكل. فمن هو قريب منا يعرف جيدا حجم المضايقات التي تعرضنا لها لأكثر من عامين، والتي أدت أيضا إلى انسحاب العديد من الأشخاص من العمل نظرا لظروفهم التي لم تعد تسمح لهم بتحمل هذه الضغوط. لكننا اخترنا منذ البداية أن نعتبر هذه المضايقات جزء من الصعوبات الواقعية للعمل في سورية، وليست قضية لنتوقف عندها ونجعلها معيقة لعملنا.

July 10th, 2009, 8:51 am

 

trustquest said:

Thank you Jad, your answer holds valuable information, even you have dodged my assertion that government is a tool for the regime, attacking the government means attacking the regime indirectly, but you are trying hard to tell me there is difference, but we all know there is not. Please also do not get me wrong I found what you wrote is hopeful, wonderful and interesting and you almost sided with opposition but you have stripped the opposition from legitimacy when you said their intention is not good as Mr. Kudsi. You want to say that there is a way to criticize like what Mr. Kudsi is doing and it is more effective but you answered my question in 1 when you said that these sites are blocked. If those sites are not blocked and there is a channel open your theory could be valuable way to add to others to reach public at large. I on the other side, thinks that change requires respect for all spectrum of ideas and they are all necessary for change for better situation. We should seek representation, openness, tolerance and acceptance, which can not apply with the existence of emergency law. Even the “Talaban minds” you and Kudsi have attacked vehemently are part of it. In my view the problem was not the paper or the law, the problem was the way these laws and committees are made and working which voided of representation of free men can speak their minds. There is no representation in all decrees and laws issued in Syria, this is not the first one. In the future there will not be any leak this way in the future and Mr. Kudsi will not find fuel for his best way of influencing change.

1-The government is blocking the sites which vent and defend the well being of the society. Those sites marginally criticize the system, they are kind of part of the system but on his left, most begging for legitimacy and recognition which their rights but the regime is not listening he would used them but not allow them. Even some put the first lady picture on his front page, but no avail. I don’t think that government is blocking those sites but I thin the regime is. Second, if you access those sites that does not mean all people with access to internet in Syria can do, which validate my question that all of this storm is inside a cup created in small circles and blocked by the regime so it did not reach the Syrian street and average Joe you wrote about. The intellectual life in Syria is blocked, period.
2- I admire and support Mr. Kudsi work on civil laws and women issues, he earned my respect but lost it when he attacked in this way and used those strong words against people in the government telling us that those people are Talaban and they are outdated. The premise here that those are a MBs intruders, slipped secretly by someone and no one notice. This committee assigned by the prime minister, he tried hard to keep it alive and still no one dare to attack him (O my O my, if he is the intruder why no one say it out loud). And the attack twisted against the minds, not people responsible, as usual, created an evil and attacked the wind mills. Responsibility of this paper goes all the way to the top, we like it or not. Showing the big brother like a lamb not responsible is not healthy it is just a maneuver against religious minds in the country that we desperately need to open dialogue with. Those are not one or two they have institutions and colleges and they are growing significantly and government can not keep led on them for ever. There is a question begs for answer, how this committee dares to have Muslims polygamy forced on the Christians. Are they that powerful or it was just purposely embedded and leaked to Mr. Kudsi. Is there a reason for doubt, I think so.
3-Yes Mr. Kudsi attacked the civil society in one of their symbols Mr. Haj Saleh, and there were a lot of other blogs, permitted blogs inside Syria, attacking the annidaa.org opposition site because they did not mention this issue.
4-I did not say that because Mr. Haj Saleh, spent 20 years in prison we should adopt his views, I said the guy is giving a lot on the level of philosophy and social analytical that he does not deserves disrespect because he differ with Mr. Kudsi on this issue.
5-As you see, this entire storm did not sound right, it is like someone threw a bone to let others chew one it. Our problem is not only this law which did not show the light but the emergency law which stripped the country of any law. We need laws and order emergency laws. We need an open system all have stake in it, we need committees that have representation from all. Opposition is not luxury things or extra, it is a necessity for the operation of the deteriorated state of the country. Opposition is necessity for the current regime to gain legitimacy, but still maneuvering and trying to imprison other views and block them. The regime thinks that his continues effort to put wedge between them is the way to solve the problems but I think it is the way to exasperate the problem and to prevent any chance for one society in the future.

July 10th, 2009, 1:19 pm

 

trustquest said:

وإقصاء الآخر
جديع دواره
2009/ 07/ 09
لماذا انتظرنا أكثر من نصف قرن لمناقشة قضية من أهم واعقد شؤون حياتنا..!؟ القانون الذي لا يترك تفصيل صغير في حياتنا الشخصية إلا ويحشر انفه به.
وضع الرئيس السوري الراحل أديب الشيشكلي قانون الأحوال الشخصية مطلع خمسينات القرن الماضي، وهو مستمد من نصوص تعود معظمها إلى العهد العثماني وما قبل. رغم أن التاريخ المعاصر للبشرية عرف العديد من الثورات طالت كل معارف البشر بكل المجالات بما فيها القانونية- الحقوقية ولم تترك حجرا على حجر، انهارت أمم وصعدت أمم، ومع ذلك بقينا نحن السوريون صامدون ننتظر الفرج.
جاء الفرج على يد اللجنة “السرية”، والمؤلفة من خمسة أشخاص “سريين” برئاسة وزير العدل، عملوا لمدة سنتين في الغرف المغلقة، وعندما قدّموا ثمرة عملهم انهالت عليهم الانتقادات من كلّ حدبٍ وصوب.
لكن للإنصاف علينا أن نلحظ في عمل اللجنة فضيلة، فإيقاظ كل هذه الانتقادات من تحت الرماد، و التي لا يتوقع لها ان تهدأ قبل ان تثير المزيد من النقاش و”المماحكات” الفكرية والحقوقية، فضيلة تستحق اللجنة شرف إثارتها مع كل ما سينتج عنها لاحقاً..!
طبعا ليس هذا كل الحقيقة، ولا بعضها، فلجنة التعديل تشكلت بقرار من رئاسة مجلس الوزراء قبل عامين، وهذا في جانب منه يكشف ضعف الحراك المجتمعي، بما فيها المؤسسات الرسمية المعنية، وكل ما ستفعله هذه المؤسسات سيبقى لاحقا وملحقا بالقرار ونتاجا له، وليس بكل تأكيد صانعا له ولا حتى موحيا به.
هذا يقودنا إلى التساؤل لماذا الحكومة اختارت هذه الطريقة..؟ أليست البداهة تقول بان القوانين يجب ان توضع لخدمة البشر، في توافق مع إراداتهم الحرة بما يشكل قانون وطني يحترم حقوق الجميع، يمنحهم حقوق متساوية بوصفهم مواطنين سوريين، اولا وقبل كل شيء وليس أرقام في قبائل أو طوائف..
إذن، لماذا لم يتم إشراك هؤلاء البشر..؟ حسن النوايا يجعلنا نفترض سيناريو يقوم على أن الحكومة فوضت اللجنة، وان اللجنة كان عليها أن تعقد ورشات عمل استشارية على اقل تقدير، لكن اللجنة لم تفعل..!
هذا الاحتمال الايجابي الوحيد كمبرر لسلوك الحكومة، يخلق تساؤلات “أدق رقبة”، فكيف للسيد وزير العدل وهو الرمز المفترض لمؤسسته، أن يرأس لجنة منوط بها وضع قانون يمس حياة 20 مليون سوري، ولا يتم تعديله إلا كل 50 سنه مرة، أن لا يسعى إلى إشراك أوسع طيف من المختصين والمعنيين والحقوقيين وبكل شفافية وعلنية..!
كيف يمكن ان يقوم التعديل بناءا على جلسات في غرف مغلقة، بدلا من الدراسات الميدانية والتخصصية لمعرفة ماذا طرأ على حياة السوريين من تغيير، لدراسة المؤشرات، لمعرفة أهم الإشكالات التي يعاني منها القانون الحالي، بالرجوع لمئات القضايا المنظورة أمام المحاكم وهذا اضعف الإيمان.
في نظرة سريعة على مشروع التعديل، سأتجاوز الكثير من التعابير التي لها دالاتها كما “الموطوءة” و”الذمي” والكلام عن عقد الزواج بوصفه “عقد نكاح” وسأعرض مثالا هامشيا، باب اللعان أو باب الأحكام الخاص بالرضاعة، وإرضاع الغير، يكفي أن ننظر في هذا الكم الهائل للأحكام، لندرك بان الواقع الحاضر للحياة التي نحياها مغيبة، لصالح حضور كثيف لعصور (كانت تحتاج لمثل هذا التدبير) تختلف عن متطلبات وظروف الحياة المعاصرة..
سبق للمفكر المغربي د.محمد عابد الجابري، في مشروعه لتفكيك بنية العقل العربي، أن اكتشف ثلاث ركائز يقوم عليها هذا العقل وهي، الغنيمة والقبيلة، والعقيدة، والعقل الذي صاغ هذا المشروع بخطوطه العامة ودون الدخول بالتفاصيل لا يخرج عن هذه الركائز إلا في إضافة “السرية” التي تعتبر اكتشاف يحسب له، في سابقة لا يحسد عليها.
فالمشروع يتعامل معنا بوصفنا قبائل وعشائر لا بل وأفخاذ.. لكل منها عقيدتها الخاصة، فإحداها تقبل الطلاق وأخرى ترفضه، واحدة تقبل بتعدد الزوجات وأخرى تكتفي لرجالها بواحدة، عقيدة لا تقبل بإرجاع المطلقة وأخرى تقبله بشرط ان تتزوج المطلقة من رجل آخر ثم يطلقها لتعود إلى زوجها الأول..واحدة تبيح لرجالها مصاهرة الطوائف الأخرى ولا تسمح لنسائها، ورابعة لا تسمح لا للرجال ولا للنساء..
المشروع مكتوب بروح العقيدة كما يفهم العقيدة القائمون على صياغة المشروع، (وهذا لا يعني ان هناك تطابق بين فهمهم والعقيدة نفسها)، فلم يتركوا فرصة لشد “اللحاف” لصالح رؤيتهم إلا واشتغلوا عليها، وصلت حد إقصاء مجموعات دينية بكاملها (في سوريا أديان أخرى غير الإسلام والمسيحية واليهودية)، وحتى بالنسبة للأديان المعروفة تم إدخال مفاهيم غريبة على عقائدهم، جعلت أصحابها يصرخون معبرين عن الرفض.
اما الغنيمة (المصالح المادية) فظهرت بأكثر من شكل وصيغة، فالمشروع حافظ على النظرة الدونية للمرأة، بوصفها كائن تابع، ناقص الأهلية (شهادة امرأتين تقابل شهادة رجل) وانتقصت حقوقها المادية (من ارث وممتلكات مشتركة) والمعنوية “السلطوية”، وكأننا ما زلنا في زمن “الموطوءة” زمن الزوجة التي لا تستطيع حتى زيارة أهلها إلا بتصريح من زوجها تحت تهديد الطلاق، تنجب وترضع وتصون نفسها، وتطيع سيدها بقوة القانون الذكوري بامتياز، وتحت تهديد الطلاق..
وكأن “العرب” خلافا لكل أمم البشر، لم يقتنعوا بعد بان هذا الكائن الأنثى هو إنسان أولا وقبل أي شيء أخرى، وكونها امرأة فهذه صفات بيولوجية-جسدية لا يمس كينونتها كمخلوق بشري كانسان وبالتالي حقوقها..!
أما عقل ومنهج اللجنة التي وضعت مشروع القانون، في تناولها لـ”علاقات البشر” موضوع مشروع القانون، اعتمدت ما سماه الجابري، قياس “الغائب” على “الشاهد”، اي فتحوا كتب الأولين، التي هي نقطة انطلاقهم ومرجعهم، وبحثوا بها عن أحكام وفتاوى ونصوص ليطبقوها على الواقع الحالي، الحَكَمْ لديهم هو النص التاريخي، المقدس، الثابت، وما حركة الواقع وتطور علاقات البشر طيلة قرون الا حركة داخل النص، لا معنى لها ان لم تطابق النص، وان فعلت (أي خرجت على النص) هي شذوذ وتمرد، ومن هنا يمكن أن نفسر الباعث وراء كل الجرائم التي راح ضحيتها نساء تزوجوا من خارج طوائفهم، أو قاموا بسلوكيات تخرج على النص (جرائم الشرف)، سلوكهم جاء مستندا إلى بنية “ثقافية” تقوم على الانتصار للعقيدة (كما يفهما أصحابها)، التي لا تقبل الخروج والخارجين عليها، وتعتبر ان قتله، هو انتصار لها ضد من يحاول المس بها، أي تمارس الإقصاء بحده الأقصى وهو زوال الطرف الآخر ماديا.
تطور العلاقات الاجتماعية طيلة مئات السنين لا يعنيهم، تطور القوانين والحقوق والثقافات، الثقافة المكتسبة بحكم تغير ظروف اجتماع البشر، لا تعنيه، المهم ان ينطبق النص”الغائب” على “الشاهد” واقع البشر في كل زمان ومكان، وهذا بالضبط ما جعل العقل العربي يجتر نفس طيلة عقود، ولنصبح فعلا مغتربين عن العالم، بحده الحضاري الإنساني، غرباء عن ثقافة الفرد بإرادته الحرة، بوصفه كائن حي، له كيان حقوقي، بوصفه مواطن، يتمتع بحقوق المواطنة بصرف النظر عن معتقده الديني أو جنسه (ذكر ام أنثى).
بكلام آخر، اجتماع البشر يقوم بمستواه القانوني، على عقد بين المواطنين، مبدأه المساواة والعدل بين الجميع، والدولة تحرسه وتحميه بوصفها الضامن لحقوق مواطنيها، وهي بهذا المعنى لا تفوض سلطتها لأحد، لا للمرجعيات الدينية ولا لغيرها، لان تفويض الهيئات الدينية يعزز وجودها كسلطات سيادية (تنتمي لمرحلة ما قبل قيام الدولة) على حساب سيادة الدولة، وهذا ما يهدد الدولة السورية بصفتها المدنية العلمانية.
بنفس الوقت هذه ليست دعوة لان يتوقف الزواج في الكنيسة أو لدى هيئة روحية أو لدى شيخ، وهذا ليس مجال عمل الدولة، بل هي تحترمه ولا تتدخل به، لكن حين يتعلق الأمر بالنزاع على الحقوق بنتيجة هذا الزواج، فهي تطبق قانونها السيادي، قانون الدولة العصرية، التي تحترم العهود الدولية وشرعة حقوق الإنسان، كما كل أمم الأرض، وتركيا كدولة إسلامية لها تجربة مهمة على هذا المستوى، وكذلك تونس، فلماذا لا تكون سوريا أيضا.

July 10th, 2009, 2:48 pm

 

Avi said:

The only thing i fail to understand is what does all of this have to do with the golan???last comment promise jad…

July 10th, 2009, 3:04 pm

 

jad said:

عزيزي السيد بسام القاضي،

اشكر لك مداخلتك و أنا اتفهم جيداً مقدار الجهد الذي تبذله من خلال عملك و المرصد.
وأعتقد أنه لولا هذا الجهد من قبلكم وقبل عدد صغير جداً من السوريين المؤمنين بسوريا أولاً لما حصل هذا النقاش و أظهر الفراغ الكبير للمجتمع في صنع القرارات التي تعنيه وتؤثر في حياته و اتمنى أن تكون هذه الخطوة الأولى لبناء مجتمع مدني أكثر تماسكاً في سورية.

شكراً

July 10th, 2009, 3:47 pm

 

Joshua said:

Dear Bassam al-Qadi,

Like JAD, I would also like to thank you on behalf of many SC readers for you extraordinary efforts to provide analysis of the Person Status Laws and to provide a forum in which Syrians can discuss them. You work is much appreciated and valued.

Best, Joshua

July 10th, 2009, 4:09 pm

 

jad said:

Trustquest,
I want to sincerely thank you for this very important debate you are promoting, I agree with most of what you wrote with couple disagreement that are not important comparing to the main big case most of us believe in:

-I agree that the emergency law is the devil that we must get rid of to build a better Syria

-I agree that the respect and including all different spectrum of the Syrian society is a must to build a better Syria

-I agree that the government and the regime are one and I did attack the PM in my comment not the committee because I believe that the responsibility should be on the PM shoulders and I kind of agree with the article you liked for M. Dawara that this lousy committee doing such a dangerous work has in a way some benefit by making the civil society to wake up and notice that it needs to be included and it needs to exist and be loud regardless of the government (regime) opinion, THE CIVIL SOCIETY AND ORGANIZATION MUST EXIST AND MUST LET ITS VOICE LOUD AND CLEAR.

The few points I disagree or differ from you about are:

– (Mr. Kudsi attacked the civil society in one of their symbols Mr. Haj Saleh) I’ll stick with your rule that the civil society has many different voices and faces so replying to one of those voices doesn’t automatically conclude attacking all the civil society, and some of those voices may not be right at that specific issue.

– (he does not deserves disrespect because he differ with Mr. Kudsi on this issue) it’s a two way road here, Haj Saleh did attack with a disrespectfull language first and to be frank he deserve the reply

– (As you see, this entire storm did not sound right, it is like someone threw a bone to let others chew one it.) With all this storm goods/bads with/against I personally think it has a priceless benefit that it wakes us up on our sad reality and it showed us that we are not as handicapped as we thought we are to stand against any wrong doing by the government and it should be an example for any future debates.

Thank you again Trustquest and be sure that I didn’t take any word you wrote in any negative way but the opposite I appreciate every word and thought your wrote about, beside what is the point of a debate if we always agree on everything.

July 10th, 2009, 4:16 pm

 

trustquest said:

Thanks Jad,
Let me lift the following demands which seem that we all cherish and feel their urgency:

– Remove emergency Law and put back our constitution into work, we need Laws not decrees.
– Prime minister should resign, he showed the backward face of the country and he planted the seeds of hate. Mr. President shows us action unless you are a conspirator with him.
-From now on free election must be utilized; it hurt to see all countries around the world take advantage of inclusion while we still see our country practice exclusion.
– Unblock the sites of the Civil Societies in all its spectrum they are doing good not harm to the people, people need to start to contribute and use their brains. Staying in place motionless is the way for the dark ages, and Mr. president you are responsible for that.
– Let people TALK, it has been too long, otherwise expect explosion when they open their mouths.
– Change is ripe and any delay is harmful and authority needs to stop placing wedges between the sects, religions and organization.
– Time for change can not be postponed.
– We reject redlines and society need to breath.

July 10th, 2009, 4:56 pm

 

jad said:

Trustquest
I agree on each and every demand you are asking for and I doubt that Syrians would think twice when you give them this list. That is the least the Syrian deserve and its time to get it.

July 10th, 2009, 5:16 pm

 

Majhool said:

Very interesting discussion so far. TQ and I are pretty much saying the same thing.

Intentions aside, I suggest that the next time around when there is a “national debate”, to avoid creating that Muslim monster again. It does not help. Any monster being worked out would be the sole responsibility of the government since it has the ultimate control.

July 10th, 2009, 5:17 pm

 

trustquest said:

I would love to hear the reaction to the above demands from all Syrians commenting and reading SC, not only you Jad.

Norman, Alex, Majed, Offended, Tdesco, OTW, Shami, others, and even the one who have kid half Americans and half Syrian, Mr. Joshua himself the owner of this blog. We need to know on what ground you guys stand we do not want to feel that we are talking in vacuum. I know all of you liberal and practice democracy in your place and wish it for the people of Syria, but still show some support for civil society before they disappear due to negligence from all parties. Guys please voice your opinion if have one and show some love for that country which going south rapidly and the civil law is the example.

Send a message to regime and authority reflecting your vision not and the urgency not only your analysis of the regime actions.

I wonder if those demands are the most essentials ones which we should consider them as a starting point. If any have to add please be my guest.

July 10th, 2009, 8:26 pm

 

jad said:

I translate the demands you introduce Trustquest, please let me know if I edit your wording too much, I didn’t mean to:

إلغاء قانون الطوارئ و العودة الى العمل من خلال الدستور، لا نحتاج إلى قوانين ومراسيم.

رئيس الوزراء يجب ان يستقيل لأنه أظهر الوجه المتخلف من البلاد وزرع بذور الكراهية. سيدي الرئيس ، ما لم يتم ذلك فالمسؤولية ملقاة على عاتقك

من الآن فصاعدا نريدانتخابات حرة؛ تشعر بالألم لرؤية جميع بلدان العالم تستفيد مما لديها في حين أننا نرى ممارسة الإقصاء ما تزال السياسة المتبعة

رفع الحظر المفروض على مواقع الإنترنت للمجتمعات المدنية من جميع الأطياف و التي لم تمارس العنف ضد المجتمع المدني السوري
فهناك حاجة ماسة لإشراك المواطن السوري في مثل تلك النقاشات للإستفادة من الخبرات الموجودة لما هو من مصلحة سوريا لأن حالة السبات هي الطريق الأقصر لتخلف المجتمع و نريد من سيادة الرئيس المساهمة الشخصية في ذلك.

لا ضرر من السماح للمواطنين السوريين من الكلام عما يردونه إذا كان لمصلحة سوريا من غير خوف.

قد حان وقت التغيير و أي تأخير أو تأجيل يعتبر مضراًوالسلطة بحاجة إلى التوقف عن وضع الأسافين بين الطوائف والأديان والمنظمات.

المجتمع بحاجة إلى التنفس بحرية وبدون خوف إذا اردنا لخطوطنا الحمراء أن تزول.

July 10th, 2009, 9:27 pm

 

trustquest said:

Thank you Jad, translation not bad at all,

Here is a present for you ( kind of funny) just published online relating to the amendment of law 548 regarding adding 2 year minimum punishment for the passion killing of female caught in the act:
http://damascusschool.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/%d8%a7%d8%b9%d8%aa%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d9%80%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%b6-%d8%a7%d9%84/

This is one paragraph:
وفي كل الأحوال فان الذي سن هذا القانون في الأساس يعاني من اعتلالٍ خطير في البداهة , فمن المعروف أن القانون السوري يأخذ الكثير من تشريعاته مستندا إلى قوانين معظم العقود الفئوية الدينية التي تتخذ من ارض سوريا وطنا, وليس هنالك من عقد فئوي واحد يؤيد هذا التشريع المريض, فمن أين أتى حكم القبائل هذا؟
Although I do not understand fully the language and the words they are using, but in general you can get the idea.
Aiming from pasting this to say that some religious group are “some times” ahead of
some civil groups, which give you idea on the colorful society we are talking about.

July 10th, 2009, 11:14 pm

 

jad said:

Trustquest,
Dr Raiek Alnakari is the only Syrian philosopher who has his own school of philosophy registered in the west, he is one of my favorite writers, he is an excellent reference for almost everything political and religious.
I love the way they analyse and I love their articles, his school is in my humble opinion the only school that deals with the core of everything wrong through a philosophical and analytical approach that lead somewhere.
His “Hayawic Logic” theory is simply excellent, I agree that it is a bit difficult to understand and to get involved in the dialog but just reading it and going through the articles they produce and the rich debate they create is fulfilling and make you feel smarter.
I highly respect Dr. Alnakari.

http://damascusschool.wordpress.com/
http://damascusschool.com/

July 10th, 2009, 11:30 pm

 

trustquest said:

Jad,
I found Mr. Haj Saleh articles about the civil Law, I found it the best of what was written in this subject. I did not find the reasoning for criticizing this great thinker. Read his first article legitimately questioning the timing and the way constructed and leaked. Then read his real views in the second article regarding this sectarian law.

تساؤلات بشأن مشروع قانون الأحوال الشخصية السوري الجديد

ياسين الحاج صالح
لدينا في سورية مشهد سريالي عجيب بحق ‘لجنة سرية’ تشكلت في يونيو 2007 لوضع مشروع قانون الأحوال الشخصية الجديد، وهي مكونة من عدة أفراد وتثير فزعاً هيستيرياً وجدلاً واسع النطاق داخل الأوساط السورية في ظل غموض المهمة وغرابة الانتقادات والمخاوف التي تحيط بأداء اللجنة ومشروع القانون.
مريب إلى أقصى حد كل ما يحيط بـ«مشروع قانون الأحوال الشخصية» الجديد الذي تسرب إلى التداول العام أخيرا في سورية. من حيث مضمونه الذي سأخصه بمادة مستقلة، المشروع «رجعي» بأتم معنى للكلمة، واقع الحياة اليوم وقانون الأحوال الشخصية المعمول به منذ أكثر من 55 عاما متقدمان عليه، وهو تمييزي بعد: منحاز للمسلم ضد غير المسلم، وللذكر ضد الأنثى؛ ويفتح الباب لقضايا الحسبة، ولا ترد فيه كلمة مواطن قط، ولا يحيل قط إلى اعتبارات تنموية أو سكانية أو سياسية أو اجتماعية أو أخلاقية. المشروع مفتقر تماما لحس العدالة وحس المواطنة وحس العصر. ينضبط فقط بإرادة التطابق مع ما يفترض أنه الشرع الإسلامي. هذا كل شيء. لا الزمن موجود، ولا البلد، ولا المجتمع، إنه مشروع هاذٍ (منفصل عن الواقع) بصورة تذكر بفتاوى واجتهادات كثيرة تصدر في السنوات الأخيرة عن «علماء» إسلاميين.
ومما أمكن لنا معرفته من ردود عنيفة ضد المشروع الذي لم يدافع عنه أحد أن «لجنة سرية» تشكلت في يونيو 2007 لوضعه بتكليف من رئيس الوزراء (ربما عبر وزير العدل)، وأن العضو الوحيد المعروف في اللجنة أستاذ في كلية الشريعة في جامعة دمشق، وأن كل أعضائها ذكور، وليس بينهم أحد غير مسلم، ويبدو أنه ليس بينهم حقوقيون أيضا.
السؤال الكبير، بل رزمة الأسئلة الكبيرة التي تثار في هذا الصدد هي: لماذا تشكلت اللجنة من فقهاء لا من حقوقيين؟ من اختار أعضاءها على هذه الصورة؟ لماذا هي سرية؟ ما التوجيهات والإيحاءات التي تلقاها أعضاء اللجنة عند الشروع بعملهم الذي استغرق نحو عامين؟ وهل في حصر عضوية اللجنة بعلماء الشريعة ما أعطاهم ضوءا أخضر لوضع المشروع بما يطابق انحيازاتهم العَقَدية والاجتماعية؟ وهل أعطي لهم انطباع بأنهم أحرار في عملهم؟ وهل يحتمل أنه قيل لهم: نريد منكم مشروع قانون للأحوال الشخصية وفق «الشريعة الإسلامية»؟ وفي سورية المتعددة اجتماعيا وثقافيا، والتي تُحكِم السلطات السياسية والأمنية فيها قبضتها على الحياة العامة، كيف تُرك أمر وضع مشروع قانون بالغ الأهمية لمجموعة موحدة الهوى الإيديولوجي، يعرض الحكم السوري ما لا يقل عن ارتياب عميق حيال إيديولوجيتها وولاءاتها؟ منذ متى كان رجال الدين هم المعتمدون الحصريون في وضع أي قوانين سورية؟ ولماذا لم نسمع بعد أكثر من شهر من تسرب المشروع، وما قيل في حقه من كلام خطير جدا (تحويل سورية إلى إمارة طالبانية، تفتيتها طائفيا وتدميرها، يمهد لسيول من الدم، أمراء الظلام، يجروننا لحقول الدم، مؤامرة كبرى، فكر تكفيري ظلامي يدعو إلى إخراجنا من بلدنا، استعادة بلهاء لماض بالغ البلاهة، الجلابيب… إلخ) أي رد من قبل اللجنة أو من قبل الجهة التي كلفتها لإعداد المشروع، مجلس الوزراء ووزارة العدل وربما وزارة الأوقاف؟ هل ثمة من يرغب في إشغال الناس ببعضهم وتخويفهم من بعضهم ودفع أزمة الثقة الوطنية إلى مستويات غير مسبوقة؟ وهل هناك من يريد إشعال حريق، يتولى من ثم إطفائه، بعد تفريق قلوب الناس وحفر خنادق الشك والعدواة فيما بينهم؟ وهل سيُرَدُّ المشروع بعد هذه المناورة الحربية المقلقة، أو ربما يقرُّ فعلا ليمنح الإطفائي دورا تحكيميا دائما؟ أو من أجل صيغة دائمة لتقاسم السيادة بين أهل الدولة وأهل الدين، تغلق الباب نهائيا دون أي مطالبات سياسية؟
هذا كله غريب ومريب. وليس أقل غرابة أن التعليقات والكتابات التي تطرقت للمشروع لم تكد تطرح سؤالا واحدا بخصوص السياق السياسي والمؤسسي الذي يندرج ضمنه. ندد الناس بالمشروع ومؤلفيه، أحيانا بلغة عنيفة وتحريضية، من شأنها أن تثلج قلب «اللجنة السرية» المتلهفة على تمزيق سورية طائفيا على قول خصومها الغاضبين. بدا من عشرات المقالات التي كتبت أن «اللجنة السرية» البائسة تلك سيدة نفسها وقرارها، دولة أو دونها الدولة، لكن وجِّه لوم خفيف لرئاسة الوزراء، كما لو أن هذه بدورها سيدة نفسها وقرارها.
ينبغي الارتياب في هذه القصة كلها. أولاً لأن من واجب الكاتب والمثقف والمهتم بالشأن العام أن يرتاب في أولي السلطان، السياسي والديني، وأصحاب المصالح عموما. الارتياب حقه والتزامه الأساسي. وثانيا لأن المشروع مثار الجدل تكتنفه من ألفه إلى يائه التباسات متنوعة. من تأليف اللجنة الواضعة، إلى سريتها، إلى تركيبتها، إلى المضمون العفن لما تفتقت عنه قرائح أعضائها، إلى تعارض القصة كلها مع طبائع الأحوال السورية ومواطن السلطة والقرار الحقيقة فيها، إلى الصمت بشأنها رغم ارتفاع فوري لا ينكر في الوعي الذاتي الفئوي بفضل المشروع كما في منسوب التعادي الاجتماعي.. هل هذا هو المطلوب؟
كل هذا خطير، ومرشح لمزيد من الخطر، وهذا مسوغ إضافي للارتياب، فكيف يُكتفى بمهاجمة مضمون المشروع، ولا تساءل الحكومة والسلطات العمومية عن ملابسات هذه السيرة الغريبة بالتفصيل؟ في غياب شرح شاف ومقنع من قبل السلطات، نجد التنديد بالمشروع وحده، وهو جدير بالتنديد، سكوتا على ما قد يكون أسوأ بكثير، على تلاعب متعمد بالعلاقات بين الجماعات الدينية والمذهبية السورية، بما يتيح التحكم بها جميعا.
لدينا مشهد سريالي وعجيب بحق: «لجنة سرية» (على الجمهور العام وليس على السلطات) مكونة من عدة أفراد، تثير فزعا هستيريا عند جمهور واسع، بينما الحكومة موجودة، والنظام الحاكم الشهير بسريته بأتم الصحة، وحالة الطوارئ المعمرة متجددة الشباب، وتمضي الأيام ولا يقدم «النظام الأمني» الأمن للخائفين. هل يشاركهم الارتجاف هلعا من تلك «اللجنة السرية»؟ وما يضفي على هذا المشهد السريالي مزيدا من الغرابة أن كاتبا واحدا فقط بين عشرات أظهر حسا نقديا، وطرح أسئلة متشككة. هل هذا معقول؟ وهل الخوف من السلطات هو وحده ما يبرره؟ ألا يبدو كأن «مشروع قانون الأحوال الشخصية» الجديد مناسبة لقول الأشياء نفسها بنبرة أعلى، بعد أن كانت تقال دوما لكن بنبرة أقل حدة؟ لتأكيد المواقف والانحيازات والولاءات نفسها علانية ومنحها سندا وطنيا؟ مواقف وانحيازات وولاءات من صنف ما يؤخذ على المشروع التعيس من مساس بالمواطنة والوحدة الوطنية.
كأن هناك من كان ينتظر ضربات الطبل ليباشر الرقص.
* كاتب سوري

الطائفية والأحوال الشخصية في سورية

ياسين الحاج صالح
أشرنا في مقالة سابقة (الجريدة، 25/6) إلى أن جميع واضعي مشروع قانون الأحوال الشخصية الجيد في سورية ذكور مسلمون (سنيون)، وحسب معلومات أتيحت أخيرا يبدو أن بعضهم كانوا مشتغلين بالقضاء الشرعي. ما شأن هؤلاء ليضعوا أحكاما تخص الدروز والمسيحيين واليهود («الكتاب» الحادي عشر من المشروع)؟ التساؤل مبرر بواقع أن مشروع القانون ينضبط بتصور السوريين كمجموعات دينية، لا كمواطنين ينتظمهم قانون واحد. مجموعات دينية؟ إذن فلتشرع كل واحدة لنفسها. ثم يحال الكل إلى لجنة عليا، تصدر المجموع في قانون شامل للأحوال الشخصية. أما أن ينظر إلى السوريين كمجموعات معرفة بأديانها، ثم يتولى مشرعون منسبون إلى جماعة واحدة التشريع لغيرهم فهذا غير مقبول شكلا، حتى لو راعى هؤلاء المشرعون شرائع المجموعات المعنية بأتم الحرص.
والحال أنهم لم يفعلوا. في لغته، وفي عشرات من مواده، استخدام المشروع رطانة فقهية إسلامية قديمة، وأظهر فظاظة في المشاعر حيال غير المسلمين، واستخدم تعابير استفزازية بحقهم، غريبة على العصر وعلى قراءات أكثر انفتاحا لـ«الشريعة الإسلامية».
في المادتين 38 و48 من مشروع القانون استخدمت كلمة «ذمي» التي تضمر نظرية سياسية تكون السيادة وفقا لها للمسلمين، ويكون غير المسلمين منقوصي المواطنة.
والحال أن هذه النظرية تنتمي لنظام فكري متمركز حول الدين والسماء، مما لم يعد مطابقا لعصرنا، ومما تعد المثابرة عليه تنطعا واستبدادا بأمر الناس جميعا، المسلمين كما غير المسلمين. وفي غير مادة تكلم المشروع على الارتداد عن الإسلام وعلى المرتدين.. يقرر بند في المادة 63 مثلا عدم انعقاد «زواج المرتد عن الإسلام أو المرتدة ولو كان الطرف الآخر غير مسلم». والسؤال هنا: من يعرف المرتد والمرتدة، ويقرر انطباق التعريف على هذا أو هذه؟ ويبدو أن هناك إجابة ممكنة عن هذا السؤال في المادتين 21 و22 اللتين تتكلمان على إنشاء نيابة عامة شرعية تتولى النظر في أمور بينها «فسخ الزواج» حتى لو لم يكن للمدعي مصلحة في ذلك. هذا ما رأى فيه حقوقيون فتح باب لدعاوى الحسبة، وما تفتحه من باب للكيد، ومحاسبة محتملة للمعارضين للسلطة الدينية من مثقفين علمانيين ونساء متحررات، فضلا عن تعارضها مع مبدأ حصر السيادة بالدولة (ينبغي القول إن فكرة قانون غير مدني للأحوال الشخصية تتعارض بحد ذاتها مع وحدانية السيادة واستقرارها في الدولة). ويعرف المشروع كفاءة الزوج بـ«الصلاح في الدين وعرف البلد غير المخالف للشرع» (المادة 53)، ما يعني منح الجهات الدينية سلطة تحديد صلاح الناس من عدمه، وما يجعل معيار الصلاح «الشرع» كما يحدده القائمون عليه. وفي المادة 155 يقرر المشروع أن نفقة الزوجة على زوجها «ولو كانت كتابية». وكلمة «لو» هنا تبخيسية واستفزازية و«طائفية». أما محتوى المادة فمؤشر على نزعة شرعوية ضيقة، منفصلة تماما عن حس العدالة، ناهيك بـ«المودة والرحمة».
وقبل ذلك، كان المشروع قرر في المادة 13 أنه «عند اختلاف طائفة الزوجين تكون المحكمة المختصة بالنزاع المتعلق بالحقوق المبينة في المادة السابقة (الزواج والمهر وانحلال الزواج…) هي محكمة الطائفة التي ينتمي إليها الزوج». في هذه المادة ضرب من شطارة لا يكاد يكون خفيا. فمن المعلوم أنه عند اختلاف الدين بين الزوجين يكون الزوج دوما مسلما، لأنه سيتعين عليه إن كانت الزوجة مسلمة وكان أصلا غير مسلم أن يتحول إلى الإسلام.
ليس الغرض استيفاء مواد المشروع التي تتضمن تمييزا دينيا فظا، فقد تناولتها عشرات المقالات الناقدة للمشروع. أختم بهذا البند من المادة 38: «تجوز شهادة الذمي إذا كانت الزوجة كتابية، حين الضرورة، ولكن لا يثبت الزواج إذا جحده الزوج المسلم، ويثبت إذا جحدته الكتابية»! هذا بند يجمع بين التمييز الديني والجنسي والفظاظة والافتقار التام إلى حس العدالة.
في المجمل المشروع متمركز بصورة فظة حول «الإسلام» و«الشرع الإسلامي»، المتماثل مع ذاته دوما، بصورة لا تراعي مصلحة سورية والمجتمع السوري اليوم. لافت للنظر أن المشروع لم يصدّر بمقدمة تحدد «فلسفته» أو الرؤية العامة التي ينضبط بها، من نوع الحرص على أسرة سورية متماسكة وفاعلة، أو العمل على قيام مجتمع سوري موحد ومتفاهم وضامن للمساواة بين أفراده أو جماعاته، أو التوجه نحو أوضاع اجتماعية وأسرية أكثر عدالة وإنصافا وتجاوبا مع مقتضيات التنمية، دون أن نقول شيئا عن «الوحدة الوطنية» وتعاطف السوريين وتوادهم فيما بينهم. والواقع أن فكرة أحوال شخصية دينية تتعارض ماهويّاً مع الوحدة الوطنية وتثبت الطائفية. في مشروع القانون الشخصية هذا، وفي القانون الساري حاليا، السوريون مسلمون و«كتابيون».. وليسوا مواطنين. أو لنقل إن المشروع والقانون الحالي لا يمنعانهم من التصرف في أحوالهم الشخصية كمواطنين فقط، وإنما يلزمانهم بالتصرف كمسلمين ومسيحيين وغيرهم، فلا يعترف بوجود لا-مؤمنين ولا علمانيين، ربما يكون بعضهم مؤمنين لكنهم لا يريدون مراعاة الحواجز القانونية المنصوبة بين الجماعات الدينية.
على أن المشروع الذي بين أيدينا ليس طائفيا بمعنى تعريف المشرَّع لهم بأديانهم، بل كذلك لأنه يمنح سلطة التشريع لواحد من هذه الأديان، ولأنه يستخدم تعابير استفزازية في حق جماعات دينية أخرى، ما يمثل خَرَقاً وقلة حكمة حتى من وجهة نظر معيارية إسلامية، وما قد يهدد السلم الوطني.
وهو بعد طائفي بمعنى قد لا يكون ظاهرا، ولم يكد يشير إليه أحد ممن تطرقوا إلى المشروع: إنه يضع «سلطة تعريف الإسلام» بيد النسخة السنية من الإسلام. ومن وجهة نظر وطنية وحقوق إنسانية ليست هذه شرعية أكثر من غيرها، وإن تكن «أكثرية». لست افتعل مشكلة، لكن ليس لنا أن نحتج على ما هو غير عادل إلا حين يتفجر علانية. هذا حمق وقصر نظر. هذا فضلا عن أن الأمر ليس مكتوما إلى الحد.
قبل شهور تزوج صديقان شابان من أصدقائي، رجل مسيحي وامرأة مسلمة تحابّا لسنوات. لكل منهما بيئته الاجتماعية التي لا يرغب ولا يرى مبررا للانفصال عنها. ولقد كان عليهما سلوك طرق متعرجة من أجل إتمام زواجهما بطريقة لا تمس بكرامة أي منهما. ومع ذلك خسرا بعض روابطهما العزيزة. هذا مسيء للمجتمع السوري ككل. نعرف المحطة الأخيرة لتجاوزه: قانون مدني للأحوال الشخصية. لكن بيننا وبينها جهود كبيرة، أولها نظر أكثر نقدية في العلاقة بين الدين والدولة في مجتمعاتنا المعاصرة.
* كاتب سوري

July 11th, 2009, 12:31 am

 

norman said:

Why don’t the laws start in the Parliament with a parliamentary committee that is supposed to represent the people that committee will interview religious leaders and others on national TV so all the people will see where these people stand then present the law to the parliament and if approved , the president needs to sign it and if he vetoes it the parliment will need 2/3 to override , i think a law starts in the parliment will have more justification .

July 11th, 2009, 2:15 am

 

trustquest said:

Norman,
Are you here to tease us only, I have asked top 59 a question regarding law and Jad translated the demand into Arabic 63. The demand or call is for applying the law and you come up with idea relating to after applying the law. First you apply the law and then you make role for how to make more laws. We are screaming here and begging the regime to apply the law by removing the emergency law and you come up with suggestion like let make laws in different way, does this come before of after removing the emergency law. I can see the sarcastic tone but on whom?

July 11th, 2009, 8:53 pm

 
 

Post a comment