Confidant March
“I shall try my very best to lead our country towards a future that fulfils the
hopes and legitimate ambitions of our people,” This has been very essential part
of president Bashar Assad’s inauguration pledge three years ago. To this very
effect, His Excellency has exerted every possible effort as to continue the
building of Syria reshaping her to fit in the international scene as the central
key player in the region welfare and stability. Some hurdles, however, caused,
from time to time a seemingly slow pace in moving towards the aspired. The
Israeli persistent occupation of the Arab Land, not to mention the permanent
Israeli threats and sword rattling and the lack of understanding by world big
power of the true and genuine Syrian noble and genuine needs for reform and
modernization away from looming threats and groundless accusations against a
peaceful country, whose main preoccupation is to return her occupied territories
and raise the standards of living of her citizens.
“Our territory and our sovereignty are a matter of national dignity and no one
at all is allowed to compromise any of them. We were very clear in dealing with
peace issues, firm in our stands since the beginning of the peace process in
Madrid in 1991; unlike the Israeli policy that fluctuated sometimes and put
obstacles at other times. Until this very moment they did not give us any proof
that invites confidence that they have a true and genuine desire to achieve
peace.” This very clarity in dealing with the sacred issue of peace persists
even with a louder voice. Any observer would ,without fail, notice that peace
realization has been the most common hot topic of discussions and focus by
President Bashar Assad, be it a press interview, official meeting, popular rally
or whatever. This search for and commitment to just peace was recently
reiterated by the Syrian call for the resumption of peace talks from where they
broke off on the basis more than the 80 percent of the achieved and deposited
pledges given, on top comes that of the late Yitzhak Rabin. Unfortunately, the
Israeli fluctuations, zig-zaging and intransigency continued, and even at times
escalated to the degree of trying to drag the feet of a big power into the
shifting sands of the region. Instead of reciprocating the genuine desire and
measures taken as to move forward towards peace realization, the other side
dealt with Syria’s commitments to peace suspiciously and arrogantly. Peace needs
brave partners but never coward ones. The region is to continue living this
nightmare, where all are the losers, till a genuine and honest commitment by the
occupiers!
“These tasks are very easy because the great leader, Hafez al-Assad has prepared
for us a firm ground, solid basis and a great heritage of values and principles
which he defended and adhered to till he parted with us and moved to the after
life. Added to this the infrastructure and the great achievements in all fields
and throughout the country that will enable us to launch our work strongly and
confidently towards a future we all desire. “ Indeed, the legacy inherited and
treasures left behind have helped and contributed immensely to the ongoing
process of reform and modernization. This very principled and balanced legacy
spared our country the blind sweeping tides of prefabricated and unjustified
wrath. Our work persisted and continued as outlined and as clearly set forth by
the late president during his fruitful years of correction and building. Almost
ten years before his untimely demise, the late president, with his far sighted
and deep vision, predicted the upheavals which turned the world into a uni-poled
sans-frontier globe. Many measures and precautions were taken as to withstand
imposed unwillingly challenges. Thus, a swift and smooth transition in the
interest of the Syrian as well as Arab masses took place, where every landmark,
institution and sacrifice was capitalized on not only as to emerge stronger.
“Yet, these tasks are difficult because the approach of the great leader, Hafez
al-Assad, was a very special and unique approach and therefore it is not easy to
emulate it especially as we remember that we are required not just to maintain
it but to develop it as well.” Thus, the pledge “with the aim of building on the
basis of what has been achieved in the glorious period of Assad “ was indeed
boosted and strengthened, covering almost every sector of Syria’s life, by
President Bashar Assad’s “great efforts” and determination to overcome the
difficulties and cope with the challenges without giving up our national
principles ordained in our hearts and minds. The bids to develop the inherited
yield many positive fruits; a country can never be built from the scratch. If
the so far achieved during President Bashar Assad’s three years is to be
objectively evaluated, the result will be optimistically inspiring and will
definitely support the fact that the legacy inherited was well-founded and ripe
more than the expected considering the challenges faced and plots hatched during
the late president’s presidency. Reform and Modernization are difficult to be
achieved in an eye-blink timing; they necessitate unending strenuous efforts on
many fronts as the meaning of the word modernization itself means. Well-studied
and planned actions, apart from how slow they might be, are better than sweeping
irrational steps, which might deny the poor among the majority their daily
bread! Monetary Institutions dictations and conditions are to put hands in
fetters. Our hands have been accustomed to hard labor , and so will they ever be
as to reap and plough our own land to the rest of all the great who sacrificed
for our today. Self-reliance and sufficiency have been for long planned for and
realized, thanks to efforts exerted by the late president and to those by
President Bashar Assad and those of the Syrians, who around the clock get
themselves indulged honestly as active contributors to the march of reform and
modernization.
Actually, modernization is enshrined in the Syrian Constitution that the State
is “ at the service of the citizens as to develop their life and meet their
demands”. Thus, the masses bereaved by the untimely demise of their president on
June 10, 2000, almost unanimously elected President Bashar Assad, the
charismatic ophthalmologist, who was groomed and grown up in the very small
house of President Hafez Assad’s big family house of the Homeland. The
responsibility of leading the march of correction and building was imposed upon
the President, who bravely pledged to carry out unabated honestly and
strenuously. “ I stand with you, share you the responsibility all the time in
our integrated endeavors as to realize the interests of the Homeland,” president
Bashar told the Syrian Cabinet on December 22’nd, 2001.” Development in our
country starts with sorting problems out and tackling the reality; modernization
is to move closer to the modernization of developed states,” In light of this
very vision, as outlined by President Bashar in December 2001, an all-out action
programs as to develop and reform the treasures inherited in realization of the
masses’ hopes and aspirations were outlined. On this long way of Development and
Reform, His Excellency not only issued decrees, passed laws, directed and
instructed; but rather participated and took part. Thus, HE paid scores of field
visits to different quarters and cities of the country to inspect, analyze, and
evaluate development projects, and at times, to work with his own hands, as was
the case when the President planted saplings on Arbor Day, 2001.
The march continued wisely as planned in tune with the masses needs and
conditions. The one united harmonious like-family Homeland could overcome some
of disturbing blocks hindering a more speedy process. The majority of the
citizens have exerted every possible effort; they have been accustomed to a new
climate of more openness, and less bureaucracy, more of transparency and less of
ambiguity. The symphony needs a band, but never a single person. The masses were
generously given due care in due consideration for their means of living,
health, education, economy, technology and every of their basic needs and vital
sectors. Scores of principles and noble values and guidelines were asserted by
His Excellency on the way of continued correction and development. Among them
were income just distribution and increase, increase of job opportunities,
betterment of life conditions, equality, justice, constructive criticism, hard
work, transparency, accountability, boosting of woman role, anti-corruption,
order, sincerity, mutual trust, and abiding by law. “ Any development process
which is not based on morals becomes a prejudice. You have to preserve the
values of Homeland and of the citizens, to take as your leading example the
behavior of the great leader, Hafez Assad, in his honesty, sincerity, justice,
and integration with his people; you have to be inspired by his morals and
values, the values of justice, right and goodness,”. The majority adhered to the
above mentioned guidelines and principles as outlined; dozens , however, were
astray. Actually, their much ado about nothing would further lead them away from
the path of right. Objectivity deems it necessary that enough time and room
should be given before all trees to yield fruits as the English proverb says: “
Make haste slowly”. Many countries, including once used to be big powers, paid
heavy prices for their uncalculated irrational speedy reforms: “ All is well
that ends well”.
The confidant march is continuously moving forward to the destination set forth
by the majority. The pace is in the interest of a peaceful country, surrounded
by an anti-peace state of occupation. Further, the dress is tailored in
accordance with the majority measurement and dressed up to suit Syria’s
prevailing weather climate. God bless Syria, her citizens, and her citizen
president.
By
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim
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