She is a passionate advocate of Arab freedom. But last week, Syrian police arrested 30-year-old Razan Ghazzawi, the media officer at the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), for blogging against the state. Before Ghazzawi was arrested, she told her friends, “If anything happens to me, know that the regime does not fear the prisoners but rather those of you who do not forget them.” In spite of those who do not forget and keep calling for her immediate release, President Bashar al-Assad seems to have lost his hearing aid.
Ghazzawi is among dozens of journalists and bloggers who have been detained since Syria’s uprising began nearly nine months ago. The American- born Ghazzawi launched her personal blog, Razaniyyat in 2009.
“Her femininity and her voice of freedom are much braver than the masculinity of every security officer and every government official in Syria,” Amjad Baiazy, friend and fellow activist who worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres, told The Daily Star, Lebanon’s prominent English daily. Baiazy who was arrested in May and imprisoned for two months fled to the UK after his release. He told the newspaper that Ghazzawi had consistently spoken out on behalf of everyone, despite their convictions. A secular activist, she defended women’s rights to wear the hijab as well as others’ rights to challenge it. Born to parents from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, she has advocated against occupation as well as Syria’s domestic policy. “What I love about Razan is that she is not hypocritical,” says Baiazy. “She was very outspoken and always spoke out against injustice.” An example from her blog:
“It’s become evident in the Syrian consciousness now that not only the street is leading the revolution, but most importantly, activists and prominent intellectuals that are loved by the revolutionaries cannot contain the people’s movement. For example, Burhan Ghalious is very loved by the Syrian street, he’s cool and all, but if he went on TV and said, ‘hey guys, I think we should stop and start talking to the regime instead’. Not only no one will listen to him, but pretty much it’ll mean he’s f***** for good, after Adonis and Angry Arab. Who to support? The people. Period.”
The Daily Star says it is this very courage that made friends fear for her arrest, yet be comforted that if anything should happen to her, the authorities could not easily make her disappear in the abyss of nameless detainees. Amnesty International researcher Neil Sammonds told the newspaper that Ghazzawi’s high profile status is a “mixed blessing”. He says, “It put her more at risk of arrest, but — we hope — less at risk of being badly treated. Having a higher profile, being a woman and having US nationality should mean she is less at risk.”
Since Syria’s popular uprising began on March 15, the United Nations estimates that some 4,000 people, mainly civilians, have died in the government crackdown. Syria blames the unrest on armed gangs trying to incite sectarian strife.