Dureid Lahham: “Revolutions” Should Bring Good to Countries not Kill People, Destroy Homelands

BEIRUT- In his recent interview with al-Mayadeen TV, the iconic and legendary Syrian actor Dureid Lahham hoped that he will be able to produce a film on the Syrian crisis, particularly to tackle the suffering of Syrian women under the human rights violations being committed against them at refugee camps in neighboring countries.

Lahham expressed his sadness because of the catastrophic events Syria has been experiencing as a result of the global war which aims at destroying the country and eliminating its history, civilization and heritage.

He pointed out that there is a systematic campaign to distort, destroy and burn everything in Syria, wondering “why people from more than 80 countries came to kill the Syrian people in the name of freedom and democracy while their own states have nothing to do with such slogans.”

“What did Syria do to have its antiquities looted and its civilization destroyed,” he said, adding that even Aleppo factories, which are the most important in the Middle East, were dismantled and smuggled to Turkey by the thieves and looters who claim that they are “revolutionaries”.

“Syria’s civilization is more than 6000 years old. It is an international example of national unity and co-existence among religions,” Lahham added. 

“Revolutions should bring the good to countries not kill people and destroy homelands. We never heard about a revolution that blew up a civilian railway station, destroyed electricity networks or exploded a booby-trapped car at a public place,” the actor stressed.

On a solution to the crisis in Syria, Lahham said “only the Syrians can solve the crisis of their country trough sitting to the negotiation table.” He affirmed that the Syrians shouldn’t allow foreign powers to interfere in their affairs as they must sit together and hold dialogue to attain a settlement that avoids more bloodshed and destruction.   

Lahham condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, saying that “the economic siege imposed by America and Western countries on Syria has an equal effect of  the use of mass destruction weapons, affirming that hundreds of children and elderly die because of medicine and milk shortage.”

The Syrian actor reiterated that he is not leaving Syria despite the threats of killing he received because of his national stances.

“The homeland is man’s memory. It is not a hotel in which one can stay when the service is good and leave it when the service is not,” he said.

Lahham pointed out that he resigned from his post as a UN goodwill ambassador in 2006 in protest of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

H. Mustafa