Army putting lives on the line every day

Two days ago, I was in a hospital, where my husband was doing physical checkup, we were told that he must sleep in the hospital for two days. I took the opportunity to speak to the nurses, doctors, visitors and even the patients. I asked them two questions: one, after two years of foreign-backed attacks, mostly from religious fanatics, how would secular Syria have survived without its national army? and two, what legitimate function does any army have, if not to defend a nation from foreign-backed attempts to violently dismantle the state and constitution or, alternatively, to partition the country?

They all answered nearly the same, the Syrian Arab Army has been vilified by those very same regimes that arm the foreign jihadis and the local sectarians.Yet despite the relentless attacks, this army has held together and is showing strong signs of resuming control of our country in service of a secular and socially inclusive state. One of the patients said” If you live our army’s value, it means you live up to a higher standard. our army has loyalty, duty, respect, honor, integrity, and personal Courage. But how often do you see someone actually live up to these traits? Soldiers learn these values, and they live them every day in everything they do — whether they’re on the job or off “.

 If that is not legitimate so what??????even the five years child, began chanting “long live our army”

One of the doctors said:

“Criticizing the Syrian Arab Army  is coming from those western countries whose armies spend much of their time invading and occupying several of foreign countries.

 Throughout the years, the Syrian Army embodied the values of national unity and reflected the diversity of the Syrian society, embracing the heroic principle of martyrdom and making it an integral part of the Syrian soldier’s mentality.

Syria’s secular tradition is nowhere stronger than it is in the Syrian Arab Army, with half a million members, half regulars and half conscripts.The army compasses all the country’s communities. However, they identify as ‘Syrian’ and ‘Arab’ confronting a sectarian enemy that brands itself ‘real Muslim( Al-Qaeda)”.

A young nurse said ” Hundreds of thousands of young Syrians put their lives on the line every day to defend a nation that gives them identity, education, and a range of shared institutions. The Syrian army deserves respect, love, and gratitude “.

A woman wept when I asked her, she said: I have a son in the Army, I want to make sure my son knows how proud I am. No matter what, if he comes alive or not, he always wanted to die, and become a martyr, for the sake of his country,  but  I will be waiting for my son and his friends to come home. We miss him so much. I am constantly praying for his safety” she couldn’t say anything more.

At  last, On the 68th anniversary of our Syrian Arab Army, I say:

All of our prayers go to you. With God’s sake you will win both the battle as well as the war.

Brave Syrian Arab Army you are making golden pages of history and demonstrating to the world, how defending dignity and motherland should be done. You have tremendous Support from all the Syrians. Cleanse the country from thugs and bandits.

God bless the heroic valiant soldiers of the splendid Syrian Arab Army. 

Long live our soldiers, and mercy to our martyrs. 

Butheina Al-Nounou