Tuning in and Speaking out in Damascus
An economist and engineer by training, Ayman Abdelnour launched his electronic newsletter, All4Syria, in 2003, following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Mailed to 15,200 subscribers and read by many more, it has become one of the most influential sources of independent criticism of the Syrian government. In the wake of the Syrian ...
An economist and engineer by training, Ayman Abdelnour launched his electronic newsletter, All4Syria, in 2003, following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Mailed to 15,200 subscribers and read by many more, it has become one of the most influential sources of independent criticism of the Syrian government. In the wake of the Syrian pullout from Lebanon, FP spoke to Abdelnour about what Syrians are watching and reading.
An economist and engineer by training, Ayman Abdelnour launched his electronic newsletter, All4Syria, in 2003, following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Mailed to 15,200 subscribers and read by many more, it has become one of the most influential sources of independent criticism of the Syrian government. In the wake of the Syrian pullout from Lebanon, FP spoke to Abdelnour about what Syrians are watching and reading.
Foreign Policy: How have recent events in Lebanon affected the news Syrians consume?
Ayman Abdelnour: Even people who were only interested in entertainment and music videos switched to news channels. I can tell because I’m interviewed on news channels, and no one ever used to recognize me. Then all of a sudden, wherever I went — taking a taxi, buying milk — people told me they had seen me on television. They watch because they’re worried.
FP: What are they worried about?
AA: People have started to hear about the possibility of new economic sanctions by the United States and also by the European Union. They’ve started to hear about Syrian workers attacked in Lebanon. More than 30 Syrian laborers were murdered there. The worry subsided a little after [President Bashar] al-Assad’s speech on March 5, when he signaled that Syria would fully withdraw from Lebanon.
FP: What channels do people watch?
AA: Al Jazeera, [the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation], Al Arabiya, and Abu Dhabi TV. People also watch a lot of music videos, and some Syrian comedy series. Every house has satellite television, even the poorest, even the Bedouin.
FP: What books do people read?
AA: We have an annual exhibition at the National Library that imports books from all over the Arab world. The problem is that 70 to 80 percent of them are religious books, which are very popular. [They] fill the vacancy created by the fact that our one-party system does not allow people to participate in political life to the extent that they would like. Religious books are the easiest to buy, and they let the reader live in a world other than reality.
FP: What about books in translation?
AA: The [Bill] Clinton autobiography, My Life, is available in bookstores in Arabic. So is The Missing Peace, Dennis Ross’s book about the Middle East peace process.
FP: Last year, the government started blocking receipt of All4Syria, but you continue to publish. Do you worry about the risk?
AA: While All4Syria has published many criticisms of the regime and the Baath Party, we’re open to other opinions. We’ve published commentary from the Baath command and by government ministers. As far as risk goes, I feel I should be taking some. You can’t bring about change just working inside your mind, censoring yourself and being fearful.
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