Suha al-Kasir to Syrian women

“you have to be one hand”  

Believing in the revolution’s goals, and the importance of changing
the reality of the Syrian people who is living under a corrupt dictatorial
regime, Suha participated in the demonstrations in Salamiyah since the
beginning of the revolution in 2011. Her husband was arrested before the
revolution. Suha also provided relief and medical aid for people who injured in
protests.

Beside her being from a political family, as her father was a
communist, and reading many political books, she joined the Union of Syrian
Democratic Youth in al-Salamiyah area in the 1980s. That was her first
practical step of political action. When she felt that the Union does not
represent her aspirations, she formed another democratic group, along with a
group of young men and women who belonged to different parties in the late
eighties. The group lasted for about a year and was dissolved because it was fought
off by other parties, and the founding members were busy studying in college. Thus,
when the revolution started, Suha felt that her dream of change she always
waited for, will finally come true.

Suha had to leave Syria in 2014, to avoid her husband’s arrest
again by the regime, after he had already suffered the agony of imprisonment, with
all the abuses detainees go through. During the revolution, he also received
many threats, and was continuously pursued by security forces, so they had no
other choice but to leave the country.

Suha says that the experience of asylum and
being away from her country and family is very hard, especially that she lost a
brother while she was in the diaspora. However, living in a country that
respects human rights and dignity, where all citizens are equal in rights and
obligations, mitigate the pain of expatriation, especially, seeing her children
enjoying all their rights in the Netherlands, where she is currently living.

“I joined SWPM because it is a platform through which I can work for women issues, alongside
political activity.” 

Suha believes that challenges that faced political
work in Syria were imposed by the tyrannical dictatorial regime, which has been
keen to keep people away from politics, interested only in making a living, as
well as because of the regime’s suppressive policy against anyone with an
opposing opinion, causing Syrian people to fear engaging in politics.

In terms
of the challenges facing women in particular in politics, she says that in
addition to the masculine community, the main challenge is in women’s
mentality, their will to confront the community and the pressures surrounding
them to prove themselves and their abilities to realize that they can be strong
and economically independent from men, having their own political opinions that
must be respected and taken seriously.

Suha joined the Syrian Women Political
Movement because she considered it a platform through which she can work for
women issues, alongside political activity. She says that, SWPM includes well-versed
political women who are well-educated, ambitious and powerful. That motivated
her to be among them, to learn from their expertise and work with them to
contribute to bring women to decision making positions, and ensure women’s political
and civil rights in future Syria. Thanks to SWPM members, Suha expects that it will
have a great role in such difficult and challenging circumstance Syria is going
through in helping marginalized women inside Syria understand their rights,
especially political ones, and realize the importance of their roles, regardless
of their domains and positions, in building democratic Syria, that respects and
defends women rights.

Suha says that despite 9 years of war,
killing, destruction and displacement the Syrian people went through, in
addition to being let down by all parties, we still need to put pressure on the
international community to act to save the remaining people of Syria, topple the
corrupt regime, hold criminals accountable, restore the rights of the martyrs
and release detainees. That what keeps Suha insisting on working in public
affairs, through being part of SWPM.

“Syrian women should be aware of all of their rights, especially
the political ones, in order to be able to reach decision-making positions and
realize their goals.”

Suha says that one of the nicest moments
she recalls of the revolution, was when she managed to help a young man who was
running away from a dispersed demonstration, after being admitted to the
hospital with an injury. She helped him get out of one of the hospital’s doors
minutes before the regime forces came in looking for him. Talking about the
difficult moments she lived in the revolution, Suha says that they were plenty,
such as the death of her cousin under torture after one week of his arrest in
2012, when the revolution was still peaceful, although he was not armed, but
was only distributing water and flowers to protesters. Another hard experience she
lived was when she saw a friend of hers who was miserable after his release from
detention.

Suha dreams of a Syria free of sectarianism
where citizens are equal in their rights and obligations, regardless of their gender,
religion or opinion. A country where all forms of corruption and fanaticism
disappear. She wishes women, in particular, to be aware of their rights and obligations
and be up to the responsibility they have. She wants women to work hard, educate
themselves and increase their political awareness, especially that many women
were made to believe that politics is a field for men only. Suha also calls Syrian
women to be one hand and support one another in all fields.