The New Statesman on Syria
June 1, 2006
I really, really hate it when the Syrian regime is given credit for religious tolerance in Syria. As if different sects were busy massacring each other before the Baath or the Assads came to put a stop to it - and as if the massacres would automatically start "again" should the latter depart. I know that William Dalrymple means well in his article for The New Statesman, but he is usually a better observer than this.
There are some points he makes I actually don’t understand at all: "Bashar kept himself in power by forming what was in effect a coalition of Syria's religious minorities through which he was able to counterbalance the weight of the Sunni majority." Anyone?
I also can't help but wonder about the following statement: "while political freedoms have always been severely and often brutally restricted, both the current and the previous president, Hafez al-Assad, have allowed the Syrian people widespread cultural and religious freedoms." I think Kurds might beg to differ.
The British weekly has a special issue devoted to Syria and includes a number of pieces in addition to Dalrymple's. Patrick Seale, in an interesting, comprehensive analysis, seems less and less impressed with the current Syrian leadership, writing that "while the father was a master of realpolitik, the son's record has so far been marred by diplomatic blundering, painfully slow domestic reforms and human-rights abuses."
We also get a clichéd, ridiculous piece about the lingerie business in Syria which includes gems such as "wives, according to the Koran, must dance for their husbands." Now I bet you that most Muslim women were not aware of this special religious duty! The article also authoritatively informs this baffled reader that while "lingerie is considered a luxury item in Syria," women who are "brides-to-be collect up to 30 different outfits for their wedding night. The tradition started after the 1973 Yom Kippur war when Syria, as a front-line state against Israel, received heavy investment from Gulf states, and bras were manufactured in the country for the first time." Apparently, before that, Syrian women went au naturel! And Gulf money makes bras. Right.
Another "exclusive" in this edition is a section naming the top ten power-brokers in Syria, a list that includes Ghazi Kanan (I swear). If you can't get to the article (because of the annoying 1 article a day rule), here are the other nine: Bashar Assad, Abdul Halim Khaddam, Riad Seif, Riad Turk, Asma Assad, Omar Amiralay, Rami Makhlouf, Ali Saddredine Al Bayanouni, and Michel Kilo.
Can you tell that the writers aren't exactly Syria specialists? At least they have an excuse, which can't be said for Hazem Saghieh, a supposed Middle East specialist, who writes the following statement about Syrians: "After Hafez al-Assad came to power, Syrians began referring to their country as "the Syria of al-Assad." Even then, their sense of nationhood was defined in terms of their leader rather than the people, or even their territory." Talk about not differentiating between regime and people!
Overall, although I am always pleased to see Syria getting more coverage, I did not find this to be an impressive issue of the magazine. Thankfully, we have a good piece by Yassin Al Haj Saleh to which I didn't find a link, but which I will try to post tomorrow.
