October victory in literary and artistic works

The great victory realized by the Syrian and Egyptian armies in October War of Liberation has been immortalized in many literary and artistic works that depicted the positive impact of the landslide victory on the Arab fighters and people. Many novels and short stories were written documenting the daily activities of the Syrian fighters including “Those Days” by Dr. Najah al-Attar, “The Observatory” by novelist Hanna Mineh, “The Bleeding Flowers of Damascus” by Abdul Salam al-Ojeili and “The Rock of Golan” by Ali Okla Ersan. 

In singing, many songs glorified the heroic deeds of the Syrian fighters and the greatness of October victory as it created hope in liberating the occupied Arab territories, shattered the myth of the invincible Israeli army and restored confidence in the ability of the Arab fighter.  Among the most famous songs that appeared during that period is “Syria, My Beloved” by the trio Najah Salam, Mohammad Jamal and Mohammad Salman.

The late composer Shaker Barikhan composed a song titled “We Are the Eagles” which was sung by the late Rafiq Sbei’i and became later the anthem of the air defence academy in the Syrian Army.

The Syrian TV drama also succeeded in portraying the heroism of the Syrian fighters highlighting the valiant deeds of the Syrian soldiers in the battlefield and reviving the spirit of heroism, belonging and sacrifice. “The Wolf’s Bark” is a well-known TV drama that tell realistic story that took place during the October War. It tells the story of Abu Omar (played by late actor Omar Qassas) who fled after he was sentenced to prison, but in his hideout in Zabadani area he managed to capture an Israeli soldier. The Israeli soldier tried to seduce Abu Omar to enable him to flee by giving him a huge sum of money, but Abu Omar decided to hand himself and the captive to the Syrian authorities motivated by his national belonging and allegiance to his homeland and people.

The Syrian TV also produced a drama titled “The Bridegroom” by director Shakib Ghannam. It deals with the sublime values of martyrdom highlighting the spirit of sacrifice and the readiness of Syrian people to offer their lives for the sake of the dignity of their homeland.

In cinema, several feature films and documentaries were produced  including “al-Quneitra My Beloved”  and a “Private Task” which won an appreciation certificate at Leipzig International Film Festival because of its authentic documentation of Syrian fighters’ sacrifices in the battlefield.

K.Q.