The Remains of the Day

The Syrian Security Forces has detained Mr Ahmad Mouaz Al-Khatib Al-Hasani on Thursday the 5th of May 2011. The Political Security Fo rces is still retaining Mr Al-Khatib till this moment.  Mr Al-Khatib is one of the leading moderate Syrian Scholars, the former Imam of Grand Umayyad Mosque of Damascus and The former Chairman of the Islamic Civilizing Society.  We urge all national, international and diplomatic authorities to exert pressure on the Syrian Regime to release Mr Al-Khatib Immediately and avoid further violation acts against the Syrian people. Mr. Ahmad Mouaz Al-Khatib Al-Hasani: Born in Damascus 1960. Studied Applied Geophysics and worked as a Petrophysical Engineer for six years at The AFPC (Al Furat Petroleum Company, Shell Syria). Member in The Geological Syrian Society, and Syrian Society for Psychological Sciences. Author of hundreds of books and articles in different social and Islamic studies. One of the leading moderate scholars in Syria....

The regime has recently stepped up its repressive practices against the Syrian people and its peaceful uprising of the youth, thirsty for freedom, justice and democracy. And while the Syrian people were waiting for the release of all Syrian detainees, for which the families were holding a civilized, peaceful and legal appeal in front of the Ministry of Interior, last Wednesday 16-03-2011, demanding the release of their sons, brothers and husbands, the security forces from various branches acted barbarically. They molested women, youth, children and the middle aged, and they arrested more than 32 of them, who were directly charged with weakening the morale of the nation. On Friday 18/3 after the Friday prayer the protesting youth was suppressed in the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, violating the sanctity and sacredness of the mosque, and arrested ten of them, knowing that the French colonial authorities did not dare to violate the mosques! On the same day the security forces carr...

Dit heb ik doorgesturen gekregen van de man die geïnterviewd is geworden en ik weet dat hij graag zou hebben dat ik dit zoveel mogelijk zou verspreiden, zodat mensen zich bewust worden van de ondraagbare situatie die er daar heerst.  Reportage: Bevolking is doodsbang, maar ook in Syrië borrelt onder de oppervlakte woede 'Opstaan tegen Assad vergt moed' ARJEN VAN DER ZIEL DAMASCUS Hij praat liever niet over de telefoon, omdat hij vrijwel zeker wordt afgeluisterd. Zijn naam kan ook niet in de krant, omdat hij al te vaak is ontboden bij de gevreesde Syrische veiligheidsdiensten, voor lange intimiderende verhoren. En hij drukt de verslaggever op het hart zijn naam niet te noemen in gesprekken met anderen, omdat overal spionnen zitten. Maar toch laat de Syrische moslimgeestelijke zich door het regime de mond niet snoeren. In een hoekje van een café in de Syrische hoofdstad Damascus zegt de 50-jarige geestelijke dat de volksopstanden in Tunesië en Egypte hem hoop geven. ...