Like Horses on the Auction Bloc

by Farid Ghadry

The Qatari and the Turkish governments have invited the SNC and the newly split oppositionists (Haytham al-Maleh and Kamal Labwani) to reconcile their differences in the seaside resort town of Pendlik, Turkey. Some 300 dissidents were invited and attended the event today.

All of us should embrace and encourage a meeting held between Syrian activists to reconcile their differences and unite their efforts. This is no different than a meeting held in a democratic country by different political parties to work together.

However, some in the Syrian opposition today are letting others dictate their own agenda through direct monetary gifts. Many are acting like horses on the auction bloc with the different Arab League members bidding and buying them one horse at a time.

Many who know me personally know that I do not mince my words. There is a time for diplomacy and a time for activism and as long as the non-democratic countries dictate their agenda to the Syrian opposition, it is hard to sit idle and watch the future leaders of your native country speak of democracy in the shadows of Qatar or get traded like horses while their public suffers the consequences of their actions.

There is an attitude of “let’s get along” amongst some of these oppositionists with regard to the interference of non-democratic countries in the affairs of Syria. They give-up fighting for Syria shortly after to become an auctioned horse. Their excuse for being dictated to pivots around “We do not go along because we see eye-to-eye with Qatar“, which is no different from the Muslim Brotherhood speaking of sharing power with Syria‘s other political parties when their root ideology is a soloist bird.

Debates are encouraged and unity is applauded but Syrians should not accept to be dictated to nor should we agree for them to be traded like horses by countries who view democracy as their worst enemies. This is where we all have to draw the line.

Farid Ghadry

Source: http://ghadry.com/2012/03/27/like-horses-on-the-auction-bloc/

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