Reports | 25 05 2020
A massacre took place in Al-Mabouja village, northeast of the city of Salamiyah. Its news were no ordinary news to its inhabitants, the people of the region, as well as the rest of Syrians. How were the news handled in Syrian media pages?
The civilians killed by ISIS, they were not mentioned under this title in those media outlets, some of which are affiliated with the opposition, as well as the Revolution.
Orient TV news channel showed breaking news proclaiming "the killing of 50 regime elements, after ISIS' control of Al-Mabouja village east of Hama." The Kulluna Shourakaa [We are All Partners] site's headline on the incident: "ISIS controls the largest regime stronghold in the Salamiyah countryside."
The Zaman Al Wasl [Communication Times] site, in its own fashion, advised: "The Salamiyah countryside witnessed last midnight a violent attack by ISIS on the village of Al-Mabouja in the province of Hama; which has resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries in the ranks of regime forces, mercenaries, and supporters."
As for the regime's official news agency, its article on this subjetc was entitled: "The souls of 48 martyrs ascend as a result of the massacre perpetrated by terrorists against the people of the village of Al-Mabouja in the Salamiyah countryside." In the article, it gave an account of the regime army's and militants' resistance, and killing and destruction the wrought onto the ranks of ISIS.
However, far removed from these news, sources confirm to Rozana that Al-Mabouja was less heavily protected. The system did not give it the same attention and priority as other areas, in that particular corner east of the Syrian city of Salamiyah.
Salamiyah's People's Reaction
"What hurt us most of all, was the description by these media of our people and civilians as being they Shabiha [regime-affiliated thug militia] gunmen" says Layal Saqr, a Salamiyah resident, to Rozana who had lost many of her own relatives, in the Al-Mabouja massacre.
Tuesday was, indeed, a black day for many residents of Salamiyah and its villages, as well as many other Syrians. Their personal accounts were all adorned with black images. They mourned their relatives and eulogized them, creating the Hashtag "#Salamiyah_slaughtered," which turned into a Facebook page, that received more than 3,700 "Likes" in less than 24 hours. It also started documenting the victims and missing persons in Al-Mabouja.
Those in charge of the page informed Rozana that they are planning further steps. They are disseminating news and documentation in both Arabic and English, and are working on reports addressed to human rights organizations, and the international community, to communicate theirSalamiyah's, and its countryside's case.
They also pointed out that they are attempting to move away from the rising regime fanaticism and promotion of its weapons which started to make an appearance in Salamiyah; as, accoding to them, it holds the same responsbility as ISIS.
On the Dealing of Media With the Massacre
Many people in the region have not forgotten how some Syrian media dealt with the massacre committed by ISIS.
Journalist Samer Katrib commented on his Facebook page: "Orient [News Channel] is still looking into the sectarian identity to the people of Al-Mabouja. Their cheering or condemnation depends on it. And although there is ample information about the killing of women, children, and civilians; [Orient] did not mention a single word about this crime."
Lina Atfeh, from Salamiyah, writes: "the ISIS Mujahideen stormed the village at night, slaughtered unarmed people and kidnapped hostages. Their knives made no differentiation between a Sunni, an Alawite, a bedouin, a child, a woman, an old man... Slaughter was based on identity, anyone connected to Salamiyah was labelled an infidel, whose slaughter was, therfore, considered Halal and a duty... Then, next morning, the [regime] airforce complemented the massacre with its [explosive] barrels."
Hussein Zahran, commenting on the matter, wrote: "By means of the barbaric knives ISIS, today in the village of Al-Mabouja (northeast of the city of Salamiyah) nonagenarian Fatima Tamer Dakheel, aged 94 years, was slaughetered with 45 people from her village, including women and children; four of whom are special needs people!" He adds: "Undoubtedly, today, members of the spin-meister battalion (those sucking the blood off the knives, to tell us: The Mujahedeen were confused... They thought it was Anisa Makhlouf [Bashar al-Assad's powerful, behind-the-scenes, mother]!"
Stories From the Heart of the Massacre
Many young women and men from the town of Salamiyah and its surrounding villages have a tradition they hold dear, during the university years. They return to visit their families on weekends. Yet Lama Habil did not return to the University of Damascus on time. She was, thus, killed during the ISIS attack on the village of Al-Mabouja and therefore prevented from ever returning to her university desk.
The fourth-year student of psychology will not graduate this year. Her family will not rejoice in her success, as they had all been burned, according to her cousin Layal Saqr, who confirms the incident to Rozana.
Thus perished Lama, Hala, Rama, and more than 40 other civilians, including women and children; slaughtered randomly by ISIS when it attacked the village northeast of Salamiyah after midnight on Monday. No more than 7 fighters in the region's popular committees affiliated with the regime, were killed.
Also according to Layal Saqr, after the attack on their village, residents were caught between the ISIS slaughter operation and the bombing of the regime forces, coming from the Sabboura rae and causing many more casualties.
Many are the horror stories emanating out of Al-Mabouja about the burning of entire families; the slaughter of children before their mothers' eyes; the abduction of women and men, and many more. So many, that one article cannot do them all justice.