"We are surrounded by death, but normal life is also going on here," say the people of Darajja about the war in Syria. Before 2011, this city of 90,000 was inhabited by a vibrant community. Today there is only a sea of rubble, ruins and blood ...
Darajja is a city often referred to as the suburbs of Damascus. However, such a view is a huge simplification. The community living there has its own identity and history. Darajja was supposed to be the place of conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, it was here that Bilal, considered to be the first muezzin, was to settle. The city was famous for agriculture, especially for its unique… grapes.
The beginning of the revolution
The lives of its inhabitants began to change in 1998, when three young men and women were expelled from the mosque. They studied the Koran with an overly progressive clergyman. The group, however - instead of going home - decided to continue the meeting in front of the building. Soon more people started to join them, and this is how Majmua Szabab Darajja - the Darajja Youth Group was created.
It dealt with problems related to education and access to books for the public. She was also involved in much more important political topics. Initially, it seemed that the ruling regime in the country supported the protesters, but over time, dissatisfaction with the government began to grow in the city. The cumulation took place during the Arab Spring 2010-2012.
These events kick off the book by BBC correspondent Mike Thomson, A Library in a Besieged City. About the war in Syria and hope regained. " The author reports:
"Today, for the first time, the flag of the revolution flutters over the main palace," we read in a January entry in the war journal of one of the participants of the events. - “The sight of our banner over the city evokes beautiful and indescribable feelings. We were visited by representatives of the League of Arab States. This is the first foreign delegation to arrive here. I realize that only we can explain our revolution to the world.
I usually prepare for exams at this time of year, but I decided to skip a few of them and get permission to extend my studies. This way I will avoid conscription to the army that is killing our people. For now, the situation seems very unclear and no one knows what will happen to us. But we hope the regime will collapse soon. ”
Massacre of civilians
Both hopes for the fall of the regime and for the involvement of foreign forces in the conflict in these lands began to decline over time. As early as February 2012, internal unrest in Syria turned into a regular, open war. The city of Homs was bombed by the army of President Al-Assad, in July the fighting reached the largest city of Syria - Aleppo. A month later, after unsuccessful international mediations, Kofi Annan resigned from his post as envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States.
The situation also worsened in Darajja, where the regime's army was already stationed. There was no question of peaceful negotiation henceforth - all assemblies were dispersed with open fire; they left piles of corpses and wounded. Soon the city began to be bombed regularly, the inhabitants were cut off from the necessities, and the hospitals were unable to help those in need.
In August 2012, an army supported by helicopters and armored vehicles entered Darajja
This is what Abdul Basit, one of the volunteers working at the hospital at the time, recalled:
I will never forget the smell of blood for the rest of my life. He seemed ubiquitous. But people did what they could for others. Every now and then I stopped in the middle of this chaos and wondered:how could the authorities kill their citizens in this way just because they wanted reforms.
In August 2012, an army, supported by helicopters and armored vehicles, entered Darajja. The population was surrounded and cut off from the outside world, the rebels were driven out, and dramas began to unfold in the streets of the city. House searches, mass arrests and mass executions are just a few of the "preventive measures" used by Al-Assad's military at the time. As one of the participants recalls:
They knew no pity. They arrested a lot of people and shot some of them in groups. People died where they stood. Others were tortured in front of their families. We have heard stories of crimes committed all over Darajja.
The next day it was the same. Terrible sight, bodies were everywhere. It was hot and the city started to smell. Honestly, we all felt a paralyzing fear . We've heard scary stories of gruesome crimes being committed all over the place. It felt like a terrible nightmare that will never end.
On February 17, 2013, the death toll in the Syrian Civil War exceeded 70,000. The fighting in Darajji continued. The city was completely cut off from water, electricity and humanitarian aid. The strength of the community and creativity allowed the inhabitants to survive in these inhumane conditions. During the siege, there were sometimes short ceasefires - the massacre was stopped and the people were allowed to breathe.
Hope regained
During one of these "windows of life", a group of young men began to reflect on the time spent in this silence. They realized quite quickly that - regardless of the circumstances - they could not only fight to wrest the next hours of their lives from war. As they mentioned:
The first few months were the hardest. We had a hard time thinking of anything other than survival. So we started with growing vegetables, but quickly realized that we needed to feed our minds as well.
Young volunteers began to set off on peculiar rescue missions, the aim of which was to save ... books that were under the rubble. With the increasing number of saved works, the idea was born to create a secret library that could also be used by other people.
Saving books for a secret library from a bombed and abandoned building
Further steps were taken quickly. A suitable place was chosen and equipped with shelves, chairs, tables and even sofas. At the same time, no censorship was introduced - such measures were too much associated with the ruling regime. The library was to become a place where residents would preserve their heritage, but also lay the foundations for the future.
In our opinion building a library is very important not only for our minds but also for our souls. We are convinced that knowledge is hardly gained by sitting idly. Usually it involves great risk taking.
It is precisely this risk that Mike Thomson's book, A Library in a Besieged City. About the war in Syria and hope regained. " It is a story of courage, strength of spirit and sacrifice. It is also a story about hope regained through books gathered under the rubble of everyday life.
The text is based on Mike Thomson's book "Library in a Besieged City. About the war in Syria and hope regained. " Which was published by the Publishing House of the Jagiellonian University.
The library was opened in May 2014. It was located in the basement of a completely dilapidated building, in a side street of one of the most dilapidated districts of the city. Its opening, although in secret, had a solemn setting:
The secret library was filled with a beautiful aroma of old books and paper. She smelled of history, literature, philosophy and culture. It was a deep, rich, comforting fragrance. Like the aroma of a delicious dish that makes you go straight to the kitchen from the doorstep of your family home.
A special dish is waiting there with all the delicious ingredients. This is exactly what the library was for me. It gave us a priceless space where we could breathe hope, not despair. It freed us from suffering and cruelty.
Source:
The text is based on Mike Thomson's book "Library in a Besieged City. About the war in Syria and hope regained. " Which was published by the Publishing House of the Jagiellonian University.