Middle East

Basher al-Assad’s speech: “When they are told, Do not cause corruption on the earth, they say, We are only putting things right.”

Basher al-Assad’s speech on Sunday 6 January 2013 was a show of defiance by a ruler whose forces are on the retreat. Only history will tell if the speech was his “Gaddafi moment”. As Gaddafi lost his grip on Libya it seemed he also began to lose his mind with his bizarre speeches.

Basher Al-Assad’s speech was full of defiance, arrogance and allegations. He stressed he would uproot the terrorists who were trying to destroy the nation and he touched on the new political transition plan which proposed keeping him in power. The uprising in Syria has been raging for nearly two years and the brutal tactics of suppression used by the regime have failed to quell the uprising.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ

When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right.’

(Al-Baqara, 2:11)

What began with a single man in the markets of Tunisia spread to thousands on the streets in Cairo and evolved to hundreds of thousands demanding political change for the entire region. The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia created a sweeping wave, which crossed the artificial borders in the region until it reached Syria. It was only natural it would engulf Syria as the people of the country have suffered for decades under the brutal rule of the al-Assad’s who rule the country like the mafia.

The uprising in Syria has many moving parts and the outcome in the country will determine the direction of the Arab spring. This has kept the international community fully involved in the future direction of the crisis. Syria is now the official battleground between those who wish to see the nation continue playing a role in protecting foreign interests in the region and those who wish to change the destiny of the country and make it representative of their values and independent from outside interference.

The regime strategy of overwhelming the uprising with sieges and air power as well as deploying armed militias alongside regime forces has in fact left the regime overstretched and unable to fight on multiple fronts. Al-Assad’s speech took place when his forces failed to maintain their positions in the North of the country including the nation’s economic hub – Aleppo. The military has employed all of its military might against both civilian and opposition forces in the hope of halting the uprising.

Since November 2012 Basher al-Assad’s forces have been on the retreat in the face of significant firepower and advancement from rebel forces. Basher al-Assad’s forces are surrounded in the North of the country and moving South towards Damascus, the seat of the regime. Rebel forces have been chipping away at territory controlled by al-Assad’s forces and the loss of Taftanaz air base in the North of the country, so soon after al-Assad’s speech is testament to the changing balance of power in the country.

What remains now is where Basher al-Assad will make his final stand; as attacks take place daily on Damascus his days are numbered. For the ummah the day after scenario is upon them. It is very important the nations constitution, leader, key policies and security is constructed now and ready for implementation when Al-Assad falls, otherwise foreign powers will take advantage of the instability to in order to keep the country within their sphere of influence.


SPECIAL REPORT:

THE END GAME IN SYRIA – COMING SOON

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov, admitted December 13th 2012, what many have known for some time. Russia’s official admitted that that the Syrian government may be defeated by opposition forces as al-Assad’s forces were “losing more and more control and territory.” The death toll in the country according to a UN report is has now exceeded 60,000 people since conflict began.

The uprising in Syria has many moving parts and the outcome in the country will determine the direction of the Arab spring. This has kept the international community fully involved in the future direction of the crisis. Syria is now the official battleground between those who wish to see the nation continue playing a role in protecting foreign interests in the region and those who wish to change the destiny of the country and make it representative of their values and independent from outside interference.

This special report from Khilafah.com will look at Syria past, present and the future. It will look at emergence of Islam in Ash-Sham and the impact it has left on the people of the region. The report will highlight the creation of modern Syria by the Sykes-Picot agreement between the French and British, which brought the Alawi’s out from the wilderness and for the first time in a position of power. The report will highlight how foreign interference has remained in the country to this very day though different guises and how the ruling elite have protected foreign interests. As the uprising in Syria has evolved it has been interesting observing the changing positions of the world’s powers to the developments on the ground, these will be analysed in order to accurately highlight their indifference to the demands of the indigenous people of Syria.

This special report will analyse Basher al-Assad’s strategy for survival and why he has failed to halt the advance of the opposition groups. The opposition has been very successful in reducing the regimes grip to only around Damascus, even though they lack numbers, weapons and capability. This report will analyse the different elements that make up the opposition and their strategy for overthrowing the regime and why they have been so successful. With the end game now clearly in sight this special report analysis the day after scenario, the policies and challenges that will need to be dealt with.

Imam Ahmad and Tirmidhi narrated in their respected collections on the authority of Zaid ibn Thabit that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “How blessed is al-Sham? The companions around asked: Why is that? The messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, I see the angels of Allah spreading their wings over al-Sham.”