Reform at work

For the first time since 1982, Reform Party of Syria defies regime, hangs posters of exiled leader in three of Syria's major cities

Roee Nahmias Published: 09.03.07, 01:31 / Israel News

Poor Photoshop at work

A rare sight welcomed visitors to some of Syria's major cities last week – huge posters of Farid Ghadry, exiled leader of the Reform Party of Syria, the opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

Ghadry's posters were plastered in three of Syria's major cities: Halab, Idlib and Damascus. This was the first defiant act made against Assad's regime since the suppression of Syria's Muslim Brotherhood in 1982.

Posters of Farid Ghadry in Syria

Hafez al-Assad, then president of Syria, used his army to crush the opposition, killing some 20,000 people in the process.

A spokesman for the Reform Party of Syria told Ynet that those responsible for hanging Ghadry's posters were "tired of all the war, tired of not having any real future... they want the Israelis to understand that the Syrian people aren't the extremists the Israelis think they are."

The spokesman said the dissidents were a group of 30-year olds and that they also asked that Ghadry print his message on 300,000 cards they intend to distribute in Syria.

"We promised to help them as along as their actions didn't put them in any danger," he said, adding that "as far as we know, the posters were up for at least a few hours. We don't know if Syrian Intelligence made any arrests in the matter."

Ghadry himself is worried about the safety of those opposing Assad. "Our main concern is for Syria's youth, who are risking their lives to do this. We hope they are safe."

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