Secret weapon in Daraya .. The story of culture during the siege

Imran Abdullah

In the countryside of Damascus, southwest of the Syrian capital, Daraya lies, but it is almost another world after it has been besieged by Syrian regime forces since 2011.It has been deprived of food, bombed by shells and shelled by snipers.Many buildings, shops and family homes have been destroyed by death from the sky.

But in the depths of this gloomy scene of frightening destruction, an oasis of underground hope has attracted trapped residents to a unique secret library.

In his recent book, Syria's Secret Library: Reading and Salvation in a City Under Siege, British journalist Mike Thompson tells the inspiring tale of what he calls the incredible motivation of people who refused to give up and despaired of the power of the written word, seeking to create a positive and enriching space for themselves and others through “resistance” Thoughtful. "

Thomson, a BBC foreign affairs correspondent for Al Jazeera Net, spoke of his experience in drawing inspiration from the events he covered in Syria in 2016, when half a million people were under siege in about 16 different regions.

Book and Library
"I called a certain person in Daraya, and I asked him how life is going, and how to endure her psychological pressure," Thompson told Al Jazeera Net. "He replied," We have a secret weapon.

Although there were no signs of existence, and the streets above were filled with fire and rubble, the Library, or the underground underground in Daraya, was a haven of peace, tranquility and culture, in which various books were lined with walls, including old and torn volumes and books, But readable and pocket-sized pamphlets containing works by Syrian poets, and religious works well arranged in rows.

With regard to his new book this month, Thompson adds that he sent copies to Syria in the areas where the young people who founded the library lived. They highly praised the book and expressed their gratitude for spreading their unique story to the world.

Librarians
Thompson told Al Jazeera Net "I was calling them from London, and did not succeed in reaching Daraya because of the seriousness of the siege imposed on them."

Asked about the librarians and their fate, he said he was still in contact with them, some of them still in rural Damascus, but most of them went to Idlib, which is currently living another nightmare, while some tried to cross into Turkey.

Thomson recounted Anas, Amjad and Abdul Basit who worked on the library, describing how the library suffered a "dramatic" end and a painful fate, while the librarians who settled in Idlib insist on reopening it when the opportunity arises.

Thompson quotes Abdul Basit al-Ahmar, a volunteer at the library, as saying that it gave them a chance to reduce the risk of targeting.

Oasis of Damascene Culture
In his book, Thompson documented the steps to create the library in the besieged city, which was further complicated by snipers' bullets in buildings surrounding the area.

Although Daria was deprived of food and medicine during the siege, the underground library volunteers were able to collect hundreds of books from various sources, including books from the Daria Public Library, which were destroyed in artillery shelling.

Not just a library
The library's function was not limited to culture.It used a café that hosted discussions and an educational and social center, and contained a variety of Arabic and foreign books, including Shakespeare's plays, novels by Agatha Christie, international novels, historical, scientific and religious books, and Arab intellectuals such as Muhammad Amara as well as encyclopedias and references.

"Just as the body needs food, the soul needs books, even in places and times of bombardment, hunger and siege," he concludes.