While some on twitter trying to defend Angry Arab’s [shameful and disgusting] positions on the Syrian revolution (which I’ll be responding to soon on this blog), I was asked this question:
I love KABOBfest blog, and I do respect most of its writers, but this tweet above is offensive on two levels.
1- When the Tunisian revolution erupted, everyone here supported it, did it have “faces”? More importantly, must it? Isn’t the most amazing thing about regional revolutions is how it proved “opposition” folks are fucked as well as “intellectuals” and “experts”?
This question @Kabobfest asked kind of missed the whole point of the new era we’re witnessing: it’s people’s time, no leader is needed.
It’s become evident in the Syrian consciousness now that not only the street is leading the revolution, but most importantly, activists and prominent intellectuals that are loved by the revolutionaries cannot contain the people’s movement. For example, Burhan Ghalious is very loved by the Syrian street, he’s cool and all, but if he went on TV and said “hey guys, I think we should stop and start talking to the regime instead.” Not only no one will listen to him, but pretty much it’ll mean he’s fucked for good, after Adonis and Angry Arab.
Who to support? The people. Period.
The person asking this question is living in another continent, politically and historically. Faces are not what people want nor what they’re looking for. They’re rather looking for a political discourse, which is a huge topic right now in Syria.
2-Another reason why this question is offensive: the person asking this question clearly hasn’t done his/her homework.
27 year-old martyr Adnan Al-Dayem
This revolution has so many faces, you’re just not looking close enough.
Exiled Razan رزان في المنفى 
“Who to support? The people. Period.”
I remember when the people overthrew the shah of Iran. First thing many of those “people” did was find those who described themselves as “postcolonial feminist, radical leftist” and slit there throats.
And the funny part is that the Iranian revolution was shaped far more by secular/leftist groups (as opposed to fundamentalist muslims) than the current Syrian protests.
people’s revolution… aboslutely right Razan
keep us updated
azhar
“no leader needed” is rather revealing .. how you going to handle the testosteronos who love beating people up for a living? how you going to tax?
“the people” includes guys with long beards, not just teenage rockstars.
one reason egypt is still egypt, changing the guy in the chair doesn’t change anything real about the mindset of the culture. or the bureaucracy. or the army. or the police.
better find some leaders.
i agree with you that it is the people, but this has its good side and bad. good side that no one can stop it, since it has no clear leadership and “faces” regime cannot kill them or scare them and make them disappear.
bad side is that no one can control it, it can go anywhere, it can turn out to be way worse than what we have now. i am not too impressed with your example of Mr. Burhan that he cannot stop it, it scares me and probably many more. right now i am going with good faith that something good will come out of it (i am not really sure). So although i am supporter but i kinda agree with KAKOKfest on this one.
maybe it is too early to have faces now, and something will come up. i am afraid of the concept of (anything better than this) because it can get really bad.
I wonder why we always have to be a sheep herd looking for a shepherd , or a supreme leader, the Syrian people got tired of it. The people are the real authority and the current regime in Syria does not represent in anyway the Syrian people, all what we need now is to get rid of this tyranny and later in fair election we will choose those who will represent us.
KM, it is not as simple as you might imagine, yes i agree this sound excellent. but real life is much more complex, and things can go very very wrong. neighboring countries or not so neighboring can arm special interest and start internal wore that last for ever. look at Iraq and lebanon if you talk to people they all seem nice and hate wars, but still civil war in labanon for years and still have tension and iraq wee i dont need to say anything there.
if good people intend well does not always mean they will not fight and it will not become bloody. I hope i am wrong
I agree you don’t need a “leader” in the arabic way of having kind of a father who give order to children. But you need a way to go on after revolution… otherwise this revolution will be stolen as was stolen many revolutions… as Egyptian revolution can be stolen if nothing is done.
Can’t believe kabobfest would ask such a stupid question. What are they trying to say here: “please put an ideological face to your movement before we can support it”? Isn’t that kind of clumsy and cheap? Suppose that the prevailing ideology among the protesters (if we were able to gauge it) is something Kabobfest does not agree with, would they support dictatorship in that case? I mean, it really is pretty clear: should you be required to take a stand at this stage, you either support the tyrant or you are with the protesters. Otherwise, please do not take a stand! nobody is begging you to form an opinion either way.
Also, it’s not enough to say you support the toppling of the regime, like the Angry Arab keeps regurgitating, while you make it your full time job to smear every personality in the opposition and to make fun of all eyewitnesses from Syria who come on Al Jazeera. As’ad Abukhalil can brag about his history of leftist struggle all he wants, as Razan rightly suggests, he’s still insisting on living in a past era and looking through the same old binoculars.
Dear Farishalabi,The idea that the Syrian uprising is faceless proves that what is moving the Syrian strive towards their goals is not a political figure, not a political idea not a sectarian motive and not a foreign country. It proves that it is revolution that is pure and genuine. Thank you (Armelle Nedelec) for your comment. The word father reminds only of ( Hafez Al assad) and it is not such a good memory living under him. It seems like those who are asking for face have lived so long under Hafez Alassad and got used to the idea of the supernatural leader. In my opinion, asking for a leader for this revolution is like trying to replace a dictator with another .Democracy is the rule of people. Yes,there are many different ethnicity, religions, political trends and I believe that it will actually have a positive effect on the future Syria. everybody will have a saying and a voice and nobody will dare to step on others toes. Yes, there are foreign powers that will try to harvest the fruits of the any revolution but this is does not mean to stall in place and be pessimist and keep saying: what if? and what if not?
We lived 48 years under Assad, lets us just give it a shot and try to live without him. And do not worry my friends if you ever longed for him after we kick him, we can call him again to fix thing with his tanks and his Shabeha.