Address Dr Ghalioun 5/11/2011

The Address of SNC Presidnet; Dr. Burhan Ghalioun to The Syrian Nation
 
Saturday, 5 November 2011
 
The great people of Syria,
 
I address you today on the eve of eid al-Adha, as our country reels from the violent actions of an unjust regime which has transformed our country over the decades into a kingdom where power is inherited, where rights are deprived and where dignity and freedom are beyond reach of its people.
We became accustomed to this predicament until we could tolerate it no longer. In your revolt for freedom, you sacrificed your most precious assets until every home in Syria has experienced the loss a father, the rape of a daughter and the arrest and disappearance of a young man or child. And as the pillars of tyranny shook, your courage, determination and capacity to sacrifice has captured the world's admiration. You are not in this ordeal alone, your sacrifices have been noted by Syrians everywhere and your efforts have highlighted the trove of talents and creative abilities of all Syrians.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
From this day onward, Syria is home to freedom and dignity, free of all discrimination, injustice and exclusion. Syria is one nation for a united Syrian people with no reference to majorities and minorities, religion, sect or regional affiliation. It is a country where the principles of citizenship and equality reign and where people are judged on the basis of their capacities to give and sacrifice for the sake of their country. Syria's new constitution will protect minorities and their rights, including the Kurds, who have suffered discrimination. Syria will have a new judicial, legislative and executive system which will be held accountable by the people. The power of government will be limited and the people will choose who governs them through the ballot box. Syrians will enjoy the rule of law, where everyone is equal before an independent judiciary, and all Syrians have equal rights to form organizations, political parties, associations and participation in decision-making.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
With each passing day, and with every drop of blood shed, we are one step closer to freedom. The days of tyranny are numbered and the demise of the current regime is inevitable. History has taught us that regimes based on corruption, oppression and slavery are bound to fail: all unjust rulers who detain its youth, steal the wealth of the country and kill its people inevitably come to an end.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
The Syrian National Council is fighting a political battle with you, and on your behalf, at home and abroad. It is your Council, your voice heard by the world to defend your cause. Its members are your comrades in the battle for freedom. We are honored by you all, and heartened by your support of the National Council. We promise not to waste any effort or time to overthrow the tyrannical regime. Will not negotiate on the blood of the victims and martyrs nor will we compromise on the pained groans of detainees. We will not be deceived. The National Council will not allow the regime to bide for time. We are aware of the responsibility and trust you have placed on us. But the challenges that we face are great. We are working towards building a solid council with strong foundations to be able to manage the affairs of the country during the transition. This mission cannot happen overnight and we have made rapid progress. We have submitted a formal request to the Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the United Nations to protect civilians in Syria and send international observers. The Council is exploring other options as well.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
On this holy day, we salute our soldiers who are refusing to carry out orders. They are risking their lives and those of their families to defend the people and protect them in their peaceful revolt. Syrians will not forget what these soldiers have done for them by showing their support and commitment to their real duty of protecting them. We call upon the rest of the Syrian army to follow example to protect the homeland and citizens.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
Syrians will not forget all those nations and organizations which have helped and supported them to gaining liberty. We will continue to mobilize local, regional and international support for our just cause. The regime is still intent on drawing the country into chaos and civil war, but we will resist by uniting until we are victorious.
 
The great people of Syria,
 
The future begins today. We are working towards building a new Syria where freedom replaces oppression, dignity wins over discrimination, love takes over hatred and progress triumphs. All of us together today have a duty to create such a Syria and restore it back to life.
 
May God have mercy on the fallen heroes. May the wounded and injured be healed and may the young detainees soon be released.
 
Long live free Syria and the great people of Syria and great Eid to all.

Hope and horror marching hand in hand ..

Before you start reading I have to mention that this text contains descriptions of very graphic events. Continue to read only if you're emotionally strong enough and old enough to sustain it.

After a tremendous Saturday joining the Syrian community here in Munich to protest against the cruelties and the lost legitimation of the Assad regime I switched on my Twitter account Sunday noon, still in a deeply emphatized mood. The last news I had in my memory were about Deir Ezzor and the defected soldiers protecting the bastion of the Syrian Kurds. My concerns about a possible act of violence from the regime side were still there but I had somehow that strong feeling the Assad government wouldn't react at all because of the growing awareness outside the country.

I'd never expected an incident like the one taking place.

The first word I read in the timeline was the hash tag 'Hamamassacre'. For a moment I thought about the 1982 genocide the Hama had to sustain. But further tweets seemed to confirm a new regime assault on the city famous for his watermills. One day before the beginning of Ramadan a nightmare became true. First videos were circulating, showing smoke upon the roofs. Counted killings varied between 50 and 100, the estimated number of unreported cases might be much more higher. Snipers had taken place on the rooftops shooting on everyone in the streets and houses. Bodies were lying around, it was nearly impossible to recover them without being shot.

A bloody Sunday took its course ..

The tweeps were very careful spreading the mobile phone videos, nearly all showing bleeding or dead people were labeled 'graphic'. Here I have to admit that I can bear some of them without becoming nightmares or else, means not that I am hard-boiled as well but I've seen so many of those footages during the last months that I could be no more shocked. I'm admiring the really courageous people thinking in the first moment they realize a strong bleeding human being to help him immediately. Should be normal, unfortunately isn't. One tweet made me curious: reading the question 'what kind of ammunition caused this?' I clicked on the link and became something to see I've never seen before in my life ..

People were running to a body lying on the street who had no head anymore. Only a fragment of his face remained hanging on the neck. They covered him and brought him away, running in fear being themselves hidden by a bullet.

Without doubt a new peak of extraordinary violence. The shootings came from a far distance which meant the regime killers used a special caliber this time to damage the body biggest possible. I was wondering if it could be international outlawed ammunition what would have been another topic for the bill of indictment against Assad and his followers. Later on further tweets were mentioning more bodies without heads or giant wounds in their torsos. The regime language here spoken reminded me on Maher Assad, a cold-blooded angel of death whom I first saw in a leaked video from last year's crackdown of a prisoners' uprising. Without any emotion he walked through the ruins and took photos of the spread body parts with his mobile phone. Another short movie showing a man whose leg was rolled over by a tank and different reports about nail bombs thrown at the protesters seemed to confirm my theory: explicit sadism by the security forces, Maher's handwriting.

The first article in an online newspaper mentioning exactly the same disturbing footage I saw today was from Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlanic. Short and precise he described the final decline of 'Vogue man-of-the-year' Bashar al-Assad (what he supposedly wasn't, his wife Asma being always in the focus of the international glamour press):

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/the-ramadan-massacre-in-syria/242844/

In the meantime the Syrian tweep community complained in their grief and frustration about the lack of concrete actions of the world's leading governments. Comprehensible. I began to surf through the sites of our German news agencies. To my great surprise I found on nearly everyone the headline about the today's Hama tragedy, commented with disgrace, tagged with pictures and mobile phone videos and - in my eyes most important of all - related to the 1982 massacre which was more or less silenced for nearly 30 years. A small victory in the informational war. Bashar al-Assad wanted to crackdown the continuing protests against him making an example of but all he reached was the growing international awareness digging out the mass murdering his father was responsible for. A look in the online editions of foreign newspapers confirmed the tendency which could possibly lead to necessary clear sanctions against the Syrian regime and fasten the leaving of the most hated dynasty in the Middle East.

Nobody can predict what the regime will be capable of committing against their own people. That is the horrible aspect of the ongoing. But the attention is slowly rising up to irreversible dimensions. And that is the more than hopeful aspect.

Discovering Dignity

The hot summer breeze was flowing through the city. Relaxed looking people crowded the streets, only a few free places in the local bars and cafeterias outside left. I was on the road to the second rally this year Syrians in Bavaria living organized to show their support to their fellows in Syria and to condemn the regime's brutal crackdown. 

Short before I entered the area where it took place I saw the huge Syrian flags waving through the air. The organizers were still busy solving technical duties; speakers were built up, shirts handed out, banners arranged. I recognized one of the students from the last event, he gave me a warm welcome and handed me a bottle of water which I took grateful due to the heat of the day. I took a sip and looked around. 

All kind of characters were present: women traditionally as well as modern dressed, young men with sunglasses, older generations discussing while kids rollicking around them. It was a detail of normality which is taking place everywhere in this world. No signs of radicalism or sectarianism the Syrian regime's always declaiming. People like you and me. Kind, communicative and likable. The event started with chants and slogans while some of the organizers were pretty busy in the background fixing some technical problems with the loudspeaker system. 

From time to time passengers stopped and watched the happening, most of them might have seen for the first time the presence of so much Syrians in a city like Munich. The confusion in their look had mainly to do with the two different flags waving: the red-white-black banner with the two green stars and the green-white-black one with the three red stars. Both are flags of Syria, similar to the Libyans who have (yet) two banners (the monochrome green one Gaddafi invented will soon disappear forever). 

After half an hour the loudspeaker problems were fixed and the statements started. They invited me to join their circle and I listened carefully to the speeches in German, English and Arab. Even though my knowledge of the Arab language is still rudimentary, I understood well terms like freedom, peace, justice. It is a good omen first to learn the positive words of a language I thought myself. The speakers mentioned again and again the names of the Syrian cities, a sign of national solidarity and unity. As a tribute to the great poet Ibrahim Qashqush the crowd chanted his famous anti-regime song 'Yalla Irhal Ya Bashar' (Get immediately out Bashar). I'm certain this song will survive many generations from now on remembering the times 'when it all began'. 

Then the guest speaker, a lady of the Munich Refugee's Council entered the stage declaring in clear words her detestation for the inhumanity Bashar al-Assad and his ones are doing to the civil population followed by a poem for the victims demanding a better world. After a speech in English a young student performed another poem was recited by an artist in Arab. My neighbor was so kind and translated me simultaneously the meaning of his words: accusing the regime for the crimes committed and appealing on the reason of the party responsible. Strong and empathic. I'm still getting goosebumps thinking of it. 

Doughnuts were reached and I felt not only invited and accepted but being a part of the community. While the chants started again I had a passionate discussion with the young student who spokes earlier about faith followed by another smalltalk with a student of the arts about the common development in the Arab countries. The rally event ended after three hours and we bid farewell to each other. Finally they handed me one of the Syrian flags as present which is now draped over the chair in my living room. 

Now I have a serious question to all those reading my post until here: are the people I described 'dangerous elements' or 'terrorists'? Is their behavior 'questionable'? Do they have 'dubious purposes? 

I say definitely not. But that is exactly the lie Assad's regime tries to sell the rest of the world to legitimate the terrible violence against everyone who doesn't follow blind the Baath Party. In the name of humanity we must resist those lies and stand by the side of the Syrian people who deserve the values our world has already implemented: peace and freedom.

Arts and creativity in Times of Rebellion - Libya

The creative potential of a society is always endangered in restrictive regimes. Freedom of expression is regarded as possible threat. Even those who hide their criticism in a subtle manner risk their life in a dictatorship. But a culture without free artists is a dead culture. Since nearly five months the freedom seeking Libyans try to end the more than four decades during mastery of the self-proclaimed leader. The news are full of pictures showing battles, front lines, destruction. With the help of a few examples I like to explain why it is worth inter alia to risk one's life as the Libyans do - like some others - to topple the tyrant.

Lets start our visual voyage with the caricaturist Alsature who draws against the Gaddafi regime from UK exile. He had left his country in the same year Reza Pahlawi's power ended in Iran. Using both classic and new media tools the Benghazi born fences with his graphics the dictator in a unique subtle manner.

http://english.libya.tv/2011/05/22/“i-fight-gaddafi-with-art”/

Benghazi, the first of all freed Libyan cities and home-base of the Transitional National Council is flourishing again with exhibitions popping up all over. Galleries presenting paintings reflect the process of turning back to desired normality. The basic requirements are given: Maghreb culture meets Mediterranean life-style. An insiders' tip for common tourist generations.

http://alive.in/libya/2011/06/08/the-painter-sisters/ 

Similar as in the Egyptian cities street art exploded and everybody armed with an aerosol can is releasing his pressure. Logically the most portrayed is the unloved eccentric ruler. Almost all Libyans suffered life time his displayed presence, they know his features, grew with his face up. And compensating the mainly life-time anger and frustration about the permanent risk of life expressing oneself is another manner to overcome the trauma of censorship.

The motive, or should I say the brand Gaddafi inspired not only Libyan natives. A bizarre expression from 'Oczident meets Orient' presented at:

http://www.saatchionline.com/art/view/artist/28387/art/1237600

Another element is the traditional Libyan flag Gaddafi had banned after his coup d'état in 1969 replacing it through a monochrome green one. Different to the other uprising countries both battling parties can be easier kept apart. At least for a stranger. An impressive video combined of photography - tributes at this point to talented tweet pal @SaraLataiwesh - and movie shots catches the renaissance of the red-black-green banner.

The last example confronts us with resistance-based performance art. Some may hold that this hasn't to do with the definition of art. In my opinion this has very much to do with it. From Picasso's 'Guernica' to sprayer icon Bansky criticism is source and intention. And both named are well presented in worldwide art magazines. Tripoli iconic movement FGM, a creative consortium performing resistance in the still stronghold capital, are disturbing smart and 'radical chic' Gaddafi's peace. After this performance all banners in the area showing the leader's image disappeared.

What I describe and present is a small lava stream of an exploding volcano. One big winner of the Libyan revolution is the creative community, continuous growing under the conditions of freedom and peace and being one of the central pillars of a modern traditional civil society. The world is becoming aware of a Mediterranean art scene, thought-provoking, fresh and vivid.

Revolutionary Songs: The Sound Of The Uprise

It is not easy to reach the people only with the power of your words, especially if you confront them with topics which are behind their interests, their attention or their imagination. In the last case you can help them at least with the support of music. From the early beginnings until now, from Bob Dylan to Ben Harper, the genre or protest songs brought us the message behind the notes a bit nearer, even if we possibly do not agree with. With the help of a few selected songs I like to explain the movement of the last months which still turns the world into a new direction.

First it began in Tunisia. Before the people entered the streets of the small, generally for his tourism known country a young rapper who named himself El Général expressed his outrage about the social and economic circumstances loud and clear criticizing the policy of the meanwhile former President Ben Ali's regime:

As the spark of freedom flew over to Egypt and we all witnessed the hundreds of thousands crowded at the Tahrir Square in Cairo it took not long until one of the meanwhile most popular revolution songs found its way to the public: 'Sout Al Horeya' (Voice Of Freedom), performed by Hany Adel, Amir Eid Hawary and Sherif Mostafa, describes the motives, demands and feelings of the Egyptians freeing themselves from the Mubarak regime:

More traditional is the musical dedication of Ramy Essam, famous for his live appearances at Tahrir and the setting of the most popular slogan in the Arab world, 'al-shaab yourid isqat al-nizam' (people demand the removal of the regime). In this video the first time footage of the rallies including hurt protesters is to be seen:

Using the ghost thread of Al Qaeda most people associate besides Afghanistan and Pakistan the poorhouse of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen. A prejudice which adumbrates an age-old culture full of magic and mystery as well as the recent democratic movement led mostly by the younger and the women. For us in the western affluent society it is nearly to impossible to imagine the suffering of the Yemeni population: pent-up between the militant fractions and the more or less selfish interests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States they live a life sustaining power cuts, fuel rationing and a high unemployment rate. But their will and their resilience is more than admirable. I've chosen one song I received per tweet just yesterday from the awesome blogger Noon and whose music expresses in combination with the images exactly that what's going on there:

While the hide-and-seek between the Gaddafis and the NATO-supported Freedom Fighters in Libya continues, musical contributions for the Benghazi-headed liberation movement are made not only inside the country. Khaled M, an American Rapper with Libyan roots wrote the song 'Can't Take Our Freedom' performing together with his colleague Lowkey, dedicated to the resistance against the self-declared brilliant leader:

Setting of the slogan 'Zanga Zanga Dar Dar', which means 'on the streets and in the houses' and was an original quote from Muamar Gaddafi in one of his (in)famous speeches:

Another musical tribute is Salah Al Ghaly's song 'Shedy Al Azem Ya Mesrata', a coastal city still suffering from the pro Gaddafi forces and partially heavy destroyed:

The Syrian uprise reached last Friday a new climax when estimated 300,000 protesters in Hama and some more hundreds of thousands in the whole land declared the Assad regime for finished chanting 'Irhal!' (Out!). Armed with a wide-ranged creative potential the Syrians show their rulers that they have meanwhile enough from terror and repression. They're supported by local musicians like Hossam Miller who wrote and performed together with the band Huda International the following, especially Aleppo dedicated traditional-style song:

Under the name 'The Strong Heroes Of Moscow' we discover one of the most unusual anthems of the Syrian Revolution. Electro and Industrial influenced  rap-style music in straight black, white and red optic. But careful - the last 40 seconds show the torture of an old man through regime guards - nothing for sensible characters:

Finally a real nice peace, the two years old song 'Kooche' from Zedbasi combined with visual impressions of today's Iran:

Lots of musical contributions exist meanwhile in the net. From classic political protest song to digital sample cuts a wide range confirms the renaissance of intoned assailing messages.

The G question: no matter of the 'if's and 'but's

The public discussion about NATO's possible purpose to kill Muammar Gaddafi led amongst others to  sceptic considerations. But mentioning Gaddafi's 'attainments' or doubting the political competences of the Freedom Fighters looks not only a bit like the try of the dictator's existence justification. It's above all a slap in the face of all the tens of thousands victims who fled, died or were injured since Feb 17. The slightest verdict Gaddafi and his cohort could stay in Libya practicing any form of political or social influence becomes unbearable for those who have lost their homes and their family members. It was from the beginning of the uprise a clear demand that Gaddafi has to assign absolutely - without compromises. Questions like 'What comes after the colonel?' may be legitimate but only useful after the achievement of of the basic demand. Nobody can exactly predict the Libyan life after and without the self-claimed leader. But dialogues about the rebuilding of the social, political and economical structures are taking place already, easy to verify by watching the documentations about their ability of self-organization, reading the reports about the connective unity amongst Arabs and Amazigh or just by visiting their websites. Furthermore a lot of Libyans living since decades in exile want to come home. But they can't as long as the main reason for their emigration is still controlling parts of the country.

The independence-seeking Libyans are not a simple bunch of outlaws. Their political wing, the Benghazi based National Transitional Council is acknowledged by a growing number of countries, today Croatia and Bulgaria joined the alliance of the TNC supporters. The 42 years lasting absolutistic reign of an obviously deranged egocentric and demanded war criminal has come to an end. And it's counterproductive to busy oneself with how he will be caught: dead, alive, what consequences have to be worried. The principle concern at the moment is that he will be caught.

Fear loses ground amid Syrians

Before joining yesterdays solidarity demonstration of the Syrian community in and around Munich, Bavaria I didn't really know a lot about the social background which is moving the masses nowadays on the streets of Daraa, Hama, Homs and other towns all over the land. The political motivated reasons seemed to be clear: Bashar Al Assad, representing the unloved regime, has to run the same career as his former president colleagues Ben Ali and Mubarak. At first sight another Arab Spring movement started by the courageous ones who were inflamed by the spark of enthusiasm.

But that is only one aspect amongst a lot of incidents which took place throughout the decades of the Assad dynasty. The Hama massacre committed in 1982 was not forgotten when ten thousands lost their life according to the decision of the former president and father of Bashar, Hafez Al Assad, to declare the rallies as based on radical islamic reasons - a rhetorical trick most oppressors used to justify extreme violent acts against their own population until nowadays. Unlike Tunisia or Egypt Syria is not a tourist spot for the traveling masses so the attention on eye-witness accounts was districted to the few who had become a visa and a persistent attender from the officials' side when arriving. The one and only time I went to the former German Democratic Republic, it had taken place just a few months before the system collapsed, I had such a companion at my side: a young, jeans-fitted buddy type, repeating that we 'could talk with him about everything we want' whilst presenting us his invisible tattoo messaging State Security on his forehead. In such an atmosphere you definitely cannot talk and act openminded. Especially when you have critical questions and suggestions referring to the host's society. So the few reports about the Syrians hadn't found the ways to a wide public media interest in the occident. Thanks to the new media this will gonna change.

While his fellows positioned the microphones in front of the small stage and handed out Syrian flags I had a few words with Tarek, a student from the region of Daraa and one of the organizers. He explained me that it is not Assad and his political regime alone who are responsible for the social situation in their country. It's the whole apparatus they have built up to protect themselves; secret services, armed forces and the whole branch of bureaucracy are performing on a watchmen level to suppress even the merest hint of nonconformism. Like a medieval castle the Syrian government is surrounded by infiltrating forces and has lost therefore the contact to their own civil population. According to that Tarek told me that their is no longer any reason for the Syrian people to stay at home, especially for the inhabitants of the the two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo. Now has come the time to go down on the streets and to express their needed freedom-related demands.

The chants and shoutings of the meanwhile roughly 150 protesters became louder. I asked Tarek about the meaning of an often-heard slogan on the streets of Syria when the crowd began to scan it. People demand the removal of the regime. It is the postulation I first read on that giant banner on Tahrir Square, Cairo, a clear strong sentence which will be found in the history books from now on and which is still the guiding theme of a new self-consciousness across the borders. The headline of the flyer I was holding in my hands told me the wall of fear is fallen. Tarek confirmed that the fear was until now working for the regime but that he and his fellows have thrown over this suppressive feeling, they even have no longer fear to present themselves in the public. On my question about possible consequences for their relatives at home in Syria he figured out that the argument of being watched frightens no longer the people, they have always been watched by order of the government. He spoke in an open self-conscious manner about possible official's henchmen surrounding the event and taking close-up photographies of the protesters. Of course it seemed to be seen as a potential risk, but when the Syrians at home decide to go demonstrating their requests in the public they and their families do not know if they are ever coming back. What has worked for a long time very effective as a key hole of fear turned now into a conclusive consciousness: accepting that they risk in worst case vanishing, torture or death Syrians try to disarm their regime in a more effective way guns and rockets could ever achieve. Tarek's reference how they name the condition of a displaced fellow or family member gave me the creeps - they say he or she is 'behind the sun'. A dark metaphor, indeed ..

Over and over the words 'Thourah' (revolution), 'Hurriya' (liberation) and 'Simliya' (peacefulness) were to be heard. The protesters were clapping their hands rhythmically to the chants and songs which alternated with speeches and appeals. The performance was becoming more and more vibrant and I asked myself, if some hundred can act like that how it will be if some hundred thousand will do it. A German rhyme says, roughly translated, 'where people sing, you can come to rest. The evil ones don't have songs.' Shouting out loud: "No fear anymore, Syrians want freedom!", the crowd formed a closed circle by holding their hands connected up in the air celebrating closeness and the fate they all have in common - no longer to remain silent. They know that they have to handle a perilous foe, an octopus with more than a dozen arms, but they decided to walk on the road of revolution where fear and repression are no longer arguments for  a regime-wanted passivity. The gap between the government and the civil population is so huge that the ruling officials have gambled the possibility away to refill it. And, as in the case of Saleh and Gaddafi, Assad and his ones are dealing with more than an image problem. Blocking the internet access, arresting even minors and kids, shooting at unarmed protesters, beating women, neglecting the freedom of speech by using disgusting methods of oppression, increasing prices of staple food - all those crimes will be recorded, not only in Syria, and one day the ICC prosecutors will have enough material to impeach those who are responsible for.

While the demonstrating crowd was dancing and celebrating the expression of their movement I thought about an upcoming future when I could enter a plane to Damascus and travel free throughout the country talking to everyone without the guidance of an official's watchman. Until then it is up to us to sample and share the knowledge about who the Syrians are and what they want. So as knowledge is the contrary to ignorance the counterpart of fear is ardor, and a huge wave of ardor, courage and patience might flush away the outdated rulers.

Libya: the stolen identity

When Muammar Al Gaddafi became Libya's head of state Europe was confronted with left-orientated students protesting against the antiquated beliefs of the older generation: they accused their grand-parents from keeping up moldy conservative principles and their parents to take this circumstance lying down. Revolutionaries like Fidel Castro or Ernesto Che Guevara were admired as icons of a new progression. Police, judges, university professors, even the press media were figured out as handymen of the political exploiters. The U.S. played in their eyes the role of the great oppressor who acted only for their egoistic advantage. Victims seemed to be all countries and societies of the socialistic second and third world.

Gaddafi's political ideas based originally on the ideas of socialism. But the fatal combination with elements of nationalism and totalitarianism turned his vision into a reign of terror. He consolidated the former multi-ethnical population with partially drastic methods; everybody who and everything what was not compatible with his ideas of islamic socialism vanished in a short term period. The national anthem 'Libya, Libya, Libya', introduced in 1951,the year of independence, was banned and replaced. The same had happened with the origin national flag, the red-black-green striped banner with the centered white crescent and star, was substituted for a universal green standard. The Berber tribes were not allowed to maintain their culture and their Tamazight language. Whoever had hold a different view had to expect a common life in exile if he didn't want to be imprisoned or sentenced to death.

The regime had believed the roots of the former Italian colony and the later constituted United Kingdom were all torn out and in the course of time forgotten due to the fact that the younger generations, born and raised in the Arab Republic Libya, had no more references to the history. Today we notice that it was a big mistake. Gaddafi has underestimated the collective memory of his own population. It's the resistance movement who recovered the forbidden signs and songs and who is now waving and chanting them, starting few months ago in Benghazi and heading irresistibly towards south and west of the country, accompanied by a strong, self confident youth identifying themselves with the ideals and values of a time they haven't witnessed.

From day to day more isolated the self-proclaimed revolution leader has to face the fact that this strategy finally has failed and that his political ambitions ended up in a dead end street. His notorious speech dated Feb 22, 2011 naming his own people 'rats' marked the irrevocable decline of his era. The ICC declared him a war criminal and in the best case he will be caught alive and brought to The Hague where he will be confronted with all the crimes against humanity he has to take the responsibility for such as appeal for mass murder and rape. The problem is indeed his never-surrender-mentality, based on a combination of narcism, infatuation, obstinacy and mainly persecution mania. He still believes devoutly in a worldwide conspiracy against his person led by the White House and Al Qaeda. And he still seems to have the necessary financial resources to pay all the mercenaries who protect his life, offer resistance against the Libyan National Liberation Army and terrorize the civil population.

Estimating Gaddafi won't be reasonable enough to give up it is to expect that he possibly could be killed by an NATO- or NLA-launched attack in the foreseeable future. The risks of an occurrence like this are a potential stigmatization and radicalization amongst his devotees acting from that moment as an underground movement and spreading terrorist assaults. So let's hope this will not happen and the people of a freed Libya can rebuild their war-shattered nation in safety.

The miracle of Cairo

In the beginning of 2011 it was never to be expected what would happen until now in the Maghreb countries and the arabian peninsula. Everybody who believed in a better world and who cared for values and principles like freedom, peace, respect, self-determination, equality of rights or justice sensed the global situation as kind of static. After the last big shattering end of the 80's when the Iron Curtain was falling down and the communist regimes were vanishing with more - Romania, former Yugoslavia - or less - East Germany, former Czechoslovakia - violence, it looked like this had been a long-term incident. The last revolution which has not ended in a multinational war and which has influenced strongly the society around the globe dated around 200 years back so the people thought the next eruption of change is gonna be coming at the earliest in 50 to 100 years.

But it took only 22 years. It was small Tunisia who started an uprise against their aged ruler Ben Ali. Together with his loyal household he systematically squeezed out the money of the country and their inhabitants - over more decades. Arguing for the safety of his own people to defend them from religious radicals and terrorists he was back-upped by the western nations giving him credits and selling him arms.

Meanwhile the whole situation for the Tunisians became worser and worser. Jobs were rare, staple food like bread became more and more expensive, disposal spread all over the land. It needed only a spark to raise a storm of protest against those dishonorable circumstances: the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi on Dec 17, 2010 who only wanted to earn some money for his family's surviving struggle. Not even a month later Ben Ali fled from the more and more powerful demonstrations against him and his regime.

At that moment the majority still believed in an unique incident. But the Arab and North African World was full of potentates like Ben Ali. And with the help of the internet the news about the effective revolt reached finally the frustrated and the underprivileged classes from Casablanca up to Sanaa. Would or even could there be a next one disposer whose days will be counted from now on? After Tunisia's riddance protests began in Algeria against Bouteflika, but they weren't as effective as the Algerians hoped for. The uniqueness of the Yasmine Revolution seemed to be confirmed.

Then the rebellion began to spread over Egypt. The demonstrators had also their symbolic martyr, it was Khaled Said, a blogger killed by police guards during an examination on June 6, 2010. Starting as protests for the freedom of speech and against the rigid governance of Hosni Mubarak thousands of Egyptians moved to Tahrir Square which became in the weeks thereafter another symbol. I remember well the giant banner with the words: 'People demand removal of the regime'. Mubarak who followed up Anwar El Sadat in the beginning of the 80's tried to pull out all the stops. He sent policemen to break up the resistance against him, followed by civil security commandos, he let disconnect communication systems as phone and internet, he commanded his military generals to end up the peaceful sit-in with the help of tanks and armed soldiers. But the movement was stronger. More and more citizens joined the protesters and several parts of the armed forces opposed against their leader by sheltering the demonstrators. It seemed that time ran out for Mubarak but the old man still refused to retire. Heavy debates followed about his possible successor and a transition period. The movement and the opposition stood firm: Mubarak had to leave immediately and without any compromises. In the late evening of Feb 10, 2011 I was sitting on TV hypnotized by the overwhelming pictures of Tahrir Square where hundred of thousands non-violent protesters celebrated their will to achieve their demands. Even here in the middle of Europe the revolutionary atmosphere was seizable. Everybody was expecting Mubarak's speech and everybody was waiting for those few words they wanted to hear from their unloved ruler: 'From this moment on I am no longer president of Egypt.' A simple sentence some may say but the reality became in that night bizarre and dramatic. Instead of his withdrawal Mubarak made only vage and cryptic concessions about the power transition. I felt myself sad and confused, as well as the millions of protesting Egyptians all over the land of the Nile whose expectations were disappointed. Would that frustration turn over in the worst case, the begin of a civil war? I couldn't switch of the TV that night, zapping between the different news channels back and forth. No bigger clashes or riots reported. The people suffered the regime over three decades, their patience would therefore last another day, another week, maybe another month.

In fact it wasn't even another whole day. Finally Mubarak isolated himself and left Cairo on Feb 11, 2011. The protesters had won, their main requirements were fulfilled. When I heard about it I felt satisfaction and gratitude that the whole time the Egyptians persistently abandoned any kind of escalating violence. And I am glad having been a contemporary witness of this historic moment which seems to be the starter for a big wave of change we are facing at.

The last image I have in my mind are the people of Cairo cleaning up the streets around Tahrir Square and showing their fellow countrymen and the rest of the world their way back to normality after the successful uprising.