'Syrian Documentation', voluntary initiative to protect Syrian identity

(Reporting by Faris Al Rifai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

Adnan Ismael Abo Oon, the manager, explains to Zaman Alwasl that foundation was established in 2012, at the time it aimed to document violation in human rights and crimes of the Syrian regime against Syrian people, besides the systematic destruction of Syrian structure. The work aimed to collect as much evidence as possible to sue the Syrian regime before the international criminal court, and to save the Syrian rights from being lost like what happened to Palestinian people’s rights.

Abo Oon was cautious to the fact that many evidence and documents could be destroyed and get lost under the unprecedented violence and usage of arms by Syrian regime, which can destroy the registry offices and people rights get lost subsequently.

The Foundation’s manager mentioned that Syrian regime has burned many registry offices after pulling many ID and registration documents to issue to non- Syrian people from Hezbollah, Iranian and Iraqi militias.

Abo Oon regrettably mentioned that no official or revolutionary organizations helped or even cooperated with them, even the National Coalition, explaining that by fear of the organizational and transparent work.

Mr Abo Oon became discomfort and expressed his anger at the accusation of being biased toward Horan region and Dar’a and its people. He said that the foundation treats all Syrian the same, he gave evidence that he knows all Homs’s areas by heart, “if we are not interested in all Syria’s areas, how would I remember and know all Homs’s areas despite I am from Horan”

Ismael al-Zo’obi, an activist, and the Manager’s assistant explains to Zaman Alwasl the foundation work : “two years ago, the foundation was established, starting with registering people we know from different villages and town on papers, then we moved to digital documentation for a year, and now, our records are recognized by the Social Solidarity Society in al-Ramtha”

Mr. al-Zo’obi mentioned cases subject to documentation saying that Martyrs' cases were the first and start for documentation, then the work expanded to cover 11 categories like widows of non martyrs, people with amputations, visions impairment, permanent disability either congenital or during the revolution, non-married women over 30 years old, or divorced, besides detainees either in regime’s prisons and their parents know where they are, in this case their parents are given prisoners’ certificates, while those who are in regime’s prisons and their parent do not know a thing about them they are considered as missing. Moreover, there are folders for fighters on ground and under-care orphans who lost both fathers and mothers, moreover, a folder for parents who have more than one martyr, as we document a case of a mother of 6 martyrs.

“The mechanism of work and documenting quite strict, as we have four hotlines where people contact us to register, after taking initial information from them, we try to validate them by representatives from the same area or village, who review information and sign the documents, then information entered to the computer for final storing.” Zo'obi details.

Monther Kadah from al-Herak in Horan says to Zaman Alwasl that he works to the foundation to confirm case from al-Herak as he knows most of them; he mentioned that around 80% of al-Herak people are in Jordan because of war in Syria.

Abo Omar, an activist from Horan's co-ordinations says that they agree with the foundation to establish a media office consists of staff outside and inside Syria, and they will start as a Facebook page, to publish most documents the Foundation has, then they will establish a website. Abo Omar mentioned that media office aims to document humanitarian cases in Syria and outside, beside crimes against civilians, including crimes of FSA members, aiming to stop them and judge who committed them.