Help for Syria

The situation in Syria is giving Aktham Abazid no peace of mind. The 38-year-old supports the uprising against the rule of Bashar al-Assad in his native country, and sincerely hopes that the regime will soon have to yield to the revolution.

"I've been part of this since day one," Abazid said - even though he wasn't even in Syria, in his hometown Daraa, where the uprising began in March 2011, but rather living in Berlin. Even in Germany, though, the protest against President Assad and his allies has been met with widespread support.

For months now, Abazid has been following the events in Syria. Assad's forces have been killing Syrian protesters almost daily. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 men, women and children have died in the nine-month crackdown on dissent. Even more have been injured, locked away or tortured.

"Half of my cousins are sitting in prison," said Abazid. He sounds as if he has gotten used to this situation. His family is well-known in Daraa. For decades already, they have been part of the political opposition. Some are avowed members of the Muslim Brotherhood, others are Communists. But it doesn't matter which political camp they belong to: the entire family is opposed to the Syrian president.

"When I was younger, I read Marx, Lenin and Trotsky," Abazid said. "In Daraa, close to the border, we could pick up Jordanian and Israeli television programs. So we always knew that there was another side to the story than the president's official version."

More than just Pepsi vs. Coca Cola

Abazid came to Germany for postgraduate studies 12 years ago. After his finished his university studies, the environmental planner didn't want to return to Syria anymore - at least not for good.

"I was frustrated by the political situation," he said. "Nothing moved under Assad and his economic liberalization had the effect of brainwashing the people. They could choose between Pepsi and Coca Cola and considered that freedom."

Abazid was immediately electrified when the protests in other Arab countries spilled over into Syria and the people began openly criticizing the system there. He got a Facebook account and took to the streets in Berlin every Friday to demonstrate against the Syrian regime. At the beginning, he was cautious. But then he openly and actively protested with homemade placards.

Organized support for Syria

In July 2011, Abazid joined forces with other activists and founded the German-Syrian social association LIEN in order to organize aid for the victims of the unrest in Syria. It was no easy task, as the need in Syria is very high. Every day, protesters are killed, injured, arrested or raped. The medical treatment is catastrophic. Many families have lost their breadwinners and are dependent on financial support.

The regime doesn't allow any independent observers into the country, but Abazid's family and friends in Daraa inform him that the protesters are lacking almost everything they need. He and his colleagues from LIEN set up a website and a bank account for donations. They meet with companies, doctors and pharmacists, collect first-aid kits, clothing and donations in order to get at least the bare essentials into the country.

Most of the donations are for the benefit of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey. But Abazid and his comrades-in-arms also ensure that a portion gets directly to the Syrian population. LIEN works together with charitable organizations in Jordan and with aid workers who are familiar with the border region to Syria. They know when a transport has the best chance to get through the border controls unchecked or how to avoid controls altogether, Abazid said. After all, many of them have friends and family across the border.

Families back home at risk

Abazid is deeply worried about his mother and sister, who live in Daraa. He saw photos which were taken after Daraa was closed off to the outside world for two weeks. Syrian soldiers had occupied the town.

"Our house looks like a sieve," Abazid said. "There are bullet holes everywhere." It weighs him down knowing that he can't take care of his family there. He would have preferred to have returned to Daraa when the uprising began. But his mother held him back.

Hozan Ibrahim is also worried about his parents and his siblings. The 29-year-old Kurd came to Germany as a political refugee six months ago. Part of his family still lives in Syria. He knows that they are in danger - also due to his activities against the Syrian regime. Ibrahim has been politically active for 10 years already. When he was 19 years old, he spent one year in solitary confinement in a Syrian prison for participating in a demonstration. But he doesn't want to talk about that, or his concerns about his family.

"Many other families are unfortunately at risk, as well," said Ibrahim, who has joined the newly founded Syrian National Council (SNC).

Seeking official recognition

Ibrahim said he of course hoped for support from Germany. He recently met with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to personally explain the goals of the SNC. Some 120 representatives of Syrian opposition groups have joined forces to politically represent the Syrian population. But before the organization can collect donations and really become active, it has to be officially recognized in Germany. Ibrahim and his colleagues are working hard to achieve this goal at the moment.

Some 40 percent of SNC members live in Syria and operate undercover. The majority are living in exile. Ibrahim is one of some 10 SNC members in Germany. As an independent political activist, he also belongs to the roughly 30 members of the general secretariat. He therefore has an official position.

The problem is that the SNC is not officially recognized in Germany, nor in many other countries. This means the organization in Germany has no budget, no bank accounts, no address and Ibrahim is dependent on the private support from friends and acquaintances. The costs for his involvement are far beyond what a political refugee in Germany can afford. Ibrahim knows that time is short - for him as an activist, but especially for the Syrian population. Yet, he appears collected and patient.

"A peaceful changeover in Syria will be anything but easy," he said. Nevertheless, he wants to do everything in his power to help - from Germany.

Author: Anne Allmeling / sac
Editor: Rob Mudge