The Syrian regime's humanity needs to be restored

Newsweek magazine once reported an incident that would be funny if it wasn’t so unimaginably ugly. The incident was connected to the bloody dispute over power in Ethiopia amongst young left-wing officers after the fall of Haile Selassie in 1974, especially after one of the officers, Mengistu Haile Mariam, became very influential within the military council known as the “Derg”. In 1977, he was able to get rid of the president and a number of officers, making him the sole leader.

During this dispute, an opposing group of officers kidnapped Mengistu’s family and children and threatened to kill them if he did not respond to their demand to abandon sole leadership. Mengistu told them, “My advice to you is after you kill them, make soup out of their bodies, and don’t forget to send me my share!” It was at then that the opposition realised that they were facing a terrorist who prided himself on his lack of humanity and they could not compete with him in the lengths to which he was prepared to go.

The current Syrian regime is no different to Mengistu’s. It does not shy away from evil, nothing is taboo and it does not know the meaning of humanity. It has no goal other than preserving its own power at any cost; even at the expense of any human values or interests. Therefore, when international and local politicians say that there is no other solution for Syria other than a political solution they mean that they do not care whether there is a solution or not. This regime was asked to do far less in the past, such as keeping its promise to hold to a ceasefire agreement with its own people, even in the presence of international and Arab observers, but it ignored this. How can we expect those who simply refuse to stop the killing to allow their victims to share in their power?

It is not beyond God’s power to cast mercy into the hearts of the regime’s thugs in order for them to stop the starvation, humiliation, torture and killing of the Syrian people, as God forgives whomever He wills. However, when the time comes for the policies to change, neither Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem nor any of the other regime’s servants will have a say in it. Such individuals do not dare say anything but praise about their president and they have no authority over those committing the crimes. It seems that even Assad himself has no authority over his monsters, as they use chemical weapons deliberately and commit massacres against innocent people in the presence of international observers in order to make a point that they will not allow anyone to compromise their actions.

As such, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the current Geneva negotiations are useless and a waste of time, as well as an alibi for international parties so that they can’t be accused of sitting idly by and watching the tragedy of the century unfold in Syria. However, they are aware that the current Syrian regime only acts under pressure and if they were sincere about looking for a peaceful solution they would have sent the kind of messages understood by the regime. Moreover, the regime sent their best liars to the Geneva conference, not its decision-makers.

The opposition also has a problem because it does not understand its true source of power, which is definitely not its military might, but the justness of the cause and the sympathy of the world in light of the regime’s inhumanity and brutality. Some of the opposition members view the world’s sympathy as a green light to do whatever they like, while others believe that the world must fight on their behalf. However, all of this is a misunderstanding in the discourse of some of the opposition and their childish actions; we also hear some irrational demands. The opposition must choose a clear strategy: either it plays the humanity card, which requires a lot of moderation in speech and humility in their demands, as well as responding to international diktats; or it wants a military solution and self-reliance, and then it must abandon its demands and pay attention to the battlefield, rather than waiting for a lot of help from abroad.

The history of such conflicts confirms that the solution will come with the inevitable collapse of the system under the weight of its atrocities. At that point, international support will not do it any good. It is perhaps ironic that when Mengistu’s regime collapsed, he was supported by both the West and East, following wisely in the footsteps of his then Syrian counterpart by sending his soldiers to dig in support of the US war on Iraq, despite his claim to be a revolutionary Marxist. America then supported him and he continued to have an alliance with the Russians. However, his regime collapsed before his soldiers returned.

The late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told me that before the end of the war in Ethiopia, his Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front had expected to sit down with the regime and negotiate with it, especially since they shared its Marxist ideology and their demands were limited to autonomy not separation. He said that they would have sat down with the regime immediately if it had showed the slightest degree of flexibility, but it just refused to recognise their existence. Matters continued this way until Addis Ababa became under fire from the rebels. It was then that Mengistu sent a messenger requesting negotiations. Just as Pharaoh professed his belief in the Almighty as he was drowning, Assad and his men, as well as the many people who have lost their mind and find excuses, are likely not to believe in the truth until they drown with their regime.

This does not mean that we do not hope that the people wake up before it is too late. God sent messengers to Pharaoh and commanded them to talk to him gently, so that perhaps he might see the light. Today’s pseudo-pharaohs in Syria can avoid a bad ending if they at least begin trying to get closer to humanity by lifting the sieges on Yarmouk refugee camp and the cities of Syria, as well stopping the terrorism, torture and executions of innocent civilians. They must also release the innocent people, allow relief to reach those dying of starvation and then negotiate a ceasefire in order to begin serious negotiations over a solution for the crisis and an agreement for a governing system that keeps everyone safe. However, while hopes and wishes are one thing, expectations are something else.

This is a translation of the Arabic text published in Al Quds Al Arabi on 24 January, 2014

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.