Raed Fares was murdered on Nov 23rd 2018 at 11am by hitherto unknown people in Kafranbel.
The Syrian Revolution
expained by Raed Fares refering to the questions submitted by Esther Saoub and recorded at 6th of January 2016 by Mahmoud al-Tamr in Kafranbel, Syrien, translated from Arabic into English by Abd Almoeen Dandoush.
Well, the term URB means “Union of Revolutionary Bureaus”, it is an acronym.
I’m the president of the organization and I have established it.
In the very beginning, from the first few days of the revolution and with the first demonstration in the town of Kafranbel, very few people volunteered to cover what happening and also report the peoples’ demands by filming and uploading videos using the internet. I did that job myself with the help of another person only using very simple devices like mobile phones and a slow internet. We were the base of the News (Informational) Bureau which expanded later.
There were about from 50 to 60 active opponents who escaped to the nearby towns like the village of Jabalah , Maert Hirma ,Maert Zaeta and other regions or to the surrounding fields when Assad’s army entered the town and as a result those people became homeless and their jobs suspended so they were in need. This matter provoke some immigrants from the town in Saudi Arabia to collect a small amount of money as a salary for each homeless person and this step led to construct the second bureau “The Financial Bureau “ or “ The Monetary Bureau“ and it, at first, contained only three people who were collecting donations from inside and outside the country and dividing them among the people in need as following: the married person deserves 5000 SP, the single person deserves 3000 SP . This process led to the foundation of the Financial Bureau.
After a short while the number of the people in need is increased and more people lost their jobs as a result of the army’s violations, but during the same time the amount of money gathered is increased also we were received food substances. This led to form the third bureau “The Relief Bureau". So, in that time we had three bureaus. In July and August of the year 2012 the informational bureau was notarizing and registering the army’s violations as the names of the wounded and injured people , the martyrs and arrested people. But because of the gradual increase of the army’s violations appeared the need of independent bureau which is specialized in registering such as matters, so we formed the forth bureau which is “The Census Bureau“.
After a short time, at the beginning of August of the same year the freeing battle of the city happened and the result was liberating the city from the regime army at that time we thought, as revolting opponents, that we were able to control and manage the city, in other words to become the ruling power. We tried many times from 10\8\2012 and for a month but in vain we failed completely to become the political or the administrative power. So, we left this matter to the municipal administrative board which was an unprecedented and newborn idea which depending on well qualified people likes academic and educated people and as a result the administrative board formed in the city.
We, the four bureaus, united together under one leadership to form the base of civil society organization which works on behalf of the society and secures its basic needs.
Taking into consideration a 50 years of wrong education, a 50 years of cultivating the wrong teachings, as a result people led to the wrong directions of understanding, these precepts enabled Bashar Al- Assad’s regime in particular and the regime of Al-Baeth political party in general to transplant a small dictator inside every Syrian citizen. In the suitable moment this dictator may get out and predominate and probably will be worse than Assad himself. So came to mind the idea of establishing an organization in order to enlighten the society as a whole and the individual as individual through cultural and practical enlightenment and education, also to change the manner of thinking toward the positive side more than the negative one.
The ultimate aim or goal of the organization is to lay bases of civil community, a state of justice and equality before the law, a state which gives and guarantees the rights of its citizens regardless of their religious and sectarian belongings. There are many steps, to fulfill the idea of the justice state, start with overthrowing the tyrant regime and at the same time increasing the level of cultural understanding for all the citizens. For that purpose we have to offer developmental and service projects in parallel with the cultural projects to be accepted among people. This is the main idea or notion to work on two sides the first one is educational and cultural and the second is developmental which also can secure work opportunities to push the society toward achieving its aims. We had had many projects at that time. The American organization (Democracy of California Council) had helped us in the American relief project which had cost 371,000 $ in the form of food substance and abilities promoting courses.
This is the story about how we started in brief.
Of course, as I mentioned before that because of the lack of any kind of unrestricted information media at that time to report the real and true situation we live. As a result came up the idea of not only caricature drawings but also the idea of signboards in order to show and convey to the world what is happening in Syria and as a mean to express our demands and thoughts because none of the mass media came to ask us “why are you demonstrating?" This drove us to depend on ourselves; we drew on carton and wrote on cloth. That was the beginning of using caricature drawings and signboards on 15\4\2011.
We have written them in English as well as in Arabic. The first caricature was a drawing of Bashar Al-Assad standing on his feet in the Earth and his naughty head in the space , it refers to his arrogance and haughtiness. This caricature was highly accepted among the TV channels and among the demonstrators themselves in view of the fact that they were very happy to carry it. So, we decided to include at least one caricature in each demonstration in order to express the current situation. That there is no need to explain or illustrate the caricatures because of the universality of them hence any person regardless of his nationality, whether he\she is European, Chinese, Russian or Arabian, can see the caricature and understand it rightfully without any explanation.
Ahmad Jalal has done this job from the very beginning of the revolution, by the way originally he is not an artist, he works in a dental reparation laboratory as he qualified in this field. He has the talent of art from his family (Jalal family) which is worldwide well-known as a family of artists. For example, Abraham Jalal who lives in France is a famous artist since 1982. Another well-known caricaturist is Khaled Jalal who lives in United Arab Emirates. It is a talented family by nature.
We were discussing the idea of each caricature with Ahmad to reach to the notion we want to convey through it. A girl, whose name is Iman Al-Ahmad worked with us as a caricaturist at the beginning of 2012 but she left the work at the end of the same year and immigrated to Sweden. Ahmad still draws caricatures and brings them to the demonstrating square up to the present moment.
I have just mentioned that we started a relief project simultaneously with constructing the radio station. We had started it with five people as a crew on June 2013 while now the crew is about 132 members 28 of them are females. The radio broadcasts continuously 24\24 hours without any pause. Through the radio we can reach to all people.
In the last statistical research done, by an American institution called Navinty on October 2015, on the mass media found in Syria our radio took the first rank with 45%, concerning the number of people who listen and attend our radio. The position we have got is double times better than the second position which was occupied by radio Orient with 22%. I believe that it is a great honor to be the number one getting over a big institution like Orient, taking into consideration that our expenditure in the radio does not exceed 10 thousand dollars per month while the expenditure of Orient radio exceeds one million dollars per month. Moreover, the range of Orient radio is extremely bigger than the range of our radio which covers only the governorate of Idleb and parts of Hama, nonetheless we took the first rank.
On July 2013 we started the first project related to womanhood, called Mazaya , its main aim is to strengthen and develop woman’s abilities. It receives its expenditure directly from URB. On February 2013 we opened the first center which takes care of children, we called it Dignity Bus (movable bus) on the seventh month of the same year it became a stable center.
Hence, as I said before progressing simultaneously in both kinds of projects, the developmental and the service. These two projects are in constant developing, at present we have eight branches of both Mazaya and Dignity bus spread not only in the city of Kafranbel but also in the nearby towns and villages like Maert Al-Noueman , Maert Hirma , Jabalah and the villages of Mount Al-Zawiya. As you notice, we are working on a very wide geographical area inhabited by more than one million inhabitants; 405 thousand of them listen to Radio Fresh.
We also have an institution called Lawyers For Justice. Its job is to notarize violations and register events in addition to do enhancing courses in the domain of laws.
Another project is to supply the city with other two villages with fresh water. Its expenditure is 371 thousand dollars. A similar project, it was undertaken in the village of Babouleen to the east of Maert Al-Noueman, supplies five nearby villages with fresh water and electricity.
We have a lot of minor projects; for example, we have three Magazines for children and adults, Woman Guidance Office and movable Medical Clinics (two cars with medical staff who treat ill people especially children and women in regions that don’t have medical clinics or dispensaries). They treat from 80 to 125 patients every day in addition to give the required medicines for free.
We also established a central blood bank provides the hospitals in Idlib and Hama governorate. Moreover, we started an outside relief system; a set of seven ambulances which transport injuries and wounded people from Idlib and Hama to the Turkish borders.
There are a lot of small projects, there is no room to mention them all. We are continuing our work on the society in order to achieve our aim which is alteration because the revolution means change. We have achieved up till now some success and a good kind of trust is formed between us, as an organization, and between the people despite of the misconceived ideas which are widespread among some people. For example, some people accuse us of stealing (the revolution thieves), others say that we are worshipers of money. I, personally, find this matter natural. For example, with all this chaos in the current situation, if ten people criticize us negatively, at least two of them will speak positively and defend us. But one day, I think it is not so far, people will know the reality of what are we doing exactly. I am sure in the near future all people will know who we are and what are we doing. In brief, the reality will reveal itself.
The ultimate notion which, the Syrian people want to show via revolution is that we, as Syrians, aren’t less important than other communities in all aspects: power of mind and body, we are human beings like the human beings who live in America, Europe or any other place in the world.
We, as citizens, were treated as slaves, slaves work in a big farm which belongs to one ruling family which is ASSAD family. We were like cattle of cheep or cows whose owner milks them and sells the milk for its own benefits. We work hard all the day but at the end Assad family and its followers steal our incomes and productions.
Our dream is not more than to live like the other societies. A liberate nation, a free society which is able to think in a right way and can say whatever without being severely restricted, a society whose people have dignity and are able to choose their ruler, a society which is ruled by its people themselves and is not tied and bounded with all the restrictions and limitations imposed upon it, a society whose words can be heard. To conclude, all what we dream about is to be humans, treated as humans not as animals. That is all and nothing more.
Well, I mentioned from the very beginning of the interview that the revolution is an alteration. So, changing the society will be achieved by peaceful civil movement only. The revolution was purely non-violent and peaceful in the first few months. Those who turned to use arms and those who dissociated from the regime army and formed the Free Army; they do like that in order to protect the revolution , they aren’t the revolution.
Unfortunately, a misconceived conception prevailed that those who fight are the revolution while in reality they aren’t. The real revolution is the peaceful one, the non-armed active protests and opponents. The peaceful people itself moved toward achieving its demands of dignity and freedom. So, the people are the revolution and those, who are armed, are volunteered to defend their people. Regrettably, in the current time the true view isn’t so clear. The idea is like this; people revolted and those, who are armed, are volunteered to defend their people.
The misconceived conception prevailed is that those who fight are the revolution; this conception is totally wrong. The real revolution is the people and only it is able to change through the peaceful civil movement which can change the society from inside. Those, who are armed , can dominate and suppress or act the same as the regime but never ever can change the society. We are still peaceful because we believe in peaceful activities.
We are exposed to severe criticism because of this determination, some people say: Why do those demonstrate up till now? Others say: Why don’t they go fighting on the battlefronts? Our work is the basis and those, who fight on the battlefronts, are to protect us. We don’t decrease the importance of those who defend us in the contrary we appreciate them because they scarify themselves to protect the revolution and the people in order to drive away the society toward the right direction.
The civil work and military work move in parallel lines not because we want or like the military work but because it is imposed upon us, as a result of the regime severe violence; the incredible unprecedented violence; the incredible unexampled killing; the unprecedented ways and methods of killing and the unprecedented huge number of killed people every day with brutal and heartbreaking ways never done before.
All these things led to counter violence to defend ourselves. The defenders didn’t have the military ability that enables them to confront and defy the regime army. But, if someone wants to kill you and your family using a tank for example, you will defend yourself and your family with whatever you have for example the door handle. In brief, the main notion is that the civil peaceful movement is the basis (the revolution) and the military work is to protect this revolution.
Jabhet al-Nusra and Jaysh al-Fatah are two sides of the same coin. If we want to define Jabhet al-Nusra, we have to define ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) some politicians use ‘Levant‘ instead of ‘Syria’ or Ahrar ash-Sham.
Any military crop, tries to dominate the people by the power of weapon, thinks in the same manner the regime does. The regime itself rules by the power of weapon. So any other armed group, thinks to rule in the same way, is as similar as to the regime and maybe worse.
The presence of Jabhet al-Nusra doesn’t bother us on the contrary; it is a defending power in the region we can’t ignore it. We tie our work to society because we respect it not because we are in fear of Jabhet al-Nusra.
Our oriental society is strictly closed and conventional. The society, prior to the revolution, has many factors and aspects of separation between man and woman. So, we are obliged to separate in order to preserve the structure of our society. Because, if you want to develop a society, you should preserve the ties and bonds of trust with the people of this society by taking into consideration keeping their feelings and the structure of their society intact. In conclusion, we, in our work, observe the society rather than the armed groups, the society is in the first place and what remain its further details.
We are trespassed many times. I am, personally, exposed to be assassinated. Two veiled people shot me with guns at the door of my house and I critically wounded. I took several months to recover .Then unknowns put a mine beside my car. The same accident is repeated after a short time. After that, I was arrested by Jabhet al-Nusra and kidnapped by Jund al-Aqsa. Matters like these are likely to happen hence those who are armed think that they can dominate all people. But they stop their dominating actions when they are confronted by people’s and media’s reactions. As a result, we get our power from the societal surroundings we live in. The word is always more powerful than the rifle.
As I mentioned, matters like arresting and trespassing are likely to happen and they increase and decrease from time to time. However, we are going ahead not only because that we are existed as they are existed, but because we have an advantage which is the bonds of our land, bonds of our families, relatives and neighbors. In short words, we are the society from beginning to end while they don’t have any bonds except that of rifle.
Well, the most important thing is that Bashar al-Assad played his game and worked on two sides. The first one is that he fights terrorism; he fights extremists and terrorists. The second one is that what is happening in Syria is a civil war.
My message to the west is that what is happening is a revolution in the full meaning of the word. It is a society’s revolution who rebelled against the tyrant regime in order to achieve its freedom and dignity, but this society is faced with severe violence and more violence is added when the regime invented the notion of ISIS and presented it as an ally of the revolution.
This idea of alliance is totally wrong, it isn’t true rather it is a big lie because we suffer from ISIS‘s as well as from the regime’s terrorism. Both are killing us, we are the victims of those two struggling powers.
Nowadays, the world is paying attention to Assad and ISIS and forgetting the Syrian people who suffer the cruelty of these two criminals. Let’s say that Assad’s regime and his allies are from 200,000 to 300,000 people and ISIS and its allies are from 100,000 to 200,000 people, so what is about the 20 million people who are suffering the terrorism of these struggling powers? Nobody remembers them, they are totally forgotten; there is a peaceful revolution but nobody cares about it.
It is true that a lot of killings and bloodsheds happened. But, let’s take the French revolution as an example; it was also violence and counter violence. A lot of people died; nonetheless the French people still call it as a revolution.
It changed the face of Europe. We have the same dream, to change the face of the Middle East. I repeat, all what I want from the west countries is to pay some attention to the blocked people under the tyranny and terrorism of the struggling powers.
The West, also, considers the revolution as a civil war but it isn’t at all. The civil war happens between two sects or cults, or between two races, for example Kurds against Arabs or Sunnis against Shias. What is happening is absolutely contradictory to the conception of civil war. What is happening is that the regime has an army which is consisted of all the Syrian races and sects: Sunnis, Alawites, Druze, Shias, Smailis and Kurds etc. let alone the allies.
This Army suppress the revolutionary society which consists of the same structural components. So, the confrontation is between the regime and his allies and with all the components of the Syrian people.
To conclude: What I want from the West is to correct this conception. It is neither a civil war nor even a regime fighting terrorism; unquestionable it is a revolution and it will obtain victory. It actually prevailed from the first day when we rebelled against the tyrant regime and what is happening now is the operation breakdown.
There weren’t any Syrians in the first and second rounds held of Geneva Talks. It was a meeting among nations to find a solution for the Syrian crisis. Then Al-Riyad conference was held. Anyway, anything results from this conference may be a step ahead whether the outcome will be a caretaker government with Bashar Al-Assad’s non-plenipotentiary powers or a caretaker government without Bashar Al-Assad. It is definitely a good step, at least it may save people from bombing. We don’t oppose against like such conferences. It will be a very good achievement if the bombing stops. However, we are going to continue our work with or without it.
But, the talks must start on the condition that Assad leaves the leadership because, no one of the Syrian accepts him as a president after all these cases of homelessness, torture and killing (a lot of people lost their dear ones; their families, relatives and neighbor...etc). There wasn’t left a Syrian who accept to see this tyrant in rule because he destroyed more than one million houses, made more than 12 million people are homeless and arrested more than 3 million people 500 thousand of them are still under arrest.
I become wonder-struck when some politicians speak about the possibility of Assad’s existence as a president. Let’s take any free country as an example. The minister or the person who is in charge will resign if someone is killed and they don’t arrest the criminals.
We are unable to understand or comprehend the state of indifference experienced by the world’s leaders. Though a whole country is destroyed, a county half of its people are homeless, 500 thousand people are killed and another 500 thousand people are under arrest, nonetheless Assad is still the ruler. We are unable to understand or comprehend this matter.
The inquiry is “why wasn’t Geneva Talks condition the Assad’s departure regardless of the people and countries who support him". His allies are Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Iraqi Militias and others. All counties, leaders and peoples of the world know that those, who support Assad, are killers. Nevertheless, the developed world claims democracy.
We’re unable to comprehend the idea that the Security Council, which is established on the bases of democracy and consists of countries abide by and respect democracy, is useless. If a delegate of a country objects (via veto), he cancels the decree of the other countries. I don’t know how we can accept Assad as a president.
Anyway, we are going ahead and they are doing the same, it will be a good thing if they can secure a step forward.
We don’t call it a war, I object firmly to the term "war". It is a revolution and what happens is battles and killings, but we are going to continue what we have started. As I told you before, I consider the revolution got victory from the first day; from the moment of the first shouting in the face of despotism, in the face of the tyrant ruler who obliged his people to kneel for a period of 50 years. The triumph came from the first shouting and what have been happening after is the process of destroying the Assad’s farm.
We are going toward building a new nation. The idea of slavery is no more acceptable. We are no more slaves we are humans, who want to build the long dreamed about homeland. The justice and equality homeland, which we dreamed of and talked about, a homeland guarantees my rights as individual regardless the religion and the sect which I belong to. A Muslim, a Christian or Kurdish, Sunni, Alawi or Durzi. A homeland doesn’t use sectarian perspective rather uses the perspective of citizenship. We want to reach to this conception.
The projects are continuous, we have the intention of the horizontal and vertical expansion. Horizontally is to expand on new other geographical areas in addition to our work here. Vertically is to elevate and advance the level of our work, for example, to work with more proficiency.
Things make a move in this direction step by step because of the increase of the people and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) which cooperate with us and help us to enhance, educate and train us more in order to have the required abilities because they noticed that we have the desire of expanding, horizontally and vertically speaking.
I mentioned, in the beginning of the revolution, a group of Syrian emigrants from our city at Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia supported us. Then, at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 we started dealing with International Non-governmental Organizations such as Democracy Council of California, Creative Organization, In Green, N E A, M P K I and K M N X. All these are American organizations. We also dealt with European organizations such as European Council for Democracy, Save the Children and War Children. A lot of other organizations there is no room to mention them all, however all of them are non-governmental. We communicate with them and offer a proposal; we take our time to discuss it with the organization. At the end, we may or may not receive the required fund.
In other words, we propose projects to many organizations. We discuss these projects with them, after a profound study, they may or may not provide us with money. They are our participants. Rarely, you can find an organization which we haven’t dealt with. I may forget to mention some of them but we have dealt with almost all the European and American organizations.
No, we don’t, absolutely not. There are no productive projects in the current time.
Because we observed the failure of those who have established such as projects. We need a lot of preparation to be productive and to depend on ourselves.
An important point concerning this matter is that at the beginning of forming URB most the workers are revolutionists; this means that the voluntary work is essential for us. The issue of money and salary is not of great importance for us.
For example, the last month, November 2015, we didn’t give the due salaries because we didn’t have enough money. At the first day of the current month January 2016 we handed the salaries of both November and December. So, the employees don’t have a problem.
We are about 470 employees in URB none of them asked or inquired whether there is a salary or not. The main idea is the voluntary work. Our requirements are simple, visualize we are 470 employees, 270 of us are females, our monthly expenditure is from 60 to 70 thousand dollars. It isn’t a big number compared with the number of employees. Again, none of them will leave the work if there is no money because the idea of voluntary work is essential in URB. The productive projects depend on money. Let me be frank and clear, I mentioned that the Syrian society needs to be changed and we haven’t changed yet, therefore I’m afraid from shifting toward gathering money if we start productive projects. We aim at a purpose. We don’t want to deviate from what is right by deserting this purpose for the sake of money. This matter is likely to happen.
I say, not all people will deviate, but it is a big loss if some people aim at gathering money instead of working for the society. We need a lot of preparation, we haven’t been ready yet. One day, in the near future when the suitable circumstances are available we may do some productive projects and depend on ourselves. There are some minor steps we are about to do to secure fund to the radio, but we haven’t done them yet, like advertising via the radio.
Absolutely, yes. This is exactly what happened in Syria. They glutted us with money and the result is our destruction.
For instance, many foreign journalists, about 600 males and females, came into my office and met me. Some of them stayed in my house. However, all of them offered me money. All of them, in principle, have the norm of offering money like the expenditure of food, internet and sleep. I have refused to take a penny for just one reason. For example, I take 300 dollars from you and take from another reporter the same amount of money; after a short time I will see the journalist in the shape of a dollar only. This matter is most likely to happen, so I personally don’t want any money. Some of those journalists said that they wanted to donate; they use it as a pretext to give me money. However, I guided them to the financial bureau to donate. I myself didn’t accept any money for my own avail because it may deviate me to the wrong way.
So I refused and still refuse the idea of accumulating money, because it may deviate me or some of the other employees who work with me. In result, if that happened, it is a great catastrophe.
I know many people, who were active reporters and revolutionists on a high level and on the full meaning of the word, deviated by the money to another direction. For example, some of them became journalists and reporters of TV news channels. They serve and adopt the propagandas and ideologies of these channels for the sake of money and forgot all about the revolution.
Another example is those who received a military subsidy in order to form armed troops. They appropriated most of the money for their own avails on the expense of the revolution. The standard of living for most the leaders of these armed groups were changed for the better. Moreover, some of them weren’t convinced with their lives so they moved to live abroad. Money made them adhere to life more and hate death. They forgot all about their country and they did not care whatever is happening in it.
We, who haven’t traveled abroad, don’t have a firm fancy to life. For example, my salary is 100 dollars likes any another employee in the organization. So I don’t have a big love to life; now at this moment my wife is writing to tell me that the house is in a state of disorder because it is full of water because of the heavy rain, the sewers and the house culvert are blocked up. Nonetheless, I prefer to stay here instead of living in ease and comfort abroad. Because if I traveled to Turkey and lived in a luxurious big house, drove a magnificent car I would deviate toward the love of the pleasant life, then I wouldn’t be able or had the motive to leave that life in order to continue my role which I started to serve my people, to serve the revolution.
Some of those, who left to live abroad, use as a pretext and say "we are important for the revolution, we can bring sinking funds and military subsidies. So, we are very important and if we are killed, a lot of families will starve and suffer. Therefore, we should live in Turkey to stay alive. We may be assassinated by unknowns or bombed by the regime."
In short, the main idea is that the revolution and the society lose you when you travel abroad; live in Turkey, and all things you have done, will come to an end. This significant reason (the revolution lost you) motivates us to work inside the country.
In URB if we receive subsidies, we share them out. If not we stay without food, no problem.
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