40 year-old Hamadi is a witness to the crimes of brutality of those who kill, destroy and vandalize under the banner of "reform."
Exasperated by the voices calling for destruction and vandalism, he and a number of intellectuals and social figures from Maaret al-Numan began holding meetings with locals to discuss and clarify matter with them as popular protests devolved into violence and foreign influence began to manifest in them.
In a statement to journalists on Monday, Hamadi said that he and a number of his friends met friends, acquaintances and even people from the opposition and they all agreed to end violence and the use of arms, and after 20 days of their activities they witnessed considerable positive response from the area's people, even the more politically strict ones.
"It seems that the people who were running this thing were upset by the area's people rallying around the issue of dialogue… after a session in the village of Ferkia, me and my colleague Imad Astef were kidnapped and tortured brutally," Hamadi said, adding that the kidnappers had sophisticated torture tools and wiretapping devices.
"They said I was a traitor and that I came to unravel the revolution… after holding me for 7 hours and using all methods of torture including burning and electricity, I passed out… when I woke up I found myself in my car with Imad in a desolate place in al-Zawiye mountain… we managed to overcome pain and reach Maaret al-Nuuman city with difficulty after more than two hours… this is what happened at the hands of people claiming to want freedom," he said.
Hamadi added that the kidnappers made him swear not to return to the area ever again, and that they spoke to him while he was blindfolded and told him that if they ever saw him in the area again, they will kill him along with his family.
He pointed out that these groups probably viewed him as the leader of the movement promoting dialogue in the area, particularly since he was in a village near Maaret al-Nuuman when word arrived that some people want to break into the city's museum, prompting him and the gathering people to go to the city and stand along with its people to protect the museums.
"Apparently, this upset these groups… they considered me an apostate because I went to protect 'idols' according to their expression," Hamadi said, adding that they called him an idolater and said that if he repeated his actions they'll kill his family first and then kill him.
"I'm not afraid for myself… for Syria's sake, I consider what I did to be little," he added.
Hamadi went on to say that in reality, people consider the army to be the country's army and no anyone's private army, and after extensive meetings the protestors in the area issued a statement saying that they want the army to come and that they will welcome it, saying "this also was one of the main reasons to what happened to me… one of the members of the armed groups even told me that if the Turkish army arrived they will welcome it with roses and rice but if the Syrian army arrived they will kill it."
He pointed out that his field trips changed his perspective after meeting simple people who want specific reforms or demands, meeting people who only want what's good for Syria, adding that he reached a clear-cut conclusion that the protests are motivated by foreign sources, as they saw strange intelligence men using binoculars and advanced radio equipment, and that these people gave the instructions to attack security forces last Friday.
River to SeaExasperated by the voices calling for destruction and vandalism, he and a number of intellectuals and social figures from Maaret al-Numan began holding meetings with locals to discuss and clarify matter with them as popular protests devolved into violence and foreign influence began to manifest in them.
In a statement to journalists on Monday, Hamadi said that he and a number of his friends met friends, acquaintances and even people from the opposition and they all agreed to end violence and the use of arms, and after 20 days of their activities they witnessed considerable positive response from the area's people, even the more politically strict ones.
"It seems that the people who were running this thing were upset by the area's people rallying around the issue of dialogue… after a session in the village of Ferkia, me and my colleague Imad Astef were kidnapped and tortured brutally," Hamadi said, adding that the kidnappers had sophisticated torture tools and wiretapping devices.
"They said I was a traitor and that I came to unravel the revolution… after holding me for 7 hours and using all methods of torture including burning and electricity, I passed out… when I woke up I found myself in my car with Imad in a desolate place in al-Zawiye mountain… we managed to overcome pain and reach Maaret al-Nuuman city with difficulty after more than two hours… this is what happened at the hands of people claiming to want freedom," he said.Hamadi added that the kidnappers made him swear not to return to the area ever again, and that they spoke to him while he was blindfolded and told him that if they ever saw him in the area again, they will kill him along with his family.
He pointed out that these groups probably viewed him as the leader of the movement promoting dialogue in the area, particularly since he was in a village near Maaret al-Nuuman when word arrived that some people want to break into the city's museum, prompting him and the gathering people to go to the city and stand along with its people to protect the museums.
"Apparently, this upset these groups… they considered me an apostate because I went to protect 'idols' according to their expression," Hamadi said, adding that they called him an idolater and said that if he repeated his actions they'll kill his family first and then kill him.
"I'm not afraid for myself… for Syria's sake, I consider what I did to be little," he added.
Hamadi went on to say that in reality, people consider the army to be the country's army and no anyone's private army, and after extensive meetings the protestors in the area issued a statement saying that they want the army to come and that they will welcome it, saying "this also was one of the main reasons to what happened to me… one of the members of the armed groups even told me that if the Turkish army arrived they will welcome it with roses and rice but if the Syrian army arrived they will kill it."
He pointed out that his field trips changed his perspective after meeting simple people who want specific reforms or demands, meeting people who only want what's good for Syria, adding that he reached a clear-cut conclusion that the protests are motivated by foreign sources, as they saw strange intelligence men using binoculars and advanced radio equipment, and that these people gave the instructions to attack security forces last Friday.
Uprooted Palestinian
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