Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Syrian Revolutionary Poem & Destruction of Khalid bin Walid Mosque

I've been keeping track of news in Syria, which continues to be dire. I found this Syrian Revolutionary Poem, which I'm sharing with my readers. The original is in Arabic, and I used Google Translator and the help of a consultant to translate it into  English. 




SYRIAN REVOLUTIONARY POEM
from the Syrian Revolution 2011 site


In Homs, since the beginning of the revolution,
We have learned to distinguish the sounds of missiles and bombs,
But we have not forgotten the songs of birds nor the bustle of school children;
In Homs, we have learned the odor of gunpowder and toxic gases,
But we have not forgotten the scent of jasmine and the smell of rain on the ancient streets;
In Homs, we have learned to shut windows so as not to see death by the side of the road,
But we have not forgotten the birds in the sky and white snow in January;
In Homs we have learned the taste and feel of torment and sadness,
But we have not forgotten the taste of apricots, eggplant, and licorice on Ramadan;
In Homs we have learned to look at the wounds of children and feel their warm blood,
But we have not forgotten how to peer into the hearts of ordinary people;

In Homs, our five senses have taught us what freedom is.
We miss you Homs
We miss the call to prayer from the Khalid bin Walid Mosque
And the sounds of the bells of the Church.

We will return, beloved Homs!



(Syrian Revolutionary Poem in Arabic)
وسنعيد بناء سورية الحبيبه غصبا عنك يا بطة

في حمص تعلمنا منذ بداية الثورة كيف نميز أصوات القذائف والقنابل..
ولكننا لم ننسَ أصوات العصافير..وضجيج أطفال المدارس..
في حمص تعلمنا كيف تكون رائحة البارود والغازات السامة..
لكننا لم ننسَ رائحة الياسمين..ورائحة المطر في شوارعها القديمة..
في حمص تعلمنا كيف نغلق النوافذ كي لا نرى الموت على قارعة الطريق..
لكننا لم ننسَ سرب الحمام في سمائها..وثلجها الأبيض في كانون..
في حمص تعلمنا كيف نتذوق العذاب ونشعر بطعم الحزن..
لكننا لم ننسَ طعم المشمش والباذنجان وعرق السوس في رمضان..
في حمص تعلمنا كيف نلمس جروح الأطفال ونشعر بدمهم الدافئ..
لكننا لم ننسَ كيف نلمس المحبة في قلوب أهلها البسطاء..
في حمص علمتنا حواسنا الخمسة معنى الحريـــــــــــة

اشتقنا لك يا حمص يا أم الحجار السود
اشتقنا لجامع خالد بن الوليد وهو يرفع الأذان..
وكنيسة أم الزنار وهي تقرع أجراسها..
عائـــــــــــــــدون يا حمـــــــــــــص

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July 22, 2013
ASSAD ARMY DESTROYS HISTORIC KHALID BIN WALID MAUSOLEUM IN SYRIA
Syrian army shelling destroys centuries-old mausoleum of companion of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in central city of Homs.

Latest victim of heavy shelling
BEIRUT - Syrian army shelling destroyed the centuries-old mausoleum of a companion of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in the central city of Homs on Monday, a monitoring group and activists said.

Reports of the destruction of the Sunni Muslim pilgrimage site emerged as an intense army campaign to reclaim rebel-held areas of Homs, a strategic junction city, entered its fourth week.

"Activists from the Khaldiyeh neighbourhood in the city of Homs have reported the destruction by army shelling of the mausoleum of the prophet's companion Khalid bin Walid," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Housed in the rebel area of Khaldiyeh, the Khalid bin Walid mosque had already suffered significant damage during earlier fighting for control of the city.

Amateur video distributed by activists showed the mosque, renowned for its two towering minarets, and images of what was identified as the destroyed mausoleum.
"The Khalid bin Walid mosque was shelled, and the shrine was completely destroyed," said the unnamed activist filming the footage.

The images show mounds of rubble, stone and metal at the site identified as the mausoleum.
The video also shows an unidentified man lashing out at the world over the destruction of the shrine.

"I want to tell Arabs and Muslims, how will you face God after Khalid bin Walid's shrine has been destroyed? Why have you abandoned besieged Homs?" says the man.

Speaking to AFP via the Internet, Khaldiyeh-based activist Yazan said the mosque holds symbolic importance not only for Homs' residents but for Sunnis as a whole.

"People used to come and visit the shrine from the world over," Yazan said, adding that the mosque housing the shrine is "practically destroyed".

Khaldiyeh and the Old City neighbourhoods of Homs, still under rebel control, have been under suffocating army siege and near-daily bomb attacks for more than a year.

The mosque housing Khalid bin Walid's shrine, an important pilgrimage site for Muslims, was built over several centuries. The shrine itself dates to the 11th century, while the mosque was constructed by the Mameluks in the mid-13th century.

Known for his military prowess, Khalid bin Walid's forces captured Damascus from the Byzantine empire. A military commander under Prophet Mohammed and under two successive caliphs, he died around the year 642, in Homs.

Bin Walid's mausoleum is the latest of a series of Syrian religious and cultural sites damaged or destroyed in the course of the country's 28-month war.

In the war-torn northern city of Aleppo, the minaret of the landmark Umayyad mosque was destroyed in April, while parts of the ancient souks were burnt down in September last year.

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Here are some blogs and FB Sites about the Syrian Revolution - Use Google Translator
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tags: Syria, Syrian, Homs, Aleppo, Damascus, Middle East, Khalid bin Walid, Revolution, Civil War, Conflict, Assad, Sunnis, genocide, massacre

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