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Syria
Neither Bread nor Freedom
Synopsis
After the death of Syria's President Hafiz al-Asad in
mid-2000, hopes were high that his son and successor, Bashar, might succeed in
reforming a system that had become a byword for economic stagnation and the
pitiless repression of dissent. For six months, and for the first time in
decades, Syrians were able to speak freely, without fear of the hated secret
police. Political discussion groups mushroomed. The press started carrying
articles openly demanding democracy, and petitions were circulated insisting
that democracy was essential not only for its own sake but as a condition for
desperately needed investment and economic expansion.
Based on the testimony of key players, Syria: Neither Bread Nor Freedom recounts the drama of the 'Damascus
Spring' and its repression, and reveals what happens in a state like Syria to
the institutions that occupy the political space between government and governed.
From political parties to parliament, from the media to the judicial system and
universities, this book lifts the veil of rhetoric and propaganda to reveal a
system so demoralized and corrupt that power is wielded for no purpose but
power itself. This is Bashar al-Asad's legacy and the system which, given time,
he hopes to reform.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
'A devastating critique of one-party rule and unchecked power, and a stirring vindication of Syria's courageous civil society movement' - Rana Kabbani 'Alan George has managed to combine journalistic immediacy with academic reflection to great effect in this fascinating study of modern Syria. Based, as it is, on personal interviews with Syrians directly involved in contemporary developments there, as well as on an awareness of the Syrian reality developed over many years, this book illuminates the real crisis that Syria faces as it tries to restructure the monolithic legacy of the late President Hafidh al-Assad' - George Joffe, Centre for International Studies, Cambridge University