Never Forget, and Never Forgive
Instead of decrying Arab despotic rulers "normalizing" the modern Nazi regime of Bashar-al-Assad, it is time to take the fight to the public.
Arab states have normalized ties with the Assad regime, welcoming him back to the Arab League and extending other favors. The unconditional return means the regime, which is directly involved in the killing and maiming of as many as a million people, and displacing millions of others, is now fully rehabilitated. China and Russia were already backing Assad, and the United States was largely an indifferent bystander . While this may seem like the grimmest situation possible, all is not lost yet. Instead of pinning hopes on despotic Arab rules, an indifferent west, and blood-hungry Russians, Syrians and the larger Arab population should take matter into its own hands.
The Assad regime, whose parallels can perhaps only be found in the Nazi regime, never acted alone. Iran has been a steadfast partner from day one, recruiting Shiite militias from across the world to help the regime. Iran also helped Hezbollah, another key proxy, to send thousands of fighters to obliterate the protesters. Russia is another key party to the conflict, leading brutal aerial campaigns to destroy entire cities.
Assad owes his survival to Iran, who has been by his side from day one, and to Russia which has been killing Syrians since 2015. Apart from heinous war crimes like chemical attacks, the regime and its Iranian allies have used ethnic cleansing campaigns to change the demographics of the country. That Iran got away with this blatant crime against humanity — well into the third decade of the twenty-first century — and had the audacity to erect a façade of anti-imperialism around it, is beyond shameful. Iran even exploited the devastating earthquake in Syria to advance its agenda, supplying weapons to Shia militias.
While the western governments have issued lackluster statements condemning the rehabilitation, their own actions are not much different either. From Obama’s infamous red line to European antipathy towards Syrian refugees, the list is seemingly endless. U.S. and allies are complicit in allowing Assad, Iran and Russia to exact revenge on hapless Syrians. In fact, western apathy to Syrian genocide might as well have nudged the Arab rulers to rethink their calculus. Russia was quick to fill the power vacuum.
Things had never been rosy to begin with. Instead of misplaced agony over the “normalization,” which is more of a formality given many had already established diplomatic ties, the Arabs and the global citizens (those who genuinely care about peace and justice) need to join forces to fight this evil.
It is time to fight back and do it solely at the grassroots level. Assad is more a puppet of the mullahs than a sovereign leader. Thus, a complete boycott of all things Iranian, and challenging every attempt by the mullahs and proxies to whitewash the crimes is essential. Similarly, there is a need to push back against Russian and leftist propaganda, more so as they deploy false narratives to justify the massacres. Finally, there is a need for an indigenous, grassroots movement in the Arab world to pivot towards democracy. Despots can never be true representatives of the people.
The fight will not be easy. Almost everyone is trying to make us forget the modern day Holocaust in Syria. The complete disdain for human lives, even if the death toll runs into millions, is a testament to the moral bankruptcy of global elites. But that morality was never righteous to begin with. It is the people who have always taken a stand, forcing their leaders to correct courses. The Syrian situation calls for a similar movement. We should never forget the Syrian genocide. A sustained, intensive public advocacy, naming and shaming, boycotting and sanctioning, and associated actions can salvage the Syrian sacrifice.
Photo by Ahmed akacha from Pexels