DAMASCUS,(ST)_ The Baath Arab Socialist Party’s Damascus Branch held a forum on Saturday on the role of citizens in ending the crisis in the country and the meaning of citizenship.
Information Minister Omran al-Zou’bi said that the forum is a positive step to develop the political language of the community.
He made it clear that citizenship means belonging, identity, duties and rights, stressing that the so-called opposition outside the country practices rights and duties but their belonging is to the US intelligence, Gulf States and others.
“That is why they [who have belonging to the others] could not be labeled as a national opposition,” he added.
Aggression on Syria
The minister also confirmed that the conspirators’ hysteria came about because of the ‘legendary steadfastness’ of the Syrian people and the State, referring to the sacrifices being offered by the Syrian Arab army to restore stability and security nationwide.
“The aggression on Syria is not new and it is being renewed whenever opportunity arises,” al-Zou’bi said, reiterating that Syria is paying the price for its alliance with resistance.
Member of the Regional Leadership, Khalaf al-Meftah, was eye-to-eye with al-Zou’bi , adding that the aggression on Syria aims at toppling the state and destroying values and ethics.
Homeland
On the other hand, the minister stressed that the ‘Muslim brotherhood’ doesn’t recognize nationalism and Arabism as well as diversity.
In this context, the Republic’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun said that religious parties have sought to fight the Arab nation and to charge the Muslim world with infidelity.
“Each Homeland has a doctrine and each doctrine has a homeland. Our people in the Iskenderun province of Syria, which was annexed to Turkey, are still learning Arabic language, “the Mufti added.
The official news agency reported that the participants in the forum zeroed in on the necessity of explaining the principle of citizenship thought, the curriculum and enhancing the idea of belonging to homeland as well as the separation between religion and the state.
Representatives of the Progressive National Front Parties and civil society, Head of the Journalists Union, researchers and political analysts attended the forum.
Basma Qaddour