Attacking the last stronghold of moderation in Syria

The sixth anniversary of the Syrian revolution that was brutally aborted coincided with a very symbolic event in Douma.

The bureau of a local newspaper and the offices of a number of the few remaining NGOs were raided, not by the Syrian regime but by forces that should have revolted against the regime’s repression.

Nowadays, these same groups are attacking newspaper staff, accusing them of blasphemy, preventing them from carrying out work and instigating local groups against them by fabricating “popular protests.”

The so-called popular protests claim to have been provoked by an article which, according to accusations, offends God. So, the incitement campaign began, protesters carried white weapons and surrounded the bureau and the NGOs, forcing their evacuation by civilian activists as the police refused to intervene to protect them, claiming that police officers cannot “stand against the street.”

This way, the last stronghold of moderation and civil work in Ghouta was eliminated and militant extremists have been given free rein.

This is the latest in a series of events, including the banning of certain newspapers and media outlets in the “freed” areas and preventing their editions — which are published in Turkey — from entering Syria. Such moves are reminiscent of the acts of the Syrian regime, such as summoning journalists and activists to security centers for various reasons.

Regardless of how bad the article was, it does not justify cracking down on journalists and activists — this only serves to remind us of the four kidnapped people who disappeared from Douma in similar circumstances, under the control of the same armed party.

The issue here is that harm is not limited to a number of activists and workers in the public affairs domain but goes beyond that, cutting supplies for thousands of families who are benefiting from these organizations and their programs. This aid — even if it was nominal — used to allow civilians to stay steadfast and remain in their areas. Now they will only have one channel — Jaish Al-Islam. Most important, and perhaps dangerous, is that locals are being deprived of documentation centers to address victims and detainees or human rights violations which could then be used in local or international courts.

The major disaster is that a violation of this sort enjoys international immunity, earned by the fact that the leader of this Jaish Al-Islam has been appointed as the chief negotiator in the Geneva talks and heads the Astana delegation. Just like that, he sits there as a peaceful negotiator on behalf of the opposition, while using arms against the sons of the revolution and civilian activists here.

Two years ago, politicians, activists and intellectuals called for the launch of a second wave of the Syrian revolution concerned with freedom of expression but that call has not been widely spread. The last incident in Douma proved the need to revive that call. While the regime has strived to abort the revolution, armed opposition factions cooperate to end what remains of it.

• Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both traditional and new media. She is also a columnist and freelance documentary producer. She can be reached on Twitter @dianamoukalled.