Martyrs of May 6... How do we commemorate them? Dia'a Iskandar

At dawn on May 6, 1916, the Ottoman authorities executed the death sentence against 21 national intellectuals, whose only concern was to liberate their country from Ottoman rule that had lasted more than 400 years. 14 of them were executed in Burj Square in central Beirut, which was later renamed Martyrs’ Square, and 7 in Marjeh Square in Damascus, after they were accused by the ruler of the Levant at that time, Jamal Pasha al-Saffah, of communicating with British and French intelligence (enemies of the Ottoman Empire). In World War I, which was in its third year that year).

This day every year has become an occasion celebrated by Syria and Lebanon, in honor of the memory of these martyrs, and the rest of the martyrs who wrote the epics of struggle against the Ottoman Empire.

This is not the only massacre committed by the Ottoman authorities. Before and after this date, they executed a large number of other patriots, especially on August 21, 1915, including 10 patriots from Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon in Beirut.

There is no doubt that the Turkish state, with a history full of massacres against the people of the region, has increased in its perpetration of brutal massacres, and perhaps in a more heinous manner, by using chemical weapons and tactical phosphorous and nuclear bombs against the People’s Defense Forces (Guerrilla), amid the silence of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Baghdad government, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Human Rights. Chemical weapons, and despite repeated calls by the Kurdistan Communities Union KCK the People’s Defense Forces, and all Kurdistan parties; To visit target areas; To hold Turkey accountable, the world and stakeholders have remained silent about it.

In Syria, which suffered the scourge of interference in its affairs by the Turkish state, which occupied many of its areas as of August 2016, starting with Jarabulus, Al-Bab, and Azaz, all the way to Afrin, which it launched attacks on January 20, 2018, and continued until March 18 of the same year and occupied it. Within a period of only two months, 12 massacres were committed against its residents, and killings, kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, physical and psychological torture, property seizures, and demographic change continue there to this day.

In October 2019, the Turkish occupation continued its approach of killing civilians, through its attack on the cities of Sere Kaniye/Ras al-Ain and Girê Spi/Tel Abyad.

It is still targeting, with drones, artillery and missile shells, the vital civilian infrastructure of North and East Syria, including (water and electric power plants, oil facilities, domestic gas station, medical facilities, and schools...), and threatens to occupy new Syrian regions. Taking advantage of the silence of influential countries that seek their interests at the expense of the rights of peoples, which is considered support for the systematic genocide against the people of the region, and the resulting dangerous indicators surrounding the extent of the seriousness and commitment of the member states of the Security Council and their strength in enforcing international law, and holding accountable those who violate this law. the law.

This day is an opportunity for Syrian intellectuals to express national awareness and revive the historical memory of new generations, by participating in cultural and educational events, exposing the grave violations of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries and the crimes they commit that devastate humanity, and demanding accountability and fair compensation for the victims.

Intellectuals can also contribute to spreading awareness about the importance of freedom and independence, promoting the values of sacrifice and redemption embodied by the martyrs, and working to organize lectures, seminars and exhibitions that shed light on the history of Syria and its struggle for independence and sovereignty.

On the 108th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day, the residents of the northern and eastern Syrian region, with all their components, pledge to stand against the attacks of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries on the region, to continue the resistance and follow in the footsteps of the martyrs, to liberate all areas occupied by the Turkish state and its affiliated factions and to achieve victory.

T/ Satt.

ANHA