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Syria: Interview with outspoken Kurdish
writer, Maha Hassan
18.8.2005
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DUBAI, 15 Aug
2005 (IRIN) - Fearing “threats and increasing
repression against Kurdish organisations”
Syrian-Kurdish journalist and writer, Maha Hassan,
went into exile in France in 2004.
In an interview with IRIN, Hassan said despite
Syria's accession to the UN Convention Against
Torture (CAT), the country still has a long way to
go in improving basic human rights.
QUESTION: Why did you leave Syria?
ANSWER: I left
Syria in August 2004 because of the increasing
repression against Kurdish organisations, which
began in March 2004, and the increasing threats
against me. I have always felt threatened and I have
always feared every representative of the state,
even the traffic policeman. |
Syrian-Kurdish journalist and writer, Maha Hassan
Photo: IRIN |
The police have always
meddled with my life – even in my private matters.
Two days before the beginning of the war in Iraq [in
2003], while the rest of the world had its eyes on
that country, the Syrian authorities brought me in
once again for questioning for a reason I still do
not know.
Q: Why do you believe you were banned from
publishing in Syria?
A: The reasons I
was banned from publishing in Syria were, as stated
by the Human Rights Watch, because the authorities
consider my writing too liberal, too feminist, and
‘morally condemnable’. I was writing on the three
taboos – politics, sex and religion. If I do not
write on these topics, what's left to write about?
Q: Would you describe your writing as
controversial?
A: Of course,
because sex is still one of the most sensitive
topics in the east. When I published, in Lebanon, a
story called 'The bride's fingers', dealing
literarily with women's masturbation, I faced
criticism even from women. The ideas brought up by
the women's revolution in France in the 60s are
still in Syria, and in the East in general,
forbidden.
Q: How would you describe freedom of speech
in Syria today?
A: Press freedom
has not changed in Syria. The country has had no
free media since the Baath Party came to power in
March 1963. All newspapers are the party's
mouthpieces and are linked to it some ways. The
journalists that criticise the state are put in
prison. Please refer to my testimony published in
the 2005 annual report of Reporters Without Borders
[www.rsf.org].
Q: How would you describe the situation of
human rights in Syria?
A: The situation
of human rights in Syria is really bad. Syria does
not listen to the international and national appeals
to free the political prisoners and the prisoners of
opinion, some of them suffer health problems and
badly need treatment. Even the lawyer and president
of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in Syria,
Mohamad Raadoun, is still in detention. Syria has
been under the state of emergency for more than 40
years.
Q: A report on the state of human rights in
Syria was released by the United Nations on 31 July.
It stated concerns over the death penalty, torture
and freedom for human rights groups. What is your
response to this?
A: Syria is
among the countries that still has the death
penalty. Law 49, which makes affiliation to the
Muslim Brothers punishable by death, is still
applied up till now. Even though, as a woman, I am
opposed to this organisation, I still condemn the
death penalty.
Regarding torture, I do not have here enough time to
say everything that needs to be said. I have friends
that were detained in the Syrian jails, who are
currently writing a book about their time in prison.
A lot of people died under torture in Syria. Several
human rights organisations published reports about
the crimes of the Syrian regime, such as Human
Rights Watch. Regarding human rights groups, their
freedom is more and more limited.
For example, Mahmood Aryane, a board member of the
Arab Organisation for Human rights in Syria, is not
allowed to travel abroad, neither is the lawyer and
human rights defender, Anwar Al-Boonni. The closing
of the Atassi Forum, the only free discussion forum,
also shows the tightening grip of the authorities.
Q: The report also welcomed Syria's accession
to a series of human rights instruments, including
on torture, women's and children's rights, the
protection of migrant workers, and the elimination
of torture. What progress, in your view, has been
made on these issues?
A: The progress
made by Syria on a series of human rights issues are
only on the surface. The regime has not changed
since Hafez al-Assad came to power [in 1970]. The
new president had made a few small changes but the
ruling style has not changed.
The last general meeting of the regional
representatives of the Baath party shows the
persistence of the old methods. Human rights are
still not respected. Syrians are still living under
a police state which uses terrorists' methods. Any
person that dares to criticise the regime can be
jailed. The fear of torture is on every Syrian's
mind. I have myself written an article, using a
pseudonym, regarding the beating of demonstrators by
the police.
Q: How do you feel Syria can move forward on
improving freedom of speech?
A: The only way
to move forward would be changing the current regime
through democratic elections and by allowing other
parties to lead the country. For the last 40 years,
during the presidential elections in Syria there was
only one candidate. I ask for the support of all
international humanitarian organisations to obtain
the release of all political prisoners and prisoners
of opinion in Syria and to put an end to the state
of emergency.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask for an
urgent intervention to ask for the release of
Massoud Hamid, in jail since July 2003 for
publishing pictures on internet. Because of torture,
his leg is paralysed and he needs urgent care.
This report does not necessarily reflect the
views of the United Nations
www.irinnews.org
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