“For the master’s tool will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” ~ Audre Lorde
DECEMBER 20 — The recent regime collapse in Syria has sparked intense debate, on whether a coup orchestrated by foreign-backed militants constitutes a genuine people’s revolution. While it is undeniable that Assad’s government has inflicted brutal violence upon the citizens of Syria, attributing the entirety of their suffering to him alone overlooks the roles played by various international actors and their proxy militias continuing to fuel turmoil and devastation in the region.
As the American Intersectional feminist and activist Audre Lorde reminds us; we cannot solve problems of oppression by working with the tools of a system of oppression that perpetuates its existence.
A sense of triumph in seeing a dictator collapse, however, is difficult to fully celebrate when we can foresee the potential consequences of this “liberation”. The moment after Assad fled the country, Golan Heights was immediately occupied by Israel as a “buffer zone” while carrying out dozens of air strikes across Syria.
For many years, Syria had already suffocated under the weight of Western sanctions, relentless Israeli airstrikes and the controversial appropriation of Syrian oil revenues by the United States. Syria’s ongoing struggles have roots in a devastating decades-long civil war backed by the US military-industrial complex.
Long before the eruption of anti-government protests in Syria, the US had been actively exacerbating sectarian tensions in the region, setting the stage for further conflict. One strategy included coordinating efforts between local Egyptian and Saudi missions to craft targeted media narratives designed to resonate with Sunni Syrians to amplify their fears regarding Iranian influence.
Since 2012 we have seen a continuous influx of militant Salafists drawn to Syria motivated by the desire to wage jihad, which they interpret as a fight in the name of Allah. This movement is deeply rooted in their belief in the Hadith (prophetic tradition) concerning “the End of Time” and its connection to Biladi Sham, a historical region that encompasses modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Just like in Afghanistan, this jihadi concept of fard kifaya (communal responsibility) has been adopted by leading Salafist clerics to accommodate foreign Sunnis seeking to fight in Syria.
When is a choice, not a choice?
Much like the CIA’s Operation Cyclone in the 1980s in Afghanistan, Operation Timber Sycamore in Syria was the costliest covert action in the history of the CIA and generated lasting instability in the region.
Despite growing public awareness around American covert operations in Syria, the world’s media is now disregarding the role of this interference in the overthrow of Assad. It is disheartening to observe how the Syria revolution has evolved into a proxy battleground for the US-Russia war, with the only viable solution for Syrians now lying in American imperialism.
For Syrians, it was either to live under a brutal dictatorship under Assad or endorse an imperialistic agenda that sought to impose foreign influence on the country. They are now embroiled in America’s imperialist domination, which has resulted in the occupation of a significant portion of Syria and the siphoning of its oil to Israel, amidst increasing hostility between Sunni and Shia populations.
“Out of the frying pan into the fire”
Is this a transformative revolution or a culmination of years of imperialist strategies coming to fruition? We don’t need a crystal ball. The stark reality is that the support provided by the United States has consistently fallen short of the principles of freedom and democracy it claims to uphold. Instead, it appears that US involvement in Syria is aimed at further entrenching Israeli control, advancing the aims of the Greater Israel initiative as outlined in their Yinon Plan.
The United States’ obsessive foreign policies of regime change have consistently worked against peace as evidenced by Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Their interventions have led to instability, suffering, the exploitation of natural resources and democracy nowhere to be seen.
Assad’s departure is undoubtedly a positive development, but does it represent the revolution we envision, given the risk of empowering Islamist radicals who oppress others while maintaining close ties with the imperialist? The calls for the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad resonate with many who advocate for social justice and political reform; nonetheless criticising this revolution does not render one a counter-revolutionary.
We must critically examine whether such a revolution is genuinely transformative or merely leads Syrians into a deeper imperialist trap. As the country grapples with dire economic conditions exacerbated by foreign sanctions, widespread violence, and social disarray, how can we ensure that this revolution yields tangible benefits for citizens, rather than serving the geopolitical interests of foreign powers?
* Aisya A. Zaharin’s research encompasses a diverse range of fields, including political science, history, Middle East issues, international affairs, decolonisation and Islam, with a particular emphasis on addressing social inequality and promoting cultural relativism.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
