‘Bastards in Morocco’– Trials Radwa Ashour A literary, Cultural Hassan Daoud’s ‘The Penguin’s of Innocence: Child Brides and and Political Activist Icon, Echoing Song’ Sees Abandoned Building as their Children, p. 29 in Egypt’s Valley, p.16 Metaphor For Lebanon, p . 17 AL JADID A Review & Record of Arab Culture and Arts COPYRIGHT AL JADID www.ALJADID.com VOL. 19, No. 68 (2015) Victoria College: A Witness to the Rise and Fall of Cosmopolitan Alexandria by Nada Ramadan Elnahla Arab American Transnational Literature: Conceptions of Citizenship and Homeland by Theri Pickens The Aftermath of War: Najwa Barakat Novel Focuses on Lost Humanity by Joseph Sills Middle Eastern Comedies as Social Critiques by Lynne Rogers Orientalist Literature as a Tool of Colonialism by D.W. Aossey Orientalism’s Children: ‘Voices from the Threshold’ by Angele Ellis Sabah Zwein (1955-2014): An Innovative and Haunted Poet by Mike D’Andrea My Story with You is Different by Rima Assaf Gender Relations in ‘Women’s Jail’ “Enclosed History 1” (2015) by Doris Bittar by Aisha K. Nasser Syrian Regime Dresses-Up Image with Choreographed Demonstrations Arabian Tales (Heard with Little Ears) by Elie Chalala by Hanna Saadah Essays & Features Syrian Regime Dresses-Up Image with Choreographed Demonstrations BY ELIE CHALALA The heart wrenching images from Syria never stop a pre-conceived plan, with many regime loyalist reactions engulfing the viewer with pain and helplessness as well as an deliberately choreographed to send a political message. One anger that can distract attention from important details. One need only consider the images portraying their behavior, writer, however, by dint of her exceptional analytical ability, images that have remained more or less consistent for the has been clinical enough in her observations to strike a balance past two and a half years. The dresses worn by the women, between details big and small. Her name is Ala Shayeb al- for instance, look more like uniforms, while their yellow Din, and her article, “Ajrafa” or “Arrogance,” appeared in An color becomes significant in its association with Hezbollah. Nahar’s Cultural Supplement on June 15, 2013. This leaves little room to doubt the deliberation given to A Syrian author, Shayeb al-Din writes and comments these costumes. As recently as two years ago, photos of the on the shocking and detestable attitudes that humans display pro-Assad Syrian voters in Lebanon also conformed to this when presented with tragic and horrific circumstances. analysis, as if they too wanted to send a sectarian message One occasion for such commentary occurred following the by distinguishing themselves from the images of the largely massacre in Jdeidet Al Fadel on the 21st of April 2013, where veiled refugees. The orchestration of pro-Assad’s supporters, more than 483 people were burned alive or knifed to death marching to the Syrian embassy in Al Yarze to cast their votes over a four-day period. This terrifying massacre became even in the Syrian presidential election, recalled the reactions more appalling when a group of Assad loyalists celebrated that Shayeb al-Din observed during the 1913 massacres in Syrian Women demonstrating in support of Bashar al-Assad (images in both columns are web-based) Jdeidet Al Fadel, with both scenes carrying the same political message. the event by organizing “festivals” to cheer the “courageous” The symbolism of these contrived similarities in the Republican Guards and the Shabiha (pro-Assad thugs) on appearances of regime forces and supporters is not lost to their victory over “the terrorists,” when in actuality they had Shayeb al-Din either. The images of Assad loyalist women, committed unspeakable cruelties against civilians. with their heads uncovered, suggested that they were the Following the massacre, Shayeb al-Din reported that frightened minorities targeted by a Sunni extremist majority. photos of young women dancing the dabke circulated in the They carried red flags, the legitimate symbol of Syrians, as pro-Assad media. This conduct raised “many critical, baffling opposed to the green flags raised by those lawless Others, and difficult questions as to how mercy could disappear from wore Western-style dresses, sometimes sported tattoos, and, of the hearts of some to such an atrocious extent?” course, displayed t-shirts bearing images of Bashar al-Assad, Most observers overlook, consciously or unconsciously, or slogans such as “we love you.” They gloated and displayed details that appear to be secondary and instead become malice towards their enemies, while showering praise and caught in what can be called the larger picture: the daily death glory on the leader, the army, and the police. Even their counts, the ostensible reasons for a given massacre, the types deceptive smiles constituted a deliberate attempt to irritate and of weapons used, and the role of regional and international instill envy in their rivals. powers. But Shayeb al-Din avoids the tendency to allow the The details of these and other photographs clearly reveal sweeping impressions to carry her away. Nor does she become the sectarian nature of the regime, its arrogance, and its mired down in the minutiae. She notes in her article that the repressive character, all engendered by contempt, as well as a Assad killing machine appears to be working according to methodical prejudice and chauvinism. 2 www.ALJADID.com AL JADID Vol. 19, no. 68 Essays & Features Shayeb al- Din notes: “By using comparative terms we in favor of her own eternal, beautiful presence. can illustrate this more clearly. When we compare the anti- This same arrogant perspective also applies to photos of the regime demonstrations with their loyalist counterparts, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) when contrasted against those of the world of arrogance comes into focus most clearly. In the “official army,” that is the Syrian Arab Army. Although the FSA anti-regime demonstrations, the people are rebellious, angry, lack good uniforms, such as helmets or bullet proof vests, and spontaneous, and unconcerned with what they might look like their outward appearance – with their untamed hair and scruffy if photographed, since they are more preoccupied with their beards – bears the signs of neglect, this only indicates the difficult sincere indignation, and worries that regime bullets might conditions with which they must live. Further, these images exploit pierce their chests at any moment. In the vast majority of cases, the FSA’s lack of conventional and “advanced” technologies, such they are simple, poor, marginalized, come from rural areas, are as planes and tanks, in an attempt to deepen the impression of dressed modestly according to tradition or locale, and carry an army of “displaced terrorists and beggars.” In reality, we are slogans of social justice, equality, freedom and dignity.” faced with two contradictory worlds. The first world is that of an By contrast, the pro-regime demonstrations emphasize their oppressive, mercenary, illegitimate and unpatriotic regime, which patriotism and loyalty to the Assad family by using racist and has encouraged the invasion of Syria by its sectarian “allies” from exclusionary slogans which deny Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon the presence of the Other. They (Hezbollah). The second imply that the opposition rebels are world is peopled with rebels composed of foreign agents and who champion a popular, traitors, a “fact” which then justifies just, and national cause. They their deaths. At the same time, the stand alone in the revolution, pro-Assad groups strive to appear unsupported by others, and “civilized and secular,” with their yet still fight with the spirit of “yellow uniforms,” t-shirts, and freedom. red flags, while the demonstrating The disdain manifested rebels are portrayed as scum, in these carefully orchestrated extremists and terrorists. images offers just one The message is clear. They example of the oppression want to convey that they, and only and abuse that the Assads they, constitute the legitimate forces, have inflicted upon the Syrian “protected by the state’s army.” people for so many decades. They would appear the strongest, Arrogance constitutes one the ones who will stay forever. Art work by Tammam Azzam from “The View from Inside” of the solid bedrocks of this One can discern this through body dictatorship, and it would not language, facial expressions, and the be far from the truth to say that focus on their dress, which makes them appear an “urban and this attitude remains one of the most important and deeply-rooted modernist [force]…confronting the backward, [and] barbaric.” causes of the revolution. The regime’s arrogance, as well as its Even the sunglasses they often wear convey a similar complete lack of decency, love, and tolerance, has devastated the meaning. In the pro-Assad demonstrations, those glasses lives and crushed the dreams of the Syrian people. Few, if any represent an identification with the arrogance and overbearing Syrians have escaped the psychological, spiritual, and emotional attitude visible in photographs of the “royal ruling family,” in consequences. which Assad, his son, and his brother are wearing sunglasses. Finally, Shayeb al-Din notes that the regime images serve two These images, which play with ambiguity, have penetrated functions: First, they act as a “reminder” of a humiliating past in the consciousness of people in every corner of Syria, and “are which Assad and his loyalists exploited and lived off of the Syrian psychologically designed to instill fear in their recipients and people. Second, they act as “agitating” agents that prohibit any project a sense of inferiority onto them.” thought of retreating from the revolution, because retreat would The widespread images of the Assads which appeared only bring a reality more vengeful and enslaving than the one the after Bashar inherited the “republic,” should be considered in revolutionaries knew before.