Lifting the Economic Embargo for the Dignity of Humanity

Under the title“Lifting the Economic Embargo for the Dignity of Humanity”, the former Syrian Member of Parliament Maria Saadeh wrote the following message from Syria to the people of the world:

 

Greetings from Syria… from the heart of Syria, where love, pride, dignity and persistence of life still reign despite all the threat of death endured during nine years of war.

 

I speak to you all as peoples of this mother earth, as sons of the East and the West together. Every day, we follow what is happening in our world because of “Corona”… and we encourage each other hand in hand …

We give you all PEACE from the Land of peace, from the land of Holy religions, from a land that is almost 12000 years old and spread its civilizations to all humanity…

Our thoughts go to all people who suffer and lost their loved ones every day. We all face the same epidemic today. And for the first time in the history of mankind we became equal, the whole world is threatened by the same risk of death that unites us to face it.  

 

There is no difference between Asian, African, European or American here. No difference between rich or poor people … We are all menaced with a threat that is greater than any war  that can be made by states who arm themselves under padded headlines of racism and extremism.

 

My voice is not only the voice for the Syrian people, but also for all the voice of all people who paid heavily in wars as martyrs or those still living the fear of death every day. The same fear that we leave today…

My voice is the voice of Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and many more countries…

 

Yes, today we are all equal at risk, but we don’t have equal capacities in facing this epidemic, neither are we able to arm ourselves with the necessary medical defense, due to economic war; the war of starving peoples and destructing societies under the so-called “Economic Sanctions” that some countries raised to punish the peoples of other countries, and which result in weakening capabilities and investments as well as delaying growth and development.

 

During nine years, in Syria, these unilateral coercive measures, that violate all international charters and laws, have been an obstacle not only, to the development of the health and hospital sectors, but to assure the new medical equipment, not to mention destroyed hundreds of hospitals by terrorist organizations.

Businessmen and investors have been punished too by freezing their accounts thereby blocking the economy; the basis of the development, and stopping many projects including hospitals that operate the work forces. Unfortunately, unemployment reached 50% of the population while before the war it was less than 8%…

 

All segments of the population have been punished with 83% below the poverty line, which making it difficult to apply the quarantine to contain the virus and apply the necessary treatments. Except the freezing of all kinds of credit card transactions which facilitate the process of confinement and the commitment of people at home as in other states…

 

Also, the re-spread of diseases, such as tuberculosis, weakens the immune system and makes it prone to more infections.

 

Not to mention the dumping of skills and minds under the flag of Humanitarian Asylum. Yes, many doctors, young people and producers, when around 70 % from the health sector, not to name others, have left for better conditions yet, in today’s crisis they represent a burden to the hosting countries of asylum and are threatened because they won’t have priority in treatment against the epidemic of Covid-19…

 

That is precisely the case in Syria today. It is being subject to the economic terrorism launched by states establishing themselves as judges of nations.

 

These same states, that were willing to protect other peoples and give themselves the right to punish other states, are unable to have sufficient numbers of breathing devices to protect their citizens. And those are the same states that were demanding democracy and declaring wars under the heading of defending human rights and democracies while dealing with racism against all humanity.

 

Because I strongly believe that peoples and societies have the power to change the course of history and they can do a lot and say their final word to their government.

 

And because we all believe that we are equal in humanity, where there is no difference between the East and West except with what they bear of human values.

 

Because I believe that we are today in front of historical moment which will give birth to a new world order based on societies where peoples can no longer be neglected: 

 

On behalf of all Syrians, and on behalf of all peoples who have been “punished”, I join those who call the world to put an end to the Economic Terrorism and lift the so-called “Economic Sanctions” applied on many countries together with Russia, Iran and other sovereign states.

 

Today, we are all face the Humanitarian moment that holds us all together on this earth …

We all have the right to life …

We all have the right to a decent life…

We all have the right to choose our destiny

For all of who believes that we are equal in our rights…

And for all of those who believes that we can overcome this scourge standing with a real humanitarian stance with ourselves, and in front of our states that guarantee our security …

Let’s stand together, all peoples of this land, with solidarity in the face of all that hinders every human being’s right to have free and decent life…

Let us prove to the whole world that the human rights begin with the respect of his right to life.

Let’s correct the concept of “Humanity” and bring down this system of “sanctions” which no longer suits the dignity of human not even the humanity that we all deserve.

 

Basma Qaddour