Syria Revolution Digest – Friday 9 November 2012

Reform Baath-Style!

Syrian Revolution Digest – November 09, 2012 

The more things change in the SNC, the worse they become. But we cannot keep blaming the SNC for what is essentially a cultural malaise of our educated elite, a group where ideologies and parochial interests have long become intertwined with and mistaken for national interests. The sacrifices that our people are making will not go in vain, an idol has been smashed and the status quo has been irrevocably shattered, but we still hell to go through before democracy, development and dignity can be reached.

Friday November 09, 2012

Today’s Death Toll: 136

The Breakdown: Toll includes 11 children and 7 women: 33 in Damascus and suburbs, 33 in Deir Ezzor (most in Qourieh), 19 in Aleppo, 12 in Idlib, 10 in Hama, 10 in Homs, 9 in Daraa, 2 in Raqqah, 1 in Hassakeh and 1 in Qunaitera.

Other Developments: LCC documented176 points of random shelling by regime forces: 17 by war jets, 4 using explosive barrels, 65 by mortars, 56 by artillery and 38 by rockets. Rebels clashed with loyalists in 81 points. 446 anti-regime rallies took place. 97 in Idlib, 83 in Hama 72 in Aleppo, 64 in Deir Ezzor, 51 in Damascus and Suburbs, 43 in Daraa, 17 in Homs, 14 in Hassakeh and 5 in Lattakia (LCC).

As rebels took control of the border crossing into Turkey near the town of Ras Al-Ain/Seri Kaniye, they clashed with armed Kurdish rebels affiliated with PYD party, and the local Kurdish local population was not happy seeing Islamist rebels coming into their town. The situation in the majority-Kurdish city remains pretty tense. In other Kurdish-majority cities in Hassakeh, especially Amude and Derbassiyeh, local Kurdish groups moved to kick out the remains of Assad’s security officials and assumed direct control of their cities in order to consolidate their hold and prevent arrival by Islamist rebels. In the Kurdish –majority town of Kobani north of Aleppo, PYD militias fired at a rally organized by other Kurdish groups, in a sign of growing rivalry and tension between different Kurdish groups.

News

Thousands flee Syria in exodus, millions more need aid The U.N. said 11,000 refugees had fled in 24 hours, mostly to Turkey. The influx caused alarm in Ankara, which is worried about its ability to cope with such large numbers and has pushed hard, so far without success, for a buffer zone to be set up inside Syria where refugees could be housed.

UN: Syria ‘Dramatically Deteriorating’ The United Nations says the huge upsurge in the number of civilians fleeing Syria reflects the dramatically deteriorating situation in that country. Aid officials estimate that 2.5 million civilians still inside Syria need humanitarian assistance.

Syria’s main opposition bloc elects Christian former teacher as new president George Sabra, a Communist-turned-social-democrat and former high school teacher who once wrote for the Arabic version of Sesame Street, said his election as head of the Syrian National Council is proof that Syrians are not beholden to sectarianism.

Jordan Said to Help Arm Syria Rebels Shipments Are Routed Through Border as Kingdom Steps Up Aid, Opposition Members Say; Amman Denies Connection

26 Syrian army officers defect to Turkey: report

A Look At Syrian President’s Statements On Crisis

Special Reports

Photo Gallery: Syria in Ruins

While much recent media attention has been focused on Hurricane Sandy and America’s presidential election, Syria’s horrific civil war continues. In some places, it has worsened. Aerial bombardment of civilian neighborhoods, deadly sniper fire, brutal street fighting, assassinations, and summary executions have become the norm in Syria. Cease-fire agreements have collapsed, rebel forces remain disorganized, foreign intervention is still hamstrung, and no path to peace appears to be forming yet. Britain is now reportedly looking for options to circumvent an arms embargo in order to supply rebels with weaponry. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains defiant, stating in an interview with Russia Today that he planned “live and die in Syria,” adding, “I am tougher than Gaddafi.” Collected here are images of this bloody conflict from just the past few weeks.

Post Election, Obama Gambles on Syrian Rebels

On numerous occasions, America has cited concerns that disorganization within the rebel ranks is allowing foreign jihadists to gain a foothold and acquire some of the money and weapons flowing into Syria. But as long as it stands on the sidelines, America risks looking weak, while the very extremists it fears seem to be gaining more influence.

Missteps by Rebels Erode Their Support Among Syrians

The rebel shortcomings have been compounded by changes in the opposition, from a force of civilians and defected soldiers who took up arms after the government used lethal force on peaceful protesters to one that is increasingly seeded with extremist jihadis. That radicalization has divided the fighters’ supporters and made Western nations more reluctant to give rebels the arms that might help break the intensifying deadlock. Instead, foreign leaders are struggling to find indirect ways to help oust Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad.

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf:The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

There long-heralded restructuring of the Syrian National Council (SNC) and the expansion of its membership base by including more members in the General Assembly did not produce the promised diversity or change. If anything, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and its Islamist sympathizers, long believed to be the real power behind the scene in the Council, assumed more direct overt control of the elected General Secretariat and the Executive Council. Of the 41 members elected to the General Secretariat, 31 are Islamists, No women were elected, and 4 members of minority groups were chosen (2 Kurds and 2 Christians). As for the Executive Council, the table below should make things clear. But George Sabra, the Christian teacher who was “elected” as head of the SNC’s Executive Committee, was not initially elected to the General Secretariat, he was appointed in retrospect then picked as head of the SNC to water down its Islamist image.

Before the MB settled on Sabra, however, they floated the name of Ahmad Ramadan as possible leader. Ahmad, a shadowy figure who never was part of opposition circles and whose emergence on the scene and previous activities remain shrouded in mystery, is one of the most reviled members of the SNC. Stories of his double-dealings and his attempts to establish his own private militias in the country have long turned sentiments against him. But he remains ambitious, and is believed to be one of the key power brokers in the Council, and even MB, although he is not officially a member. The storm of protest that greeted the mere suggestion that Ahmad could be selected as the new SNC head dissuaded him from pursuing this matter at this stage allowing for the section of Sabra. Sabra came under major critic from previous sympathizers and colleagues for accepting this position. All accused him of putting personal ambitions over principles. Sabra has become just another secular figure burnt by affiliation with SNC.

Name Political Background Ethnic Background Regional Background Comment
George Sabra Communist Christian Damascus Suburbs
Abdel-Ahad Steifo Assyrian Democratic Organization Assyrian Hassakeh Long-time ally of the Brotherhood
Abdulbassit Sieda Independent Kurd/Sunni Hassakeh Long-time ally of the Brotherhood
Ahmad Ramadan Islamist Sunni Aleppo One of the key players in SNC
Khalid Al-Salih Independent Tribal/Sunni Deir Ezzor or Raqqah
Salim Al-Mislit Independent Tribal/Sunni Hassakeh Tribal leader
Hussein Al-Sayyid MB Sunni Idlib
Hisham Marwa Islamist Sunni Damascus Lawyer, lives in U.S.
Jamal Al-Ward Islamist Sunni Lattakia Lives in U.S.
Farouq Tayfour MB Sunni Hama One of the key leaders of the MB
Nazir Al-Hakeem MB Sunni Aleppo

SNC spokespeople have said that a woman or two might get appointed to the General Secretariat as well and perhaps one could be appointed to the Executive Council.

Meanwhile, SNC delegate postponed their participation in discussions over the plan for transitional government proposed by long-time dissident Riad Seif until Saturday.

Following the elections of the Executive Council, the Local Coordination Committees, the second largest group to take part in the Council after the Brotherhood, announced that they are withdrawing from the Council. This move undermines significantly the representation of in-country activists in the overall makeup of the Council. Many individual withdrawals also followed.

Despite the positive media spin that SNC leaders are trying to put on things at this stage, they have never been more irrelevant than they are now. Some began referring to the SNC as SIC, the Syrian Islamic Council, pun intended.

At this stage, the SNC cannot be approached as a national body, but more like a Sunni-dominated coalition representing the aspirations of a particular segment of the Sunni population. In this shape, SNC leaders cannot pretend to represent the Syrian people even if they shouted it from the mountaintop. Their outreach to different rebel groups has always been weak and problematic, and now any possibility of them being able to reach out to minority communities has been severely undermined. With its shrinking reach and appeal, no national role is possible for the SNC in its current format.

All eyes now will turn to Riad Seif and his ongoing effort to put a transitional government together.

 

Video Highlights

Aerial bombardment of Damascene suburbs by MiGs continued:

Zamalka http://youtu.be/DcbgEYkC8R0

Harasta http://youtu.be/2oL8DjUx0x0

Hamouriyeh http://youtu.be/4TexRs-Qlx0

Jobar http://youtu.be/F1aalUyWmSM

Elsewhere http://youtu.be/CAnvv1Q97Aw

In nearby Saqba, locals held a rally http://youtu.be/TdIDOVzenqg and Jobar as well http://youtu.be/djnZElJ0-yc Rallies like these took place all over Syria, as they do every Friday.

Saqba later received its fair share of aerial bombardment http://youtu.be/aNa0LdqnD_A

Areas in Mazzeh Neighborhood, Damascus City were pounded by rockets and tankshttp://youtu.be/guNShEKE_O8

Aftermath of the explosion in Moadamia, Damascus Suburbs http://youtu.be/EocjvafsFaw ,http://youtu.be/ePCUVRiDbg0

Rebels clash with loyalists in Tadamon, Damascus City http://youtu.be/7nUnu9WQQPk

In Deir Baalbah, Homs City, rebels clashed with loyalist militias http://youtu.be/hlvrOoFhuDU

Islamist rebels launch missile attacks against positions held by pro-Assad militias in Ras al-Ain/Seri Kanye, Hassakeh province http://youtu.be/OgYBT_uubIE Rebels take over the local security headquarters http://youtu.be/3SqI2ELLPhc , http://youtu.be/jhl2LtZwVCg Scene of the clashes http://youtu.be/qRJGKdNtMjA , http://youtu.be/1Up-zM7P_jY , http://youtu.be/7w9hCdbHfzs Rebels use their own confiscated tank in the operations http://youtu.be/cpCN4JaraCQ

The battle for control of Allayramoon Neighborhood in Aleppo City continues http://youtu.be/aNa0LdqnD_A

Conservative Muslims Congregate in Tahrir Square, Calling for Constitutional Reform

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Ever since the removal of Mubarak in February 2011 and the installation of Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi as President, there has been great dispute among the public as to what role religion should play in Egypt’s constitution. Both the Islamic liberal/Coptic Christian and Islamic conservative sides of the debate have been demonstrating regularly in Egypt’s capital. The most recent demonstration was held the other day when 10,000 conservative muslims congregated in Tahrir Square to call for Shari’a law.

Conservative muslims flock to the capital to demand a stricter drafting of their constitution’s second amendment. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)

While neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor the ultraconservative Al-Nour party backed the protest, many of their followers and other Salafi groups showed up to demonstrate. The main groups which organized the rally were the Gama’a Islamiya and the Salafi Front. The current stance of the Muslim Brotherhood is to introduce Shari’a law gradually, however, the other Salafi groups want to see more immediate change.

At the heart of this political/religious conflict is the wording of the second amendment of Egypt’s constitution. Under the previous constitution, the second amendment stated that the basis of legislation would be rooted in the “principles of Islamic Shari’a.” Conservatives believe that this is far too broad. They seek the amendment to state that the basis of the law will be “the rulings of Shari’a.” To a Salafi like Mahmoud, “[h]aving the principles of Shari’a included is the same as not having Shari’a at all.”

Those like Mahmoud want to be governed by their own religion, and nothing else. They chanted in the streets that, “[t]he people want God’s law applied.” They believe that Shari’a law will benefit all people, even non-muslims. Hassan Abdel-Hamid, a resident of small town near Alexandria, believes it is good because it will help protect women. He claims that if ruled by true Shari’a law, no parents should fear for their daughters’ safety because anyone who would harass a woman would end up facing Shari’a punishment. The spokesman for the Salafi Front, Khaled Saeed points out that Shari’a already allows for non-Muslims to have the freedom to decide between their own legislation and Islamic law. This would still guarantee that Coptic Christians could use their own religious practices for marriage and divorce.

Newly elected Coptic pope, Tawadros II is adamantly against any constitution that is overtly religious. Coptic Christians make up approximately 10% of the population and completely reject the Salafi demand for full Shari’a implementation. Secular and liberal individuals also greatly favor the original wording of the second amendment which simply appeals to the broad tenets of Islam.

A constitutional assembly, charged with creating the new constitution, failed earlier this year and was dissolved by court order. The secular and liberal members removed themselves from the body after claiming that “Islamists were trying to dominate the process.” A second assembly has been formed, however, the same problems still remain, and liberals again are threatening to walk out.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt’s Ultraconservatives Demand Islamic Law – 9 November 2012

CNN – Salafis Call for Islamic Law in Egypt Protest – 9 November 2012

Daily News Egypt – Thousands of Protesters in Tahrir Call for Shari’a Law – 9 November 2012

Egypt Independent – Salafi Front to Join Friday’s Pro-Sharia Protest – 8 November 2012

Former Tim Hortons Employees from Mexico File Human Rights Complaint Against Former Franchise Owner

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

OTTAWA, Canada — Four former employees of the Canadian restaurant chain Tim Hortons launched a human rights complaint against their former boss on Friday, saying the franchise owner was racist.

Four former Tim Hortons employees from Mexico accuse their former boss of coercion and racial discrimination. (Photo Courtesy of The Vancouver Sun)

The employees, who were from Mexico, worked at two Dawson Creek, British Columbia locations, owned by Tony Van Den Bosch.  They came to Canada earlier this year as part of the country’s temporary foreign workers program.

Eugene Kung, an attorney with the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said the four workers were required to share rooms in one of two homes owned by Van Den Bosch, where up to 10 people lived at one time.

“They had no privacy in the house,” Kung said.  “The owner would come in and out as he pleased and would enter people’s rooms.”

Kung also said the workers had to pay a $200 “tip” in addition to their $200 monthly rent for the double-bunked rooms.  Kung said Van Den Bosch earned $4,000 a month in rent by doubling up the rooms and doubling the rents.

“When Tim Hortons advertises the double-double, I don’t believe this is what most Canadians had in mind,” Kung said.  “The complainants felt extremely vulnerable having their employer as their landlord.  This placed them in a position of relative powerlessness right from the start of their stay in Dawson Creek.”

Kung added that Van Den Bosch subjected the workers to discrimination.

“Derogatory, racist comments included ‘[expletive] Mexican workers are lazy’ and ‘Mexican idiots,’ while the employer described himself as the owner of their lives,” Kung said.

He also accused Van Den Bosch of regularly withholding the workers’ Mexican passports for periods of time.

“Two of them were fired and sent back to Mexico after raising concerns about their working and living conditions,” Kung added.  “Two of them actually fled in the middle of the night one night because they were so afraid.”

When confronted, Van Den Bosch denied the allegations.

“It’s a bunch of crap.  Bunch of crap totally, you know what I mean?” he said.  “[Whether] you believe it or not, I can’t help what people believe.  They like to believe the negative.    People enjoy that sort of stuff.  You know what I mean?”

Tim Hortons released a statement to the media, saying in part, “Tim Hortons restaurant owners hire their own staff, and when they have difficulty filling restaurant positions with local workers, they turn to the temporary foreign workers program to appropriately staff their restaurants.”

The company also confirmed that Van Den Bosch no longer owns the franchises in question and has not been with the chain since July 2012.

For further information, please see:

CBC News — Tim Hortons Workers File Double-Double Rights Complaint — 9 November 2012

CJDC – 890 AM — Temporary Foreign Workers File Complaint Against Former Tim Hortons Owner — 9 November 2012

CTV News — Mexican Workers File Human Rights Complaint Against Tim Hortons Boss — 9 November 2012

The Vancouver Sun — Former Tim Hortons Employees from Mexico Accuse Dawson Creek Franchise Owner of Abuse — 9 November 2012

Red Cross “Can’t Cope” with Syria Situation

By Emily Schneider
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – The International Red Cross says it “can’t cope” with the situation in Syria any longer. Yet, President Assad still refuses to leave in spite of urgings from the UK prime minister.

ICRC workers hand out aid materials in Syria. (Photo courtesy of ICRC)

“The humanitarian situation is getting worse despite the scope of the operation increasing,” said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC has worked extensively to bring relief to victims of the Syrian conflict, but it hasn’t been easy. Because of the daily uncertainties of the conflict, the ICRC must continuously react to the needs of victims only after attacks. This makes it nearly impossible to keep a set plan or organize efficiently.

Further, there are still areas of the country that are impossible to reach. Aleppo, for instance, has seen a great increase in violence in the recent months but the ICRC has been unable to coordinate any aid there. Homs, another city hit hard by violence, is only open to the ICRC in certain districts. The ICRC was finally able to reach people in those districts last week, which Mr. Maurer said was a major success.

Other problems, like the diversion of foreign medical supplies to government forces, are rumored to be happening on a daily basis. A Syrian medical group claimed this week that 95% of foreign medical supplies actually fall into the hands of government officials. The ICRC says that this statement is so far unsubstantiated.

In spite of the crumbling humanitarian situation in his country, President Assad refuses to leave or allow foreign troops into the country.

“I am not a puppet, I wasn’t made by the West. I’m Syrian… and I have to live and die in Syria,” Mr Assad told the Russia Today TV channel. He warned that if Syria were to be invaded by foreign troops “the price would be too big” for the rest of the world.

“If we have a problem in Syria – and we are the last stronghold of secularism, stability and co-existence in the region – it will have a domino effect from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” he said.  Although he claims he does not believe the West would invade, added: “If they do so, nobody can tell what’s (going to happen) next.”

The inability of the ICRC to cope with the worsening situation in Syria and President Assad’s refusal to leave come at an opportune time for the Syrian opposition forces, who are reportedly meeting in Doha to discuss uniting under a new, unified leadership.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Red Cross Says it Cannot Cope with Syria Emergency – 8 Nov. 2012

Gulf News – Al Assad: I Will Live and Die in Syria – 8 Nov. 2012

Khaleej Times – Can’t Cope with Syria Crisis: Red Cross – 8 Nov. 2012

Gulf News – Syria’s Divided Opposition Factions Gather for Talks – 5 Nov. 2012

 

German Court Overrules Decision to Allow Racial Profiling

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany – A German court recently ruled that skin color alone is insufficient grounds for a police check. This decision overturned a previous ruling that determined certain police are allowed to carry out ID checks based on skin color.

German court determines that German police are not permitted to racially profile. (Photo Courtesy of Deutsche Welle)

In the lower court, the Koblenz court dismissed a complaint by a black German man who was asked to show his papers when he was on a train. When the man refused, he was taken to a police station and searched. Thereafter, two federal police officers alleged the man abused them while he was detained. During the court hearing, the officers said he checked the man’s ID on the train partially because of the man’s skin color.

Although the administrative court in Koblenz held that the police’s behavior was reasonable in order to catch illegal immigrants, the judges in a higher administrative court determined that racial profiling is a clear violation of the ban on discrimination.

The German constitution states, “No person shall be favored or disfavored because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith, or religious or political opinions.”

Human rights activists applaud the high court’s decision. Alexander Bosch, an expert for police and human rights issues, said, “We welcome the ruling as an important signal against discrimination in identity checks.” He also commented that over the past couple of years, there has been an increase in complaints by people with an immigrant background who were exposed to discriminatory identity checks.

Tahir Della, from the Initiative of Black People in Germany, also favored the decision.  He states, “We have been fighting for years for public recognition of this practice. Police checks of this kind are no one-off. They are the everyday experience of many black people and people of color in Germany. They are put under suspicion and criminalized by this police practice. We hope that this verdict will serve as a basic political signal.”

However, the German police do not agree with the recent decision. Rainer Wendt, chair of the German Police Union, states, “The courts deal with the law in an esthetically pleasing way, but they don’t make sure their judgments match practical requirements.”

Josef Scheuring, head of the union’s federal police division, commented, “A person should never be checked based solely on his or her skin color, and the federal police don’t do this as a rule, but particular situations and considerations could justify such measures.” He believes that this issue should be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

For further information, please see:

Deutsche Welle – Court Bans police Racial Profiling – 31 October 2012

Spiegel — Court Rules Against Police Checks Based on Skin Color – 31 October 2012

The Local — Police: sorry for racial profiling on ID checks – 30 October 2012

The Huffington Post — German Police ID Checks By Skin Color OK, Says Court – 27 March 2012