by Prue Mason
The sound of the door opening made Zafir look around. It was Mum. She was carrying a bag of books over the shoulder where the arm was gone from below the elbow and in her good arm she carried a blue plastic bag of groceries. She had a smile almost from ear to ear.
‘I have a surprise for you,’ she said. ‘Pay day! I bought some minced lamb and I’m going to cook your favourite meal. You know the one Tetah used to cook for you – kibbeh and rice.’
Zafir grinned. ‘I’m just writing to Eleni,’ he said. ‘But I’ll finish it later.’ He could see there was something else besides the food that was making her look so happy. He was right.
Mum put the grocery bag down then shrugged the bag of books off her shoulder. She reached inside and pulled out an envelope. ‘This came today from your father. Let’s read it together over supper.’
They smiled at each other and Zafir knew then that Mum was right when she constantly reminded him, ‘We are the lucky ones. We still have each other.’ Even though Pops was in prison, they knew that he was still alive. And now, they had this letter to share over kibbeh and rice. It was almost as if the whole family – Mum, Pops, Tetah, Uncle Ghazi and Zafir – were together once more.
Zafir looked over to the miracle red egg. It had tiny cracks through it now, but it was all that was left of his precious things. Everything else, including the solar cap, his watch and even the dented helmet had been sold. The red egg was worth nothing at the market so it sat on a small shelf in the corner of the room, glowing in the summer sunlight that was streaming through the dirty window.
Author’s note
Salaam aleiykum, peace be upon you, were the first words I heard in 1985 when I landed in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. I was with my husband and we were flying a ten-seater aircraft on our way from Australia to Europe and then on to Canada. The soldier who blessed me with his words of peace was carrying a Kalashnikov rifle at the time. I’d been waiting for my husband to come back from organising fuel and flight plans, sweltering in the forty degree plus heat that had hit us after we’d opened the aeroplane door. As we were only transiting, I’d intended to stay on board but the soldier who poked his head inside the cabin of the aircraft insisted on taking me to the terminal – an oasis in the surrounding desert. As the glass doors of the terminal swished open I stood and gaped because in front of me was a massive column tiled in purple and green that rose up to a domed ceiling. Water tinkled from fountains and men wandered around in the air-conditioned comfort of this fabulous oasis in their long white flowing robes. I soon realised that the soldier wasn’t interested in shooting me or even kidnapping me. He was being hospitable. I felt as if I was in the middle of an Arabian Nights story and I was entranced.
When we arrived in Dubai a few years later the Iran–Iraq war was in its final stages. While we were living there, Iraq invaded Kuwait and that led to a bigger conflict that involved the United States and its allies. Besides that, the Yemeni Civil War was going on, and there was the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Some of these places were closer to us than Sydney is to Melbourne. All the same everyone always greeted us with the word salaam, peace.
In 2010 the Arab Spring began. By then we had come back to live in Australia and I cheered on those who marched in the streets asking for democratic reforms, firstly in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya and then finally even in Syria, where life had appeared to be peaceful despite the country’s many religious groups. The protesters seemed so brave and heroic, especially the citizen journalists who wrote blogs and posted YouTube clips about what they saw happening. I read and watched it all and felt goosebumps when I saw people wave their flags and call for ‘Allah, Sourya, azadi’ – ‘God, Syria and freedom.’
Writing Zafir’s story became increasingly important to me because before the end of 2011 the demonstrations had turned into brutal sieges. Then a civil war erupted that quickly turned neighbour against neighbour. Now, many of those brave people who told the story of the early uprisings have died or are in prison or are refugees. I knew it was important to set Zafir’s story at the start of the conflict to help young readers understand why this war started and how ordinary people like Zafir’s family had their lives changed forever. Now, after nearly four years of war, UNICEF says that Syria is the most dangerous place on earth to be a child. Around five and a half million children have been affected. Like Zafir and his mother they have lost homes, classrooms, teachers, friends and family, and instead of learning and playing they have been forced into the workplace. Zafir is not a real person but his story of being caught up in a war he didn’t understand has happened over and over again in Syria. I hope that by telling this story my voice will be added to the voices of those who can no longer speak as we all call out for a world where children can grow up knowing what the word ‘salaam’ really means.
Timeline
1918 400 years of Ottoman rule ends. Emir Feisal heads short-lived Kingdom of Syria before French forces occupy Damascus, putting Syria under French mandate.
1925–26 National uprising against French rule.
1946 Independent Syrian Republican government takes charge.
1947 Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party founded.
1948 First Arab–Israeli War. Defeat of Arab alliance triggers series of military coups in Syria.
1949 Army officer, Adib al-Shishakhli, seizes power and dissolves all political parties.
1955 Civilian government returns to power with Shykri al-Quwatli as president. Syria seeks closer ties with Egypt.
1958 Syria and Egypt join United Arab Republic (UAR). Egyptian president Gamai Abdel Nasser heads new state and forces Islamic group, Muslim Brotherhood, to disband.
1963 Discontent with Egyptian domination of UAR culminates in coup by Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, electing Amin al-Hafez as president. Political freedoms drastically reduced, concentrating power in the hands of military and Alawite minority.
1964–65 Strikes and mass demonstrations spread throughout Syria.
1967 Third Arab–Israeli War. Six-day war between Israel, UAR, Jordan and Syria. Israeli forces seize Golan Heights from Syria, destroying most of Syria’s air force.
1971 Hafez al-Assad assumes presidency of Ba’ath Party dominated government. Assad brings political stability but rights of expression, association and assembly are strictly controlled. Muslim Brotherhood targets Syrian government and prominent Alawites.
1973 Fourth Arab–Israeli War (Yom Kippur War). Syria and Egypt stage surprise attack on Israel’s holiest day. Syria launches unsuccessful offensive against Israel to regain Golan Heights.
1976 Syria intervenes in Lebanese civil war.
1980 Iran–Iraq War. Strategic alliance begins between Syria and Iran.
1982 Muslim Brotherhood clashes with Syrian government. Hama massacre occurs with estimated 25 000 killed as 12 000 troops besiege the city.
1987 President Assad sends troops to Lebanon.
1990 The Gulf War. Iraq invades Kuwait. Syria joins the US-led coalition against Iraq.
2000 Bashar al-Assad succeeds his father as president. Bashar releases some political prisoners but unrest builds as regime fails to deliver promised political and economic reforms.
2005 Syria withdraws forces from Lebanon.
2010 Arab Spring. Mass anti-government protests begin in Tunisia and spread across Arab world.
2011 Syrian Uprising begins.
March Arrest, torture and killing of teenagers in Daraa sparks pro-democracy protests in Damascus, Aleppo, Daraa and Homs.
Day of Rage. Estimated 200 protesters gather in Damascus and Daraa demanding overthrow of Assad regime and calling for repeal of Emergency Law that bans public gatherings.
Day of Dignity. Thousands protest in cities across Syria. Activists label Homs ‘Capital of the Revolution’. Security forces open fire on protestors in Daraa, killing fifteen demonstrators and seven police.
April President Assad lifts Emergency Law. 5000 refugees flee harsh fighting in Talkalakh.
May Estimated 1000 civilians and 150 soldiers killed and thousands detained as Syrian Army launches attacks in twenty cities. Siege of Homs begins with Syrian Army clashing with protestors following Friday prayers, killing fifteen protestors. Tanks enter Homs searching for activists.
Day of Defiance. Mass gatherings in Damascus. US imposes sanctions on Assad and senior Syrian officials for human rights abuses.
June–July More than 10 000 Syrians flee to refugee camps in Turkey. Defected Syrian officers form Free Syrian Army (FSA) – the first formal military resistance to Assad government. Heavy street fighting continues in Homs with significant casualties on both sides.
September–December Major confrontation occurs in city of Rastan between FSA and the Syrian Army. Estimated 120 civilian deaths as Syrian Army takes control of Rastan. Syrian Army storms city of Homs. Heavy fighting in several neighbourhoods as Syrian Army gains control of city. United Nations (UN) human rights officer puts death toll for uprising at 3500 as worsening violence engulfs the country.
2012 UN condemns the government’s use of heavy weaponry and militia killing of more than 100 civilians in Houla, near Homs. Za’atri Refugee Camp opens in Jordan. FSA seizes Aleppo.
President Obama warns Assad against use of chemical weapons. United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) aid reaches 300 000 displaced people across Syria. Major opposition forces form National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
Worsening violence engulfs Syria. US, Britain, France, Turkey and Gulf States recognise Syria’s opposition National Coalition as the ‘legitimate representative’ of Syrian people. Increasingly sectarian war draws jihadist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.
Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt host half a million refugees.
Several Western journalists die in Homs as they attempt to foil government’s efforts to control media coverage of attacks.
2013 Government and Hezbollah forces recapture Qusair. US and Britain demand investigation into reports Syrian government forces used chemical weapons.
Hundreds killed as sarin rockets fire at several districts around Damascus. Syrian Air Force drop barrel bombs on Aleppo, killing hundreds of civilians. UNHRC estimates suggest more than 4 million Syrians are internally displaced and the number of refugees exceeds 2 million.
2014 UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva fail. UNICEF estimates 5 and a half million children are living in dire circumstances inside Syria and over 1 and a half million children are refugees in neighbouring regions.
Syrian forces evacuate hundreds of rebels from Old City of Homs, centre of three-year resistance. President Bashar al-Assad maintains leadership in disputed election.
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggests death toll in the Syrian conflict exceeds 160 000 including military, civilians and rebels. UN estimates that each month there are 50 000 new refugee registrations in Lebanon as the conflict continues unabated.
Glossary
adhan early morning call to prayer
adhan al-mahgrib sunset call to prayer
ahlan wa sahlan welcome
ahsan lak it is better for you
Alawi religious sect based in Syria
aleiykum salaam upon you be peace, the standard response to ‘salaam aleiykum’
Alhamdulillah praise God
Allah God
Allah Akbar God is great
al mawt death
ana huna I’m here
anta nayem are you sleeping
ashufik see you
azadi freedom
bas enough
Bismillah in the name of Allah
bshufak bukra see you tomorrow
burqa woman’s outer garment covering face and body
djaj aa riz Syrian chicken and rice
Eid al Ummal Labour Day, 1 May
epitaphio funeral bier
falaka form of torture by caning the soles of the feet
fata young man
giddo grandpa
habibi dear one; sweetheart
Ibn al Homar insult meaning ‘son of a donkey’
inshala if God wills
kandisha evil spirit
kull ‘am wa anta bi khayr may you be blessed for years to come
maa’ez (s)/maawaa’ez (pl) goat
ma’a salaama goodbye; literally ‘God go with you’
mabrouk congratulations
madaam madame
madamwaazil miss
manouche flatbread
ma sa Allah God has willed it
masjid mosque
Mawlid al-Nabi Prophet’s birthday
Mukhabarat secret police
musallah prayer hall
naqib captain
Pascha Easter
Presbytera Greek title of honour used to refer to a priest’s wife
Sabaa Bahrat Seven Fountains Square
sajda prayer rug
salaam aleiykum peace be upon you; the standard Muslim greeting
salat Islamic ritual prayers said five times a day
salat el aser afternoon prayer time
samaka harra spiced fish
samovar container used to heat and boil water
sayidi sir
shabiha armed militia supporting the Ba’ath party government in Syria
shaheed martyr
shemagh Arabic headscarf
shilka anti-aircraft tank
shuf ya hey look
shukran thank you
shurta police
siti grandma
soba diesel-fuelled heater
Sourya Syria
swar es sett Syrian dessert; syrup-filled pastry cup topped with smashed pistachios
Tahrir Square Liberation Square
takfiri Muslim radicals
tarboosh small round hat
tawakkalna ala Allah I place my absolute trust in God
tetah grandmother; ‘tito’ is also used
thawra revolution
thobe man’s long gown
um mother
uqsimu billah I swear to God
ustaaz professor (Egyptian form of address)
wain inti halla’a where are you now
warahmatu Allahi wa barakatuhu Allah’s mercy and blessings
wirwar bee-eater bird
wladna our boys
wudu Islamic procedure for washing before prayers
ya Allah oh God
ya aynee term of endearment; meaning ‘my eye’
ya ilahi wow
Yallah let us go
zatar mix of spices and herbs
Find out more about …
Syria
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/578856/Syria
http://www.factmonster.com/country/syria.html
Sullivan, Anne Marie. Syria, Mason Crest, Pennsylvania, 2010
Englar, Mary. Syria: A Question and Answer Book, Capstone Press Inc., Minnesota, 2007
Conflict in Syria
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24900116
http://prezi.com/oopubqldmd6i/syria-the-basics/
Lawson, Fred H. Global Security Watch – Syria, Greenwood Publishing Group Inc, Oxford, 2013
Children and the Syrian conflict
http://childrenofsyria.info/
http://www.unicef.org.au/downloads/Education/Photo-stories/A-Bitter-Winter---Syria-Photostory.aspx
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-12/55-million-children-impacted-by-syrian-conflict-unicef-says/5314374
Religion in Syria
http://middleeast.about.com/od/syria/a/Religion-And-Conflict-In-Syria.htm
http://www.cometosyria.com/en/pages/Religion+syria/6/1
Citizen journalists in Syria
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-17222163
http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/citizen-journalists-coverage-of-syrias-war-via-youtube-twitter-unexplored-territory
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank Lyn White, the series
editor, and Eva Mills, the publisher, who read and reread this as it went through its alchemical process to end up as this particular story. Also Catherine McCredie, a wonderfully insightful reader, for her comments and suggestions, and Sophie Splatt, who made editing an easy process and is responsible for this final polished version.
Others who helped with this project and who I’d like to acknowledge are Joyati Das from World Vision Australia, Mais from Avaaz, The World in Action group, and the reporters at Syria Deeply for telling the human stories of the war.
As always I’d like to thank my husband, Kerry, for being such a great supporter and our dog, Mahoney, for giving up his walk time more mornings than he could count while I was working and our cat, Farah, who didn’t do much for this story except stalk across the keyboard when she wanted attention and make me laugh when I least felt like it.