On this day, June 29, 1979, the Syrian regime decided to write its own constitution in blood. The executions that took place were not merely judicial "rulings," but rather a brutal "social engineering" initiated by Hafez al-Assad to transform Syria from a state governed by institutions into a "security farm" ruled by absolute loyalty.
The constellation that was meant to disappear
The list of those executed that day included an elite that represented the aspirations of Syrian society with professionalism and knowledge:
Dr. Hussein Khallouf, Dr. Mustafa al-Awaj, Engineer Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, Engineer Riad Saif al-Din Jaamour, along with a group of young people: Mustafa Hamsho, Safwan Adi, Omar Wajih Alwani, Mahdi Wajih Alwani, Khaled Muhammad Alwani, Hassan Salameh, Issam Aqla, Abdul Qader Faour, Muhammad Saeed al-Hamsh, Muhammad Marwan Dabbah al-Baqar, Muhammad Mujahid Dabbah al-Baqar, and Mus'af al-Sheikh Ibrahim.
Their execution was no accident; it was a preemptive elimination of any independent mind that might consider questioning the regime.
The Role of Hafez al-Assad
If we want to find the primary culprit, we must turn to Hafez al-Assad. His role was not merely "crisis management" after the events at the Artillery School in Aleppo. He was the "architect" who replaced the law with "field courts," creating a parallel system that circumvented the civil judiciary. In this system, security agencies issued and carried out death sentences, with presidential "signature" providing legal cover for the liquidation process. Loyalty became the sole criterion for survival. Assad realized that skilled professionals (doctors and engineers) could not be easily "tamed," so he decided the cheapest solution was to eliminate them, paving the way for a new generation of "loyalists" who possessed nothing but unquestioning obedience. Through this massacre, Assad sought to instill in the Syrian consciousness that the state was a "security entity" beyond question, and that any attempt at independent decision-making or thought was "high treason" punishable by death.
That year, Assad held the following official and party positions:
• President of the Republic: Officially held the presidency from 1971 until his death in 2000. Secretary-General of the Ba'ath Party: Led the ruling party (both the national and regional leaderships) and directed the state's general policies. Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces: Assumed supreme military command of the Syrian Army.
Zaman al-Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.