Report From Damascus (January 31, 2009)

This is the first of several emails that I will send from Syria over the next five months. I plan on sending a “Report from Damascus” once a week, detailing life in Syria, while also touching upon politics. There are a variety of different individuals on this distribution list. Some know very little about the Middle East and others are among the most knowledgeable experts on the Middle East from Washington D.C. and elsewhere. I will try my best to balance these differences. I don’t necessarily have a clear plan of what I will write about each week, but I hope to make it as interesting and useful as possible to read. It will allow me to share some of my experiences with family and friends and I hope that it can help others understand the realities of Syria, which are much different from how Syria is depicted in the American media and discourse. I received a fellowship through the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University to study Arabic anywhere in the Middle East and I chose to take the semester off and come to Syria. I wasn’t given any specific assignment during this time, but I think this will help complement my studies at GW. For this first email, I will provide a basic overview of some of the things I have seen and heard during the past week.

On Saturday, January 24 I safely arrived at the Damascus Airport, passing security with no problems, which is never a guarantee. I arrived at the airport late Saturday night and was greeted by a sign that read “Thomas Satrauss.” I came here alone, with a small bag full of only necessities. However, I quickly met several Syrians working at the hostel I’m currently staying at who have helped me greatly. For the first week and a half, I decided to stay at the Damascus Hostel in the Old City. I’ve looked at about ten different apartments and will soon choose one to move into on Tuesday. Most of the apartments are rooms in traditional Damascene Houses in the Old City of Damascus. A few have been with Muslim families, others have been with Christian families, and a couple have been with Syrians in their mid-20s. Where I decide to live is a very important part of my studying here. I’ve been searching for a place that will be a good atmosphere to live in, but most of all, where I can learn the most Arabic. I’m also trying my best to distance myself from other Western students here. It’s very easy to fall back on using English and always hanging out with Europeans and Americans, so I need to find a good balance during my stay here. I’m not here for too long, so I have to be sure to make the best of the time that I do have.

Since arriving, I have simply been trying to find my way around Damascus, while preparing for Arabic classes to begin. Getting around Damascus has been relatively easy, despite not many Syrians speaking any English. I studied Arabic for about two years at Penn State University and for five months at the American University in Cairo, but it has been about two and a half years since I’ve taken any Arabic. I lost much of what I used to know and don’t feel that I ever fully put my mind to learning the language. However, over the past week, much of what I used to know has come back and I’ve learned quite a bit in only a week’s time. This has certainly reassured me that I came to the right place to learn Arabic. Arabic is the most important reason for coming here and hopefully I’ll be here long enough to get where I want to be for the time-being. Learning Arabic may be a never-ending process, but I hope to learn as much as possible during these five months. In my opinion, Arabic can’t be learned casually, nor can it be learned in the U.S. Only living in the region can one truly learn Arabic and actually come to understand the people, the history, and the politics of the region.

Arabic classes at Damascus University start next Sunday, February 8. Classes are Sunday through Thursday, from 9 AM to 1 PM. I also plan on getting an Arabic tutor within the next few days to help me with the Syrian dialect. The dialect is much closer to the Standard Arabic taught at the University (and found on the news) than in Egypt, for example. For many reasons that already seem apparent only after a week, Damascus seems to be a great place to learn the language.

I’ve met a handful of Europeans in Damascus, but only met the first American yesterday morning. I was hoping to go a little longer without meeting one, but it was only a matter of time, I suppose. In a way it’s refreshing not being surrounded by Americans, but it’s definitely a new experience finding myself in the minority. Europeans find it interesting that I’m one of only a number of Americans scattered throughout Damascus, often joking with me about American politics and culture. Random Syrians I talk to on the streets always ask where I’m from, usually guessing that I’m British. When I say that I’m American, they quickly become surprised. However, I have yet to have a negative reaction to being American, which is good. Nearly everyone welcomes me to Syria and most are interested in what I am doing here and what I hope to do with this experience in the future.

I have also been hearing a number of positive comments about President Obama, with many Syrians expressing hope that he will have a better Middle East policy than President Bush. They also express hope that Obama has an opportunity to greatly improve U.S.-Syrian relations, with many becoming disillusioned by the past few decades of hostile relations. Honestly, I expected more negative reactions toward Obama, but I have yet to hear many at all. Depending on how events in the Middle East shape out over the next few months, this could change quickly though. From this anecdotal evidence from the streets of Damascus, it seems to me that there is a clear window of opportunity for Obama to shape U.S. relations with Syria and other Arab states in the region, even if this window is small and shrinking with time. I’ve noticed that Syrians often conclude this discussion by saying “Obama is good, Inshallah” (God Willing). The people here have actually been quick to ask me what I think about Obama, soon after discovering that I’m an American and living in Washington D.C. Several people have needed to be convinced that Obama actually is a Christian, which has been interesting to discuss. “He has a Muslim father and his middle name is Hussein. He is Muslim!” many have argued. I’ve already met a handful of Christians that are skeptical that Obama holds Christian values and that his true Muslim colors might come out in the next few months. Many Syrians are also fascinated that the U.S. would elect a black man as president, expressing hope that Americans may be tolerant toward others after all. It’s hard to imagine that this is a bad thing.

With a new president in Washington that seems willing to commit to dialogue with Syria and with a president in Damascus cautiously waiting for the right opportunity to take such a big step, the next five months should prove to be an exciting time to be here. In Damascus earlier today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with a U.S. delegation of seven members of Congress led by Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA). Assad reportedly pointed to the “importance of opening a positive and constructive dialogue between Syria and the United States based on common interests and mutual respect,” according to the official SANA news agency. Before leaving Damascus this evening, Rep. Smith told reporters that the delegation had a very positive meeting with President Assad, who was “very open, frank, and sincere.” He went on to say that Assad listened to the delegation, answered their questions, and that the delegation feels that this is a very good start. It was a rare visit that can be seen as an opportunity that could potentially help ease tensions between Washington and Damascus in the near future.

Politically, Syria is a great place to visit. I’ve only casually studied Syrian politics with the rest of my studies at GW, but it’s a fascinating system to observe and to live within for a short period of time. The more I learn, the more interesting the politics in Syria seem to be. Internationally and regionally, Syria finds itself in a unique and important position. Syria’s domestic politics are equally fascinating to examine. Walk in or out any door and it will only take a few seconds until you see President Assad looking down at you. Large posters of President Hosni Mubarak can also be found throughout Egypt, but it’s nothing like what can be found in Syria. Thus far, I’ve heard nothing negative said about Assad and I’ve only heard praise. While there may be some self-censorship and ingrained beliefs, this praise appears to be quite sincere. Large posters of Assad can be found in homes, in businesses, at the University, on windows of cars, on giant billboards, in bathrooms, and on everything in between. Photos of former President Hafez al-Assad can also be seen throughout Damascus, even though much fewer can be found than during Bashar’s first few years in office. Despite taking some time, it appears that Bashar is successfully consolidating his rule and is creating his own identity as president, apart from the image of his father. Interestingly, there may be an equal number of posters of Hafez as there are of Bashar’s brother, Basel. Hafez was president from 1970 until his death in 2000. Basel was the oldest son and was expected to be the next president, but he died in a car accident in 1994. Bashar was training in London to be an eye doctor at the time and soon returned home to Syria to begin training to fit another role, as president of Syria. He took over as president after Hafez’s death in 2000 at the age of 34.

I’ve already purchased a plethora of political memorabilia from the market and from various shops, including: posters, magnets, keychains, and lighters. The best find was a government-issued notebook from 1997 that I’m using to write Arabic words that I learn daily, with photos of Hafez, Bashar, and Basel plastered on the front cover. It cost me 20 cents. I’ve been especially interested in how Syrians think and talk about Basel, who never actually became president. Even 15 years after his death, the symbolism of Basel continues to hold a significant amount of power throughout the country. It would be interesting to look further into the role that Basel plays in Syrian politics today.

There is much more to say, but this is enough for now. In the future, I’ll try to make the Reports shorter so people have time to read everything. If you made it to this point, I hope you enjoyed the first Report from Damascus. I’d appreciate any suggestions you might have. If you know of anyone that wants to be added to the distribution list, please let me know. I’m willing to share these with as many people that might be interested. If you’d like to see some of my photos, let me know and I’ll send you the link. Until next time, Ma’salama!

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