THE shocking truths revealed to the world, especially those uncovered after the fall of the Assad regime, exposed the horrors that took place, particularly in the prisons.
Thousands of oppressed individuals lost their lives and dreams in the dark basements of those prisons, simply because they dared to dream of a dignified homeland. These revelations, at least in part, explain why the Islamic world celebrated the departure of this tyrant.
The reports about detention centers throughout Syria and the brutal methods of torture, such as crushing bodies in locally-made mechanical devices, echoed the atrocities committed in the prisons of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. It seemed as though this party, with its Iraqi and Syrian branches, had specialized in such horrific forms of torture for silencing any voice that opposed even the simplest matters.
Both regimes used locally-made tools of torture and methods such as dissolving victims’ bodies in acid or using presses to crush their bodies and grind their bones.
We are not talking about the infamous prisons of history such as the French Bastille, the Siberian concentration camps during the era of Stalin, or Hitler’s ovens, but about the horrific live realities that we are witnessing today.
When approximately 23 million people live under such oppression, cruelty, and brutality, and the citizens find no option but submission, they will inevitably respond to any movement that promises to free them from this hell, even if it means reaching a deal with the devil himself to overthrow the oppressor, who had sought the help of foreign forces to support his brutality.
What makes the situation even more bitter is the fact that these foreign forces had no connection to the Arab environment or culture. They were simply aiming to change religious beliefs in many cases.
That is why the first Friday prayer, held just days ago in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus after the fall of the brutal regime, symbolized a moment akin to the fall of Khosrow II in the seventh century AD. It served as a reminder that no matter how arrogant or proud an oppressor may be, there will always come a day when they fall. History will inevitably repeat itself.
In contrast, the Iranian regime has long been confident in its full control over four Arab capitals, which was evident in 2015 when the Iranian Minister of Intelligence tried to poison the honey by promoting the export of the Iranian revolution as an Islamic issue. He described exporting the revolution as “a revolutionary issue in harmony with the Iranian constitution.”
At the time, some Arabs recognized the gravity of this statement, particularly since it came from a former Minister of Intelligence who had insider knowledge of the regime’s plans. Unfortunately, no action was taken in response.
If the reports of a 2014 meeting between Bashar Al-Assad and Qassem Soleimani are accurate, and in case it is true that Soleimani stated the need to create Islamic forces parallel to the Syrian army, then this explains the regime’s descent into inciting sectarian strife, especially with his talk about the fears of Syrian minorities.
In the last few days, all the slogans propagated by the Iranian regime and its Lebanese arm, particularly those about “the captivity of Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) twice” to justify their intervention in the Levant, have been thoroughly debunked.
At the same time, this confirms the plan for the region, not just for Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. The oppressor sought help from even darker forces to maintain his rule. In response, the revolution had no choice but to seek a supporter, regardless of their background. However, the supporter of the Syrian revolution was a Muslim with extensive experience in dealing with the Iranian regime and fully aware of its ambitions.
Sadly, some Arab countries attempted to flatter the Syrian Baath regime, as if they had not learned from their experience with Saddam Hussein.
Instead of confronting the regime, they tried to steer Bashar Al-Assad toward the right path, even as he persisted in repression and became more deeply involved in the Persian plan. This is why the Syrian revolution ultimately gained momentum and bore fruit after 14 years of struggle, with its primary base in Turkey.
From the very beginning, Ankara realized that the fire in Syria would engulf the entire Arab world, and not stop at its borders. This is why Turkey quickly moved to support the revolution. It came from a Muslim ally who understood the grave consequences for the region if the conflict spread to neighboring countries.
We hence say today “Teşekkür ederim Türkiye” (Thank you, Turkey). We do not exaggerate, as it was the only country capable of believing in the justice of the Syrian revolution.
