Bereaved mothers to revive grief and loss in mother day: Syria

Most Syrians believe that disregarding mother’s day this year is a humanitarian obligation, for no need to light a candle on mothers’ wounds who became either mothers of martyrs or detainees, or in the best cases mothers of homeless and threatened by the Syrian regime.

A damascene young man is incapable of buying a gift for his mother this year, since he almost spent half his income on charging his mother’s cellphone with units.

The reason behind that is that his mother is always worried sick and in constant anxiety fearing her only child might be arrested in one of the regime’s checkpoints.

"My mother counts the checkpoints which are located between my house and work and calculates the approximate time for me to reach every checkpoint, and the aim of this calculation carried out by her is to call me after crossing each one to ensure my safety, therefore, the cellphone bill increases in parallel with the increase of checkpoints in the capital streets.". He said.

Ayman describes his mother case as “hysterical “due to being arrested twice within that past two years of revolution, and the escalation of number of detainees in relatives and neighbors, which led to his mother's ( Arrest Phobia) .

The case of Ghiath’s mother is not better, because since her son Giath travelled to Istanbul, she thought her fear of losing him will lessen but longing to her firstborn son dominated her, and now she is awaiting the fall of the regime for Ghaith and his brothers to come back.

However, Ghaith’s mother is trying to as patient as possible especially when comparing her situation to mothers of martyrs and detainees, and in an interview with Zaman Al Wasl through Skype she said: “at least I know that my five children live safely in Istanbul, but what would the mothers of the martyrs and detainees say?.

" I handed over my Son’ fate to Allah” this is what the old woman Om Nizar said, while waiting for her son to be released from regime’s prison, in which he had been detained for nearly a year now.

Om Nizar resorted to Istanbul with her daughter, after burying her martyr son Nizar , leaving her other son Amer trustingly in Allah’ hands in the Air Force Intelligence branch in Damascus .

Om Nizar says:” I belive God will not let me down and break my heart twice, therefore I live in the hope of Amer’s return, until that happens, I’m living with my daughter in Istanbul because I don’t want for her a similar fate as her brother.

While trying to answer our questions, her tears ran uncontrolled on her face preceding her words, because how could a mother spend mother’s day while her children, the apple of her eyes are not with her.

Om Nizar was speechless, for no words can express what she felt; she just looked to the sky as if she was pleading to God to answer her prayers.

What is supposed to be a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, tasted differently in Syria amid mothers’ tears and wounds for their greatest loses.

Mothers’ day on 21/3/2014 should honor the strength of Martyrs, detainees, and refugees’ Syrian mothers who embrace the meaning of strengths, patience, and warmth. Translation by Dani Murad