It's not just the regime; Syrians need to change the intellectual culture that bolsters tyranny
Imad al-Rasheed
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 June 2011
"...The problem is not solely the repression by which the Ba'ath party has governed the Syrian people for nearly half a century. Syria's problem, shared by the whole Arab region, is represented by the Arab intellectuals who – either through conviction or surrendering to fear and torture – philosophised for oppression and were used to make dictatorship part of Arab political culture in the postcolonial era. They supplied all kinds of excuses for the regimes such as "facing the external threat is the only priority" or "the people are not ready for democracy so backward elements will win". They adopted the notion of "it's either the regime or chaos".
However, the course of the Arab spring offers a solution to this problem. The people are taking the initiative, leaving the intellectuals to follow. It places before all Arab intellectuals the task of reassessing the ideas that underpin their theories on dictatorship.
The revolution against oppression must achieve two things; changes of regime, and changes in the mindset that led to acceptance of dictatorship, in order to prevent revolutionaries from themselves turning into new dictators. The latter change must be the duty of genuine Arab intellectuals.
The Syrian regime disregards all demands for reform, whether from the people themselves, or from friends who have offered sincere advice. As far as the regime is concerned, it is the homeland, the state and the republic. This idea is rooted in the 1973 constitution, which states that the Ba'ath party is the "leader party" of the state, and that the president holds executive authority, has absolute power and can dissolve parliament when he so desires.....
With the exception of the republic – the symbol of national unity for Syrians – you will not find any other institution that Syrians feel represents them and their interests. Neither the presidency nor the ministries and the security services are real national institutions; on the contrary, they are rather like farms whose managers treat them as though they are their personal property.
However, it would not be far-fetched to say that if the brutal behaviour of the regime continues, this may lead to the fracturing of the republic and its eventual downfall......"
Imad al-Rasheed
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 June 2011
"...The problem is not solely the repression by which the Ba'ath party has governed the Syrian people for nearly half a century. Syria's problem, shared by the whole Arab region, is represented by the Arab intellectuals who – either through conviction or surrendering to fear and torture – philosophised for oppression and were used to make dictatorship part of Arab political culture in the postcolonial era. They supplied all kinds of excuses for the regimes such as "facing the external threat is the only priority" or "the people are not ready for democracy so backward elements will win". They adopted the notion of "it's either the regime or chaos".
However, the course of the Arab spring offers a solution to this problem. The people are taking the initiative, leaving the intellectuals to follow. It places before all Arab intellectuals the task of reassessing the ideas that underpin their theories on dictatorship.
The revolution against oppression must achieve two things; changes of regime, and changes in the mindset that led to acceptance of dictatorship, in order to prevent revolutionaries from themselves turning into new dictators. The latter change must be the duty of genuine Arab intellectuals.
The Syrian regime disregards all demands for reform, whether from the people themselves, or from friends who have offered sincere advice. As far as the regime is concerned, it is the homeland, the state and the republic. This idea is rooted in the 1973 constitution, which states that the Ba'ath party is the "leader party" of the state, and that the president holds executive authority, has absolute power and can dissolve parliament when he so desires.....
With the exception of the republic – the symbol of national unity for Syrians – you will not find any other institution that Syrians feel represents them and their interests. Neither the presidency nor the ministries and the security services are real national institutions; on the contrary, they are rather like farms whose managers treat them as though they are their personal property.
However, it would not be far-fetched to say that if the brutal behaviour of the regime continues, this may lead to the fracturing of the republic and its eventual downfall......"
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