Opinion Editorials, May 2011

The Syrian Regime Must Go ... Now

By Khalid Amayreh

Al-Jazeerah: CCUN, May 30, 2011

So far, over a thousand Syrian citizens have been mercilessly killed or harshly tortured to death at the hands of the regime's various killing machines.

The gruesome images and horrifying accounts that keep coming from Syria defy linguistic description. They go beyond the pale of human decency.

A few weeks ago, Hamza al Khatib, a vivacious and charming boy from Dira'a was abducted from his home by the regime's Shabbiha thugs or death squads, for allegedly taking part in an anti-regime demonstration.

A few days later, his body, riddled with bullets, and bearing indescribable scars of torture of all kinds, was handed over to his family.

According to eyewitnesses and human rights operatives who examined the body, the agents of the regime also severed the boy's sexual organ before turning in the body for burial.

Arab intellectual and current-affairs commentator Azmi Bishara remarked on the incident, saying that only human animals were capable of committing such a crime.

Speaking on al-Jazeera TV, Bishara said that in this case at least, the matter went behind classical torture, which is intended to punish and deter.

"This is sadism, pure and simple. It is even sadism in its most barbaric forms."

Nonetheless, Hamza al Khatib is by no means an isolated case of police brutality. On the contrary he epitomizes the sheer barbarianism and cannibalistic instincts with which the regime of Bashar al Asad deals rather systematically with Syrian citizens, especially those demanding political reforms.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Syrian regime is committing real crimes against humanity against the Syrian people. What else can one say of a regime that orders its crack soldiers to riddle with machine gunfire peaceable protesters, including children? And if the soldiers show any reluctance, they are summarily killed for disobeying orders. Then of course, the lying machine of the regime would claim that the soldiers were killed by infiltrators and salafis and what have you!!

Obviously, this regime has lost its legitimacy and must be ended sooner rather than later. Otherwise, there is every likelihood that massacres of a greater magnitude, such as Srebrenica or even worse, will happen throughout Syria if the world continues to deal indecisively with this manifestly criminal regime.

So far, over a thousand Syrian citizens have been mercilessly killed or harshly tortured to death at the hands of the regime's various killing machines.

In many Syrian towns, electricity and power supplies were cut off as a collective punishment for demanding freedom. Food supplies were also severely curtailed for the same reason. This is in addition to the disconnection of all cellular telephone and internet communication, ostensibly in order to prevent pro-freedom activists from communicating and exposing the brutality and criminality of the regime to the outside world.

I am not really inclined to comment on or try to refute the plethora of lies the regime in Damascus has been disseminating to justify its pornographic violence and hair-raising sadism against its own citizens. In the final analysis, a regime that rapes its women, murders its children and indiscriminately riddles peaceful protesters with bullets can't be expected or trusted to tell the truth.

Moreover, it would be more that naïve to even listen to what the regime has to say about what is happening in Syria. Criminals, child killers and obscene liars shouldn't be given a podium to kill the truth, after having killed their innocent victims.

It is really lamentable that the vast majority of Arab states are keeping silent about the genocidal killings in Syria. To these Arab rulers, one is prompted to say: What are you waiting for? To see the sectarian regime finish off the people of Syria?

The recent decision by the Turkish government to freeze relations with the Syrian regime is laudable. However, Turkey is expected to do more to help their brothers and sisters to the south.  Turkey should probably take some pro-active measures to stop the massacres in Syria. The Syrian women, whose brothers, sons, and husbands are being murdered by the cutthroats of the regime, are crying out for help. If their Turkish brothers don't hear, and listen, to the cries of these distressed women, who will? Muammar Qaddafi?

Besides, non-interference in a country's internal affairs doesn't and should never mean watching the regime in that country massacre its own people undisturbed.

Now, a final word of rebuke for both Iran and Hezbullah. You are backing the murderous regime of Bashar al Asad for ostensibly sectarian, selfish and unethical reason, and in doing so you are inviting the dismay, consternation and hostility from hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims who never flinched from standing on your side. Don't alienate hundreds of Sunni Muslims all over the world for the sake of a godless regime that is devoid of humanity, morality and any shred of Islamic decency.

You must immediately distance yourselves from this criminal and barbaric junta which is really a stigma of shame on the conscience of Shiites all over the world? 

This regime is committing all these crimes in your good name. Don't allow them to besmirch your erstwhile glorious image. Do it now, otherwise tomorrow might be too late.

Remember the Quranic verse: "Don't seek alliance with the oppressors lest fire touches you."

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

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