The cousin and opposition to the President calls for immediate changes in Syria, but not through revolution

London, 4th February (Lusa Agency) – Ribal Al-Assad, cousin and opposition to the President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, proposes immediate change should be introduced into the regime, but rejects revolution or popular uprisings and prefers a peaceful transition towards democracy.

“Nobody wants a popular uprising in Syria; the last thing that people want is a revolution in Syria, as this would lead to disaster and chaos, that nobody wishes”, he said in an interview with the Lusa news agency in London

The son of Rifaat Al-Assad, the former vice-president of Syria who went into exile in Europe after an unsuccessful coup in the eighties against the regime of his brother, Hafez, Ribal Al-Assad has a clear idea of what has to be done in Syria.

“It is important that the first measures of the Syrian Government should be to put an end to the state of emergency,

liberate all the political prisoners, allow political parties to exist and to develop”, he stressed.

And then added immediately that “of course, the parties would have to be independent from the State and believe in democracy”.

Ribal Al-Assad questions the concept of democracy held by some parties and stated the principles that he believes in: freedom, justice, peace, pluralism, “the ability to all live together in peace and harmony”.

He also suggests that “the regime should cease to have control of the media and Internet, should permit freedom of expression and association, and put an end to official corruption”.

“If the Syrian regime makes a call for national reconciliation and unity of the country, this would be the best way of moving forward,” he proposed.

However, he stressed that as a condition for participation, the political parties must “create a real democratic change” and “they cannot be based on religions, cults or groups”.

He warned that if openly religious movements are accepted, this would “lead to more problems and instability”.

The founder of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria, Ribal Al-Assad campaigns by using social communication and relations with politicians, academics and analysts.

He has also created the IMAN Foundation, whose objective is to promote dialogue between religions and cultures and to combat extremism.

He is also president of the TV channel, Arab News Network, an enterprise financed by his father and in which his brother is also involved.

He has lived in France and Spain, and studied in the United States. Now, at the age of 35, he wants to contribute “as a citizen” to the country that he last saw in 1999.

“I do not understand why Syria cannot be like other countries”, he says indignantly.

BM

Agencia Lusa/final

Syria: The cousin and opposition to the President qualifies the call for street demonstrations “a joke”

INTERNATIONAL

Lusa news Agency

Ribal Al-Assad, the cousin and opposition to the Syrian President, qualified, as “a joke” the call that has been made through the social networks on Internet to demonstrate today in Syria under the slogan “Day of Rage”.

Over 14,000 people have stated their support for this movement that originated in Facebook and calls, in Arabic, for “Total Resistance to Civil Government in all Cities” after prayers today.

However, Ribal Al-Assad, an activist living in London and promoting political reform in Syria, in an interview given to the Lusa News Agency in London, condemned the way in which this call has been made.

“In the first place, the title itself shocks, the “Day of Rage”…rage against what?” he asked, saying that he is an advocate for “peaceful change”.

At the same time, he cast doubts on the legitimacy of many supporters of this initiative who are living abroad, in asking other people to take to the streets in Syria.

Apart from “putting people’s lives at risk”, he has doubts on the effectiveness of this call, which has taken place through a medium to which few Syrians have access.

“Who has Internet? Who can go in to Facebook in Syria? Very few, only the privileged or those who are close to the regime”, he pointed out.

The opinion of Ribal Al-Assad is that “this is all a joke”, although he can understand those who are asking for democratic change and reform.

“And the Government has to take heed now, because the situation is explosive”, he stressed. The fact that there are many different cults and religions within the country makes Syria “a very good place; we need to know how to utilise this”.

The son of Rifaat Al-Assad, the former vice-president of Syria who went into exile in Europe after an unsuccessful coup in the eighties against the regime of his brother, Hafez, Ribal Al-Assad advocates a transition based on national unity.

“Syria has to be built up as a whole and resentments must be left behind”, he concluded.

Although he acknowledges that there are problems from the past, he said that these however belong to the past and what we have to do is “learn from the past and not let it happen again”.

“We might not be able to forget, but we can forgive”, he said, convinced that “a country cannot be built on resentments”.

This maxim is directed at his cousin, Bashar Al-Assad, with whom he says he has had no contact since his family was forced to go into exile.

His father, Rifaat, had been considered as a candidate to succeed after the death of Hafez Al-Assad in 2000, but Ribal has no political ambitions.

“I bear no hate towards my family: we are of the same blood; but when you love the family and you can see that one of its members is misguided, you try and help him and point him in the right direction”, he said.