Philosophical and intellectual interview with the Syrian Member Of Parliament Dr. Nabil Toumeh

VT Damascus Nahed Al Husaini Exclusive   

ISIS evaporated, has the wrangle over Syria been forsaken

World and regional powers contest in Syria over geopolitical shares

Syrians must lift the economic siege by rebuilding their country     

Dr. Toumeh. Thank you for your time and your relentless efforts to cooperate with us. 

Interview text:

Dr. Toumeh, how do you perceive Turkish and Zionist thinking?

Turkish and Zionist brains demonstrate the optimum of permanent greed, and simultaneously, cannot recognize progress, or even stability, Moreover, the Zionist and the Turkish histories went beyond the  norms to falsify and blur the facts, not only in Syria, though it is the most important, because it is the focus of all intellectual, political and religious issues, and the gates of economic and social openness, and the primary issue is that Ottoman brain pure  thinking was in the robbery, which paved the way for the Europeans and the Americans, especially in those countries that the Turks labored on their  backwardness, rather than seeking their development.

The mechanism of Turkish and Zionist brains 

The probe into Turkish and Zionist brains give us insight how to proceed. They forget about you, and then, quickly remember to how jump over their prey. Will this be repeated again while global powers are now wrangling over Syria? The great powers are now wrestling with their interests in Syria, some support minorities, others scramble out to manipulate religions, and some want to grab a piece of the geographical cake. So, do we have the awareness of what is happening and what is woven? Or are we still clinging to social and political ideas and theories dating back to the day when we were the vanguard of nations? It seems that we have lapsed in time, and other nations prevail at our expense. If we look around, we hear someone saying: I am Turkish, the other I am Iranian, including the Israeli, the American, the Chinese and the Russian.

What are the agendas of the regional and world powers competing in Syria?  

Regional powers like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel are wrangling over Syria, each has its own ideology vis-a-vis the Iranian power, which also has its own agenda, and which has a long-standing strategic cooperation with Syria, in addition to the world powers embodied in the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Saudi Arabia wants to regain its religious leadership that decayed to a large extent after the exposure of the Wahhabi project, in order to save its prestige in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Turkey has also seen Syria as a major obstacle in its path, though, before the Arab Spring, Syrian and Turkish relations were at the zenith.  But, Turkey is still dreaming of realizing the political Islam project sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood, whose aim to establish the Ottoman Empire. The project failed miserably, and Turkey, until the moment, has not cognized how to get out of it.

The Israelis, who benefited from all what is happening, have entered the stage of normalizing their relations with the Arab regimes, and are now riding the American wave. President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel, and recognized its sovereignty over the Golan Heights.  The Israelis play now on the American card as a bearer, and notify the Russian ally in advance of bombing sites in Syria, let alone the memo of understanding signed by both sides on non-clash over the Syrian territory. The Turks are under US hegemony despite their strong relationship with the Russians. The Saudi are dominated by the Americans, and the Iranians do not trust anyone but themselves.

Have the wresters escaped the circle?   

Everyone has not yet been able depart this circle, and each one supports one or two parties, even if they are at odds with each other. We, the Syrians, ask; where are we from all this? We have achieved unprecedented steadfastness and unique military tribulations in the face of the savagery.  We have won spectacular victories, but the stalemate continues. The wrestling powers manipulate the South inhabited by our people in Jabal Al Arab, and the East, populated by the Kurds, and the north, where the Turkish leverage is predominant via Al Nusra and other Jihadist groups.

What is the outlet from this debacle?

The game of ISIS has ended, yet, has the wrangling over Syria being forsaken? Our task now is to lift the economic siege by self-reliance in unity, production, and reconstruction, and to insist on defeating this multi-faceted wrangle, and believe in our ability to return to life, and everyone should move to rebuild without corruption. This path will make us triumphant.

Nahed Al-Husaini

Nahed is VT Damascus Bureau Chief. She is a member of the American Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies (USA) and serves as Assistant Director of the Arab-American and Muslim Congress (Detroit, USA). She has a Diploma in English Literature from Damascus University (1987).

She’s also been a reporter for Turkish newspaper Aydinlik, Special Coordinator for Arab-Armenian International Law Assembly, Correspondent for Qatari News Agency, Al Ayam news Paper in Bahrain, Al Liwaa in Lebanon, Correspondent for Petra News Agency in Jordan, correspondent for the Associated Press in USA, and worked as a freelance journalist for CBS, ABS and CNN in Syria. She is fluent in both English and Arabic.