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Tuesday 6 March 2012 - 07:51

To defend Syria is to defend Palestine – An interview with Azzaam Abdal-Hakim

Story Code : 143364
To defend Syria is to defend Palestine – An interview with Azzaam Abdal-Hakim
Islam Times: He is the founder of the People Social Freedom Movement, a British based Political Movement of the left with economic Socialism that is different from Marxism and its Internationalism, with Green Economics and Social Liberalism. 

MO: How is the Syrian issue connected to Palestine? 

AAH: The Syrian Crises is connected to the Palestinian issue mainly via the Geo-Politics of the region. This area is the crossroads of civilizations, the Middle of the World if you will where East meets West in an ecliptic mix. Palestine and Israel conflict has been going on since 1947 most would agree with the Nakba and the creation of Israel. During this long conflict there have been some 5 million Palestinians displaced into a Diaspora where they are in exile across the World, somewhat like a role reverse from what the Jewish people where once claimed to have been. Naturally these displaced Palestinians wanted to remain close to home and in an area where they knew the culture and language and could assimilate into the society of their adopted home well. So according to the Palestinian Return Centre and the United Nations Human Rights Watch have demonstrated many Palestinians entered into Syria across the border from the West Bank area of Palestine which, is under the control of Mahmoud Abbas, the PA, PLO, al Aqsa Brigade and Fatah the Political Party of President Abbas. According, to these reputable organization Syria has taken in thousands of Palestinians and granted them almost quasi-citizenship, where they can work and obtain some education and health care which, really contrasts compared to Palestinian Refugee’s in Jordan or Lebanon or Iraq or Egypt. So there is a natural connection between Palestine and the Syrian Conflict in terms of Geo-Politics and Populations in Diaspora. 

MO: It is often said by the opposition that Sunnis are oppressed in Syria. Is this true? 

AAH: No it is not true, this is media sensationalism or lies somebody has dreamed up. I know many Sunni Muslims who are accepting of Bashar al Assad Baathist Socialist Arab Party. There are Sunni Palestinians who support him who are in the Diaspora, remember Palestine is predominantly a Sunni Muslim Country with a considerable Christian minority. In Syria, the minorities like Alawites, which Assad belongs, Christians, Shi’ites, Druze are all protected well under the law and it is why they have remained steadfast in loyalty to President Assad and his reform packages he has presented and had a new Constitution voted on. 

But to be fair and balanced I must say there are some Sunni’s opposed to the Syrian Regime, the Free Syrian Army spiritual leader is a Shiekh called Adnan Aroor, he belongs to the Salafi [Wahhabi] sect, he has called for Sectarian division. He has made inflammatory comments such as all Alawites (branch of Shia Islam) who do not join the Anti Assad Forces will be chopped up in meat grinders and fed to dogs. Yet this same man in the 1970s was jailed when he was a volunteer in the Army and he was found guilty of anally raping soldiers under his rank, a gross abuse of power if ever there was one, this man is using religion to spread the policies of NATO and this is unacceptable to any Sunni who has been aware of the Syrian crises. 

The Salafis are a branch of Sunni Islam that is ultra Conservative and almost a form of Islam of its own, these include parts the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood who are anti President Assad and the official Scholars in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In fact some Salafi Cleric, one in particular who onced offered $10,000 to kidnap an Israeli, has now decreed a fatwa [religious ruling] that killing President Assad is more important than killing a Jew [i.e. Zionist occupier] in his words. This Saudi cleric is Dr. Awad al-Qarni. 

MO: There has just been a referendum for a new constitution. What does this mean? 

AAH: The recent Referendum was a triumph for democracy, in Western General Elections we deem it a good turn out if 40% of the electorate turn out and vote, in Syria out of those eligible to vote more than 70% turned out. President Assad proposed New Constitution which ends the one Party System, allows females to stand for elections, has many far sweeping reforms for the good of Syria won by 90.4% only 9.6% of those who voted rejected the New Constitution which, will now pave the way for elections in 3 months time. Where I’m sure President Assad will receive a majority and popular vote to Govern Syria for however many years are mandated for a term in Syrian law. The turn out for voting was massive and this was even with all the opposition boycotting, seems by this manner less than 30% of people actually support these so called armed Revolutionaries.I fear if Western Invasion occurs then it could have major consequences for the wider region, potentially for the West if Russia attacks like it has said it would do if NATO entered Syria and I fear Zionist Israel would you the diversion of war to annexe more Palestinian land, kill more Palestinians, jail and torture more innocent Palestinians and will end up with the Zionist gaining more Syrian land than just the Golan Heights, which, I for one pray does not happen. My activism and work towards peace and justice will not end and we will continue to lobby for change and speak for change through the People Social Freedom Movement. 

Mohamed Omar is a Swedish freelance writer 
© Islam Times
Reporter : Mohamed Omar
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