In the months spanning from March to July, Samar Yazbek, then in Damascus, kept a diary, where she took note of events she witnessed, people she talked to, and her impressions. This diary is now turned into a book.

On December 26, 2011, Syria had its deadliest day since mid-March. One hundred civilian deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. On the 29th, despite the presence of the Arab League observers in the country, the security forces have launched nail bombs on the crowd on the Great Mosque square in Duma. On December 31st, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets again in the country. There have been dozens of deaths.

This disappointing attitude of the regime characterized the scene of a strange Syrian surrealism.The observer has the feeling to read a long and repetitive novel in which are reproduced the same mechanical and foolish scenes and actions of the regime. On the other hand, instead, we find the thuwar (the revolutionaries, ed.) constituting the bright party, with songs and dances borrowed from the rich Syrian tradition. The Syrian people has fueled this revolution with a river of blood paid daily by flocks fallen, among the best sons of Syria, and continues to pay this high price, after waiting in vain for an international rescue.

She is now one of the best known faces of the Syrian revolt. The novelist and journalist Samar Yazbek left her country in July 2011. She now lives in Paris. Despite her belonging to the Alawite community, the Shia minority to which also belongs the family al-Assad, she joined the protest against the Regime.

The two main cities, Damascus and Aleppo have not embraced the protests. Why?

First, this is where the social classes that have benefited most from the regime are concentrated. But if they see that their interests are threatened, the merchant bourgeoisie will also eventually take a stand against Al-Assad. The country is experiencing a very serious economic crisis. The second reason is that all public places are occupied by security forces to prevent any gathering. Power is obsessed with these two cities. There are small daily demonstrations in the capital, but they are nipped in the bud.

“By appointing a new minister of defense of Christian faith – the General Rajah Daoud – the regime wants to involve Christians in the fight to make the military command responsible for what will later be described as the massacre of Sunnis …” “But after these tragic developments, our people are perfectly able to avoid the chaos and especially the inter-sectarian war that is anticipated. All communities are engaged in this struggle for the liberation of Syria, and a sectarian civil war is impossible”