The Syrians Need Blankets Not Rockets: Syrian Refugees Facing Harsh Winter Conditions Need Urgent Assistance
10 January 2013
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
Those who have no mercy see no mercy. The situation in
Syria is horrific. We cannot be surprised by the
strong winds, snow and rain that have struck the
region over past few days, for this is the season for
such weather. Ever since winter started we have been
concerned about the Syrians, whether they are still
trapped in their houses or having been forced to flee
their cities or the entire country. Out of Syria's 25
million citizens, no one remains unaffected by the
crimes of the regime, which is currently hampering the
provision of food, fuel and medicine.
Yet some five million are suffering more than the rest
from cold and hunger. Some of them are sleeping out in
the open whilst others are living in caves because the
relief blankets have not reached them, nor have they
reached the international refugee camps. Many of them
have neither bread nor heat. That is why we call upon
the Arab governments, and regional and international
organizations, not to leave the Syrian people to
perish between massacres and starvation. The least we
can do is provide them with the means to help them
survive like shelter, blankets, food, and clothes.
Our expectations have never been lower; all we are
asking for now is bread and firewood. At the
beginning, we called for foreign intervention to deter
al-Assad's forces and stop the genocide, and then we
reduced our demands to Stinger missiles, in order to
stop the planes that have been bombing towns and
burying people alive for the past 16 months.
However, al-Assad and his Iranian friends, together
with their temporary ally the harsh winter, would be
wrong to believe that the Syrian people have been
tortured enough to wave the white flag and accept a
return to the regime's iron grip. Most Syrians,
including the millions facing death homeless and
hungry, or those trapped in their homes and starving,
are not going to exchange blankets and bread for a
return to the al-Assad regime. This is an indisputable
fact; going back is no longer an option. The Syrians
have paid a dear price; they have lost their homes and
children and have been waiting for too long. They will
never go back to the conditions of al-Assad's rule and
those who think they can take advantage of the tragedy
to impose their political agenda are delusional.
Little will change through meetings in Geneva or
visits to Moscow, whether by mediators or ministers.
The Syrians have decided to fight until they topple
the regime with their own hands, and with whatever
weapons are available to them. It is futile to
continue looking for a peaceful solution with al-Assad
remaining in power, whether actively or symbolically.
It is too late for proposals about the partial
transfer of power and an honorable exit for al-Assad
and his government. This is how those banished in
tents in Jordan and Turkey feel, and the same applies
to those holding on in their besieged neighborhoods in
Darayya, Hama, Homs, Daraa, and other destroyed
districts across Syria. That is why members of the
Syrian National Coalition and the rest of the
opposition will never agree to a political solution
that does not explicitly involve the ouster of al-Assad.
And because the Syrians are fighting on several fronts
– against al-Assad, the winter and the lack of
international support – the best they can get now is
the aid to help them overcome this harsh season. Then
they will be better able to overthrow this
already-collapsing regime.
Al
Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya
television. He is also the former editor-in-chief of
Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly
magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in
the daily newspapers of Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is
a US post-graduate degree in mass communications. He
has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs.
He is currently based in Dubai.
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EsinIslam.Com
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