Homs.....You City of Fools...By Jamil Shawwa

The tyrants are burning you and burning your children; it is their daily ritual to compensate for their manhood’s inferiority complex, and their criminal souls. The city that has been and still is to all Syrians, except for you the Homsies, probably, the village fools, is making history on a daily basis. What a shame; it is making history for being butchered by merciless mercenaries, their own countrymen.The Syrian government, army, party; in Syria, all are one and the same, left the Syrian people with no other choice but to use violence. How can you can kill peaceful demonstrators, kill their children going to schools, kill their women and mothers and men going shopping and expect nothing but Obedience and ongoing slavery style acceptance. The Syrian people have been enslaved for over 40 years, by butchers who have no mercy, and no sense of humanity. The time is now for the people there to reclaim their very basic human rights; to live as humans, free from dictatorship, free from arbitrary prosecution and illegal arrests and seizure and to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to go to the streets peacefully and ask for change. The time is now for every Arab country including Gaza and the West Bank were Hamas and the PLO rules, to hold their oppressive rulers accountable, do it now, because if not now, when. Another Syrian city, Idleb, is not letting Homs to cry alone, and is not letting Homs alone to have "the honorific" of being the only Syrian city of fools; all Syrian cities are competing- and slowly but surely, the prime cities in Syria, Aleppo and Damascus, will follow suit very forcefully-to be called the cities  of fools in support of  Hama, Homs and Idleb, they are  jumping in and in thunderous voice, to protest, a Syrian nightmare, a UN Security Council No action on the fate of Al-Assad which just added fuel to the fire that is raging in every Syrian house and every Syrian heart. The Russians and the Chinese might have tried to save what appears to be a manhood inferiority complex, has made the rest of the world aware, even more, of the plight of the Syrian people. Syria is crying this morning and every morning, but with joy of what is coming ahead and not of what looks like temporary setbacks. Al-Assad is starting to say his goodbyes and packing his luggage; but those Ba’athist, based on history, commit suicide, they do not retreat with dignity; they hate a word called dignity. The US closed its embassy in Damascus and ordered the diplomats to leave. The US Representative at the UN, Dr. Rice, said few days ago that Al-Assad days are numbered and that he is in his way out. But it is those Protesters that are taking over and setting the agenda from the politicians. Taking this human cause to the streets of the world because it is the decade and the century of the protesters everywhere. The time to act is now. The protesters are adding momentum where the politicians all over the world have failed.  And you, Homs, “the city of the fools” as the Syrians, your countrymen, call you, refuses but to stand up for the forces of evil and despair. You the city of fools are defending those that have always looked down at you and your residents. Al-Assad is a goner, a scratch note in a scratch book, but it is the book, not the scratch note that will endure. Is it destiny that the "fools" lead the historical Arab rising in their respective countries; it was that poor disillusioned Tunisian peddler that ignited the flame that started to uproot the dictators of the Arab countries who thought that they were immune and protected in their castles of fear and shame, it was those Egyptians in the cities and towns that forced the dictator to abdicate. The same "fools" in Libya, Yemen and the rest coming and will follow. I'm now looking for more “fools” in every Arab country and Iran, and the West Bank and Gaza- to face the PLO and Hamas- who can ignite the dormant flame and can bring the best in every human. The price is so high, but it  is ok, we, the self-proclaimed intellectuals have nothing to worry about, we are all over the world, and claiming and suggesting, we do not have to worry, we have the " fools" doing the job, and then we will set around and set back, and claim ownership and claim victory , and the Fools or whoever remained from them, will be there with us, smiling, and clapping and cheering ; they made it happen, and we ,falsely, will claim victory.  Long live the cities of fools; long live Homs and Hama and Idleb, keep up the sacrifices, and do not worry about us, when the time comes, we will be there for you , first to cry your courage and then to claim your victory.