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 Syrians know exactly what Ukraine is going through

Solidarity is not about geographical proximity but about bitter experience

PUBLISHED: TODAY 05.00

This is a cultural article that is part of Aftonbladet's opinion journalism.

Left: Mariupol, March 2022. Right: Douma, August 2015.

Left: Mariupol, March 2022. Right: Douma, August 2015.

In Myanma, March  2022. The dictatorship in Myanma allso supported by Putin like in Syrian.

Photo: AP

CULTURE

No, commitment does not always come from geographical proximity. Ask the Syrians. Had we measured solidarity on the basis of compassion shown, one would think that Ukraine is Syria's neighbor.

The Kremlin's attack on Ukraine has triggered strong emotions and a willingness to show support among Syrians from around the world.

A student in Sweden writes on social media “no one knows how brutal Russia can be more than we Syrians, we have lived with that brutality for seven years now. We are with Ukrainians in heart and soul ”. A journalist in exile writes that the resistance in Ukraine has aroused new hope among Syrians, that the resistance can also win in Syria.

Similar solidarity greetings and posts have been written in various media channels in the Middle East, blogs, articles, podcasts, Facebook and Twitter. The messages are very similar, from Syrians who themselves have been forced to flee. When it became clear that Russia would invade Ukraine, many quickly understood what the war would be, someone wrote "déjà vu". A small group even organized a demonstration inside Idlib in northwestern Syria, another made a mural in support of Ukraine on a wall of what was once a house. The perpetrator in the Kremlin has united the victims.

Most importantly, civilian aid workers will not establish large or permanent headquarters as they will also be targets for Russian bombs.

Others have shared practical knowledge built up during the seven difficult years. The aid organization White Helmets has offered staff and their experience. Right now, they are filming videos instructing Ukrainian civilians how to deal with unexploded ordnance and how to best evacuate a building under attack.

Ukrainians are also urged to work in smaller units, four to five people in each, geographically dispersed, and to drive small vehicles that can easily get to an affected location. Most important of all is that civilian aid workers do not establish large or permanent headquarters because they will also be targets for Russian bombs, the White Helmets say.

The solidarity shown by the Syrians stems from a shared experience. This week marks eleven years since the uprising in Syria began. The fact that the war has been going on for over a decade is largely due to Russia, which through its veto in the UN Security Council has stopped all initiatives to end it. Since 2015, Russia has also participated militarily on Bashar al-Assad's side.

All of us who have closely studied Russia's actions and propaganda have learned to see the patterns, and the similarities are eerily numerous. Mariupol is on its way to becoming Ukraine's equivalent of Douma. A city is surrounded, the supply of food, water and supplies is restricted to force the opponent to give up. Thereafter, the violence intensifies.

Many Syrians feel a kind of duty to say "do not let this happen again".