Arab Spring

In the Spring of 2011, an act of defiance by a Tunisian street vendor prompted the beginning of almost two years of political uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. This period was labeled ‘Arab Spring’ in reference to the People’s Spring of1848 when political uprisings spread across Europe. Protests and uprisings were rooted in the demand for more cultural and political freedom. Activists and protestors filled the streets to demand a voice in their governments. The impact of these uprisings varied. In Egypt, early success ousting authoritarian leaders was later followed by a controversial election, a coup and the installation of a new authoritarian regime. In Tunisia, uprisings brought some humanitarian advancements and created a fragile democracy.

In Syria, the uprisings came in response to the arrest of several young people in the small border town of Dara’a. After a long and difficult period of iron-fisted rule by Hafez al-Assad, the rise of his son Bashar al-Assad in 2000 brought with it hope of change. For the people of Dara'a, this hope evaporated with the installment of security chief Atef Najib. Najib was a controlling force in the region, inspiring unrest and discontent among Dara’a citizens. When graffiti messages defaming President Bashar al-Assad were found on a wall of a local high school, more than 15 teenagers were arrested, tortured and confined for more than a month. On March 15, 2011, protesters in Dara’a, Damascus and Aleppo filled the streets in response. Uprisings continued as efforts to suppress rebellion turned violent. By July military defectors had named themselves the Free Syrian Army, as the uprisings evolved into a Civil War.

The Syrian Civil War

During the ten years of open conflict, control of Syria has remained divided with several different groups gaining and losing power at different times. Free Syrian Army took control of areas within Idlib in Northwest Syria. ISIL/ISIS took control of a large area from 2014 to 2019. They declared the creation of a “caliphate” or area of land lead by a politico-religious Muslim leader called a “caliph.” During their time in power, ISIL forces executed thousands, prompting many others to flee in search of safety. The Syrian government has taken and retaken control over large portions of Syria by force with the support of outside forces who have a vested interest in the region, primarily the United States of America, Russia and Iran.

Thousands have lost their lives in conflict or as casualties of war. Of those who are alive, millions have been displaced and millions more don’t have access to food and necessities. In cities of conflict, over 100,000 buildings have been destroyed. Several sacred and culturally significant spaces have been destroyed. These include: ​​Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baal Shamin, the Arch of Triumph, and columns in the Valley of the Tombs.

The Current State of Syria

After 10 years of armed conflict in Syria, 5.6 million refugees have been displaced outside Syria, with another 6 million displaced within Syria - the number of people who have been displaced is roughly half of Syria’s total population. Outside intervention from the United States, Russia, Turkey and Iran continue to exacerbate the conflict with outside forces bringing in their own agendas and deepening the crisis in the region. Control in Syria remains split with large portions still functioning under Syrian government rule. President Bashar al-Assad continues in the role he inherited from his father. His rule is marked by violence against dissidents, the use of chemical weapons against his own people and the arrest, imprisonment and torture of thousands. Kurdish forces, Turkish forces and rebel factions control the rest of the country. The UN called Syria “the worst man-made disaster since World War II.” Resources are scarce as prices for food and other necessities rise. 4.5 million children are hungry and a third of all refugees worldwide are from Syria.

About Mohamed Hafez

Mohamed Hafez is a Syrian American artist and architect. Born in Damascus, Hafez was raised in Saudi Arabia and educated in the Midwestern United States. Hafez uses found objects, scrap metal and paint to create “surrealistic Middle Eastern streetscapes that are architectural in their appearance yet politically charged in their content” (mohamedhafez.com). He weaves recordings of street sounds, music and readings from the Qur’an into the landscape of the streetscapes to offer a multisensory experience of a city in crisis. Hafez’s work challenges our tendency to turn away from the lost lives and cultural destruction of war in Syria and beyond. He is an artist-in-residence at the Keller Center of Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago. He has been profiled in The Guardian, The New York Times, The New Yorker and National Public Radio.

Source Referenced: http://www.mohamadhafez.com/