'The Writing Is on the Wall'
https://www.vice.com/en_dk/article/the-writing-is-on-the-wall-00003456-v19n11
“The Martyr Ahmed Asham.”
The article, written by Angelina Fanous, covers the anti-regime graffiti throughout the streets of Syria.
The article introduces Tarek Algorhani, a Syrian citizen who was released from prison after 6 years. After his release, Tarek and eight other bloggers founded Al Domary, a political site that used cartoons and other drawings to criticise the Syrian government. The site soon became the most popular anti-regime sites in the country. However after three months one of the bloggers was arrested and tortured till the names and location of the organisation was revealed. As a result, authorities shut down the site, confiscated their computers and destroyed all files. All bloggers were convicted of treason and sentenced to 5 years, however Tarek was sentenced to 9 years because they believed he was leading the organisation. Escape was impossible and he was repeatedly beaten and tortured.
After five and a half years, Tarek was released for reasons he still doesn't understand, however his imprisonment didn't put him off the fight against the Syrian government as he still teaches activists how to record videos and upload them online, keeps details of the missing and the killed and creates contact with human rights groups for support and first aid.
Vice organised an interview with Tarek:
Tarek says that he resorted to using graffiti because it was the reason for the revolution against the Syrian government. Tarek explains how the stencil tags are used as a reminder and a symbol of what happened in that specific location, making people aware of the revolution:
'A small group of boys from Daraa watched the Egyptian and Tunisian revolution on TV, and they spray-painted the slogan “the people want the regime to fall.” The Mukhabarat, the secret police, arrested them, tortured them, ripped out their fingernails and that’s when the rest of the country broke out in protests. At the beginning of the revolution, whenever people assembled, there were only a few of them. The police and security forces could easily split them up with no trace left behind. That’s where the idea of drawings came in. Even if the police came in and dispersed people, anyone walking by later would know, “There was a protest here, revolutionaries were here.” It’s a stamp, a mark. And it’s difficult for the police, because they get tired. Every time they would clean up a wall, something else would appear.'
In the beginning:
At the beginning, activists would spray quickly and rushed, using short statements such as 'freedom' or 'down with the regime', however Tarek wanted to introduce an element of art to commemorate the martyrs lost in the revolution. - 'USING ART TO VOICE CONCERNS'
Getting caught:
Tarek explains how if you are caught tagging a wall, 'the best possible scenario is that they will kill you on the spot. If they detain you, you’ll go to political prison where you’re tortured and will eventually die a slower, more painful death. You’ll die either way, but dying immediately while you’re tagging something is definitely preferable to losing your mind while getting tortured.' - Shows the brutal reality of living in Syria without freedom of speech and a corrupt government.
The dead:
Tarek thinks their are about 15 graffiti artists who have been died for the cause. They killed Nour Hatem Zahra, who was known as Al Ragel al Bakeheh, or Spray Man. He was like Spider-Man or Batman. They killed him while he was tagging. People know about Nour’s death, because his family publicised how he died and held a funeral for him, saying, “Our son died for this cause.” This is not always the case as a lot of the families of the martyrs are too afraid to celebrate the death of a loved one so avoid having a funeral.
'I think that the revolution will continue, even if Bashar falls from power and the current regime ends. There are a lot of things we want and need and I don’t think graffiti will die. People may not write about Assad, but they will write about everything from human rights to social issues and express their desires that way. And the drawings of the martyrs will always be there, so people won’t forget them.'
It's all about commemorating the martyrs, providing them with a face, instead of just a number. Tarek and other members of the revolution are providing respect to the dead. Syrian graffiti artists tag walls with the word “martyrs” and "freedom" above a row of stencilled dead revolutionaries:
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