Syria
was once part of the Ottoman Empire, but the
people suffered hardships and longed to govern themselves. After World War I, Syria was
established as a French “mandate,” which means that the land and
people were still under foreign control. Finally, after World War II, the nation gained
independence in 1946.
But
Syria's problems were far from over. A series of coups, coup attempts, and military
leaders shook the nation. There was a lot of conflict, and the
promise of representative government, written into Syria's
constitution, was unfulfilled.
On
this day in 1970, Hafez al-Assad led a bloodless military overthrow
and brought some stability to Syria. In honor of Assad's “corrective”
movement and stability, this holiday was supposed to be celebrated
with joy and hope. However, the reality is that Assad ruled Syria
with authoritarian control, and open criticism of his government was
repressed. After 30 years of his rule, when he died, his son was
elected president—but he ran unopposed. That doesn't sound very
democratic, does it?
Since
March of 2011, Syria has been shaken by uprisings and a civil war, as
people have protested their government's iron rule and demanded
representative democracy in actuality, not just in the constitution.
Just this month, an umbrella organization called the National
Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces has been
recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people by
many nations, including most Arab nations, France, the U.K., and the
U.S.
Will
anyone be celebrating “Correction Movement Day,” this year?
Maybe. After all, the younger Assad, Bashar al-Assad, is still the president and
still has most of the power.
Happier
Syrian stuff...
Check
out Azlin Ahmad's beautiful photos of Syria.
Corinthian Travel does not currently offer
tours of Syria (naturally, given the civil war raging there!), but
its website of 10 best tourist sites still promises that someday,
people will once again be able to safely travel there...
A Taste of Syria offers three free sample recipes.
Also
on this date:
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