Syria Support Movement solidarity with the Syrian people
May 5, 2019
Tim Anderson*
From 28 April to 5 May three former political prisoners under South Africa’s apartheid regime – Mpho Masemola, Sandy Lebese and Shaka Radebe – visited Lebanon and Syria to share their experiences, learn about the struggle of Palestinians against apartheid Israel and to help build the regional and international resistance.
Their first visit was to Khiam prison in south Lebanon, which was run by Zionist forces during the occupation. A former prisoner showed them the tiny confinement cells and torture equipment. After that they visited the war museum in Mleeta, where they heard of the long and eventually successful resistance struggle, led by Hezbollah, against the Zionist occupation (1982-2000) and the subsequent failed invasion (2006).
During their time in Lebanon and Syria they visited and spoke with Palestinian and Lebanese resistance veterans, including many former prisoners of the Zionist regime. They also visited several long standing Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria. They were received by resistance, political and Palestinian parties in Lebanon and Syria. They also met with Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Faisal Mikdad.
The parallels between apartheid in South Africa and the apartheid zionist system were discussed extensively. Common themes and differences were noted. Nevertheless all agreed that Zionist apartheid was an evil system which must be dismantled; just as South African apartheid was dismantled. In this respect the primary demand for equal citizenship in a single democratic state was recognised as a similar path to that chosen by the ANC in South Africa.
As a result of their commitment to anti-imperial and anti-zionist forces in the region, three follow up themes emerged.
First, the freedom fighters will publicise and campaign for the release of all political prisoners held by the Zionists, in particular by lifting the profile of these prisoners through construction of an international association of political prisoners. These prisoners include long serving, leading political prisoners Marwan Barghouti (Palestine) and Sidqi al Maqt (Syria).
Second, they are joining the international resistance network led by Dr Yehia Ghaddar of Lebanon, their main host on this trip. A conference is planned for later this year, in Damascus. This link to Dr Ghaddar’s network was made by Ms Amal Wahdan, member of the Arab and Islamic Forum in Occupied Palestine and member of the steering committee of the Syrian Solidarity Movement. Amal was blocked from leaving Palestine to participate in the tour.
Third, they backed the right to return of all Palestinians displaced by the colonial entity, as part of the necessary settlement which dismantles the Zionist apartheid system, to create a single democratic state in historic Palestine.
Mpho, Sandy and Shaka take home deeper understandings of the corrosive impact of Zionism in the region, and a commitment to work together with all resistance forces.
Dr Tim Anderson is Director of the Sydney-based Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies. He has worked at Australian universities for more than 30 years. In 2014 he was awarded Cuba’s medal of friendship. He is Australia and Pacific representative for the Latin America based Network in Defence of Humanity. His most recent books are: Land and Livelihoods in Papua New Guinea (2015), The Dirty War on Syria (2016), now published in ten languages; and Countering War Propaganda of the Dirty War on Syria (2017). His next book Axis of Resistance is due out in 2019.
