29-Jul-2003, 08:29 PM
Re: your Iraqi friend. Ostracism for political dissent is not confined to dictatorships; ever read about the man and his son arrested in a Mall in Pennsylvania for wearing anti-war t-shirts?
I have a Syrian friend who lives in France that a few years ago I found in tears. He had just received notice that the Syrian authorities had refused an exit visa for his sister to visit him; he had not seen her for 20 years. He was also a political refugee and told me of the town of 20,000 inhabitants that Assad razed to the ground and killed the inhabitants on the grounds the place had harbored political opponents. We have not invaded Syria - but then they have no oil.
The son of Assad is now in power and has apparently eased much of the repression, though human rights are still far from respected. Charles Glass has a very good report from Damascus in this week's edition of the London Review of Books. It would behove you to read it.
I have a Syrian friend who lives in France that a few years ago I found in tears. He had just received notice that the Syrian authorities had refused an exit visa for his sister to visit him; he had not seen her for 20 years. He was also a political refugee and told me of the town of 20,000 inhabitants that Assad razed to the ground and killed the inhabitants on the grounds the place had harbored political opponents. We have not invaded Syria - but then they have no oil.
The son of Assad is now in power and has apparently eased much of the repression, though human rights are still far from respected. Charles Glass has a very good report from Damascus in this week's edition of the London Review of Books. It would behove you to read it.
BillR