Syria and International Solidarity

Simon Pirani’s Review of Impossible Revolution:

https://peopleandnature.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/starting-to-understand-the-
syrian-tragedy/

We all need an understanding of the fate of the Syrian revolution: what it was
up against, how and why was it drowned in blood, what its future holds. To
this end, the publication of Yassin al-Haj Saleh’s book in English is very
welcome.

The Syrian tragedy is a turning-point for movements of social liberation

internationally. A mass popular uprising of exceptional scope and scale was
defeated with an exceptional torrent of violence. In the rich, horrific history of
repressive governments, few have waged such savage, relentless war on their
citizens, or so cynically chosen to destroy the fabric of society by civil war
rather than lose control of it.

Not only did the world’s governments allow the regime a free hand to torture
and murder Syrians, but much of the so-called “left” stayed silent, or even
supported the torturers and murderers. Reckoning with this disaster, and the
reasons for it, is a precondition for any meaningful radical politics in future.

Swathes of the “left” accept at face value the laughable argument that Putin
and Assad’s murderous war on the Syrian population is somehow different
from the Saudi war in Yemen or the Israeli war on the Palestinians, because of
Russia and Syria’s supposed “anti imperialism”. As Leila al-Shami commented:

"It matters little [to Assadists on the so-called “left”] that the Assad regime
itself supported the first Gulf war, or participated in the US illegal rendition
programme where suspected terrorists were tortured in Syria on the CIA’s
behalf. The fact that this regime probably holds the dubious distinction of
slaughtering more Palestinians than the Israeli state is constantly overlooked,
as is the fact that it’s more intent on using its armed forces to suppress
internal dissent than to liberate the Israeli-occupied Golan. (Leila al-Shami,
“The anti imperialism of idiots”, April 2018.)"

The pro-Assad and pro-Putin fantasies rampant in the “left” tell us nothing
about the reality of class and social struggle in the Middle East or Russia.
They only tell us that, even though the “bulwark against imperialism” that
was the Soviet Union collapsed more than a quarter of a century ago,
reactionary statist and authoritarian ways of thinking persist. Such thinking
not only subordinates popular action to state-craft and politics but in these
cases effectively denies that popular action exists.
 …

For a renewal of radical politics, understanding how the “left” has failed [in
relation to Syria] is necessary, but very far from sufficient. We need to
understand the fate of the movements for social liberation in Syria not as we
observe it from afar, but as it is lived. Perhaps some reading groups,
discussing Saleh’s book, would be a start.

Washington Post
Syria’s Assad has become an icon of the far right in America
By Liz Sly and Rick Noack
August 14, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/13/syrias-assad-
has-become-an-unexpected-icon-of-the-far-right-in-america/

(((VERY FAKE NEWS))) - Assad is a modern day hero standing up to

demonic forces seeking to destroy his people and nation - GOD BLESS
ASSAD! https://t.co/yNDJW7RwfM
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) March 13, 2017

Other right-wing leaders have long expressed their support for the Syrian
president and clearly hoped that President Trump, who made flattering
comments about Assad on the campaign trail, would strike up an alliance
with him. Such hopes were also based on the backing Assad has received
from some far-right politicians in Europe. France’s Marine Le Pen, for
example, has said that keeping Assad in power is “the most reassuring
solution.”

Intercept
Why White Nationalists Love Bashar al-Assad
Mariam Elba
September 8 2017, 11:54 a.m.
https://theintercept.com/2017/09/08/syria-why-white-nationalists-love-bashar-al-
assad-charlottesville/

Al Araby
Why Nazis from Charlottesville to Europe love Bashar al-Assad
Date of publication: 17 August, 2017
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2017/8/17/why-nazis-love-bashar-al-
assad