Posted
April 12, 2016 in “Campus”
Human
rights proponent Ribal al-Assad to speak on Syria and Middle East
tomorrow
Like
any armed conflict where passions are high, lives are lost and in
turmoil, and opposing parties stand on vastly contrasting sides of
the political spectrum, the civil war in Syria is a complex and
volatile situation. As is the case with many circumstances across the
Middle East, it is one that has no quick fixes or easy answers.
“We
need to hear all points of view,” says Bland Addison, associate
professor specializing in history and international studies in WPI’s
Department of Humanities and Arts. “We shouldn’t discount any of
points of view until we’ve heard all of them.”
WPI
students and other interested locals will have the opportunity to
hear one of those distinct points of view in a talk tomorrow (April
13) by Ribal al-Assad. The Syrian human rights proponent will offer
the discussion, “Syria, the Middle East, and the New Cold War: How
three tiers of conflict created an Apocalypse,” at 11 a.m. at
Fuller Labs in Lower Perreault Hall. The event is free and open to
the public.
A
Syrian refugee, al-Assad, 40, is the son of former Syrian vice
president Rifaat al-Assad, and first cousin of divisive current
president Bashar al-Assad. He is founder and director of the
Organisation for Freedom and Democracy in Syria, and advocates for a
peaceful transition to democratic order in his home country and in
relations with Israel.
“We
want to concentrate on our future country,” he told Robert Fiske,
Middle East correspondent for the UK-based news outlet The
Independent,
in a 2010 interview. “A country cannot be built on past grudges. We
have to forgive – I don’t know about forget – and we have to
live together, all Syrians who believe in democracy and human rights,
to have a new era. The Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union collapsed.
Syria will change.”
Al-Assad’s
talk was organized through the Worcester World Affairs Council, one
of 95 such nonprofit groups across the U.S. dedicated to informing
and engaging its members and their communities in international
affairs. It is one of several such discussions scheduled this spring
at various World Affairs Councils; he is also speaking this week in
Boston and Portland.
Although
the conflict has been raging in Syria for nearly five years –
resulting in an estimated 500,000 dead and five million displaced
refugees – the topic is particularly pertinent now, Addison points
out. Russia, Assad’s main ally, recently announced its removal of
some troops from Syria in an effort to prompt Assad to more seriously
consider peace negotiations.
“The
question is, ‘Where do we go from here?’” says Addison. “It
is going to take a very complex solution – there is no happy fix.”
The
conflict and the overall unrest in the Middle East are ongoing topics
of discussion among his students, he says, coming up regularly in
courses and seminars.
“We
are delighted to have this source of information,” says Addison.
“The students are eager to hear what he has to say.”
Who:
Ribal al-Assad, son of former Syrian vice president Rifaat al-Assad
and first cousin of current president Bashar al-Assad
What:
A discussion, “Syria, the Middle East, and the New Cold War: How
three tiers of conflict created an Apocalypse.”
When:
Wednesday, April 13, at 11 a.m.
Where:
Fuller Labs in Lower Perreault Hall
This
program is free and open to the public.
– BY TARYN PLUMB
Original story link.
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