Discovering Syria for Myself by Wendy Campbell

Bedouin Man

At the Omayyad Mosque, Damascus, with friends (me, far right)

Smoking the Hubbly-Bubbly in Aleppo

Mark Green, and the fabulous ruins at Palmyra

One of the stalls inside the huge souk in Aleppo

Crusader Fortress: Crak des Chevaliers

Wendy Campbell, atop a camel while touring Palmyra

Maaloula, ancient Christian village where Aramaic is still spoken

Mark Green, outside the Citadel fortress in Aleppo

Filming at exquisite St. Simeon ruins

Report Back from Syria (and FYI, the Zionists Are Already Re-Building the Third Temple Offsite and Plan to Destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque)

By Wendy Campbell
April 2004

I just got back from a fabulous trip (March 21 – April 2, 2004) to Syria, truly a hidden treasure full of fascinating historical sites going back thousands of years and a delightful place with incredibly friendly and hospitable people, even after finding out that I am an American.

Syria is Misrepresented by Zionist-dominated U.S. Media
You might be surprised to hear that Syria is an intriguing and top-notch destination, even for Americans. But think about it. Who has been telling you that Syria is full of terrorists? Of course, it's the Zionist-dominated American media. The very same media that has been embedded as part of our Zionist-dominated war-mongering government. The very same media that has been beating the drums for war against all the countries that Zionists would like to see the US invade and "democratize". The very same media that when being "risque" may even try to blame the war on "oil". The very same media that goes out of its way to avoid the word "Zionism" or explaining Israel's apartheid regime, or Israel's on-going history of ethnic-cleansing against non-Jewish indigenous Palestinians in Palestine-Israel. The very same media that tries to deny that the war on Iraq has been a war fought on only Israel's behalf.

Yes, THAT U.S. media. That Department of Misinformation.

So, no wonder that I, for one, was not surprised to find out that Syria is actually a friendly, beautiful and fascinating place to visit.

Incredibly Friendly Syrian People
However, I must say, that I was surprised at how incredibly friendly the Syrian people were. We went in with a small group tour, all Christians (mostly Christian Scientists, and a couple Roman Catholics), and one agnostic.

Everywhere we went, even just walking down the street, many of the Syrian people called out "Hello" and "Welcome!" to us, even after they found out we were American, which we were more than a little ashamed to admit since we are all anti-war and detest Bush's policies. We were welcomed into many Syrians' homes for "flower tea" or Syrian or Turkish coffee, into upscale homes, modest city apartments and Bedouin beehive-shaped adobe mud homes sitting on carpets way out in the countryside.

Syrians Know the Difference Between Judaism and Zionism
By the way, our tour guide, a Greek Orthodox Christian, said on several occasions to our group that Syrians are not against Jews and Judaism but they are against Zionism, (as well as American “crusaders”). Syrians all know what Zionism is, but Zionist Jews in this country have not gone out of their way to explain to non-Jewish Americans exactly what Zionism is. The typical explanation a Zionist Jew will give to explain to a non-Jew when asked about Zionism is to claim that Zionism is the belief that Jews must have a homeland in Israel, formerly known as Palestine, and that Jews must have self-sovereignty in a Jewish state. They never include the fact that in order for Jews to have a Jewish state, it has always been and continues to be at the expense of the indigenous non-Jewish Palestinian people. Zionists typically put a veil on the ugly way in which Israel was created and Israel’s on-going ethnic cleansing campaign against the indigenous, non-Jewish Palestinian people who are being persecuted and denied equal rights in their own ancestral homeland.

The ethnocentric Jewish state of Israel is also maintained at the expense of the American people with the billions of our tax dollars which our government funnels to Israel every year unconditionally and virtually on demand. On top of that, our government’s political and economic support of the apartheid state of Israel has created anti-American sentiment worldwide and sacrifices our credibility as a democratic, just country. Palestinians continue to pay the ultimate price for racist Israel with their lives and property, but now Americans are paying not only with their tax dollars and our country’s reputation, but also with American blood in fighting wars on behalf of Israel, such as the war on Iraq.

Fortunately not all Jews are Zionists and not all Jews try to hide the truth about Zionism and Zionist Israel. An excellent primer entitled “Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict” written by Jews For Justice in the Middle East can be found at the website www.cactus48.com. For information about how some Jews believe Zionism to be the exact opposite of Judaism, read about the Neturei Karta, a worldwide organization of Ultra Orthodox Jews, at www.nkusa.org or order my documentary entitled “Neturei Karta: Jews Against Zionism” via this website.

Syrian Women Have Freedom of Choice
Contrary to what Zionists' would have Americans believe, Syrian women are free to wear whatever they want. In any given street scene or restaurant, the spectrum of clothing that women in Syria wear ranges from Brittany Spears' style skin-tight jeans and teeshirts (but no belly showing) to professional Western-style suits, to wearing a hejab (head covering) and sometimes a traditional robe to being entirely covered in flowing black, face included (mostly from Iran, I was told). There were no Afghan-style burqas to be found, even in a store, which we had wanted to bring back for a Halloween outfit.

Syrian Men Are Modern in Their Outlook Towards Women
Contrary to what Zionists would have you believe about the Muslim men oppressing their women, we found Muslim men to be very charming, natural and relaxed and even deferential to women. As a woman I felt completely comfortable in communicating with the Syrian men I met. In fact, at one point, I decided to split from the group in a museum to explore the nearby shops on my own. We were in Aleppo, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the entire world. I went into a shop that sold some hookah pipes to photograph them, and a small gathering of men inside the shop kindly invited me to join them in smoking the "hubbly-bubbly" as it is called. I was sincere when I said I would like to but didn't have time. They were most gracious.

Hubbly-Bubbly
By the way, the "hubbly-bubbly" is a recent popular craze at all the Syrian restaurants and cafes. It is just flavored tobacco with apple being the current Syrian favorite, but it is available in other flavors such as mint, cappuccino and more. I tried it twice later, and can attest to the fact that it is very mild tobacco. I did not even get a nicotine buzz! It's just a fun thing to do. It made me think of the hookah-smoking caterpillar in “Alice in Wonderland”. Both men and women smoke it with languid relish. It certainly adds to the exotic mystique of Syrian ambiance.

Syrian President Is Much-admired by the Syrian People
Another common myth that the Zionist-dominated media puts forth is that the Syrian President Assad is some kind of malevolent dictator. We found that both Assad Jr., and his father are very popular with most Syrians. Many of the homes we visited, including a Kurdish Bedouin adobe beehive-shaped home, had a poster of him prominently displayed on their living room wall. I asked our guide if this was mandatory in Syria, and he replied that it was not and pointed out how he hadn’t put up a poster of Assad in his living room where we had all enjoyed some flower tea and Turkish coffee early in the trip. Not only were the posters of Assad in most public buildings, including a private Christian school, and restaurants, many Syrians even had a decal of him on their cars! A Syrian businesswoman who joined us for dinner in Damascus one night spoke very warmly and approvingly of Assad, and she seemed quite sincere. Syrians think their president is doing a great job. This is certainly something Bush cannot boast of! I don’t know anyone who has a poster of him anywhere in the USA unless it’s making fun of him!

Jews Are Treated With Respect in Syria
Yet another common myth is that Jews were chased out of Syria, and that any Jews who remain in Syria are discriminated against. It should come as no real surprise in this age of Orwellian “news” that quite the opposite is true. First of all, many Jews left Syria voluntarily to be in Israel, which as you know, gives favored status to Jews. The Jews who have chosen to stay in Syria are among the wealthiest of Syrian society. On top of that, the Syrian government goes out of its way to make sure that Jews are not discriminated against there, and in fact, apparently Jews get preferential treatment in many cases. Just for an example, Jews may get governmental documents speedier than non-Jews in Syria precisely to avoid any charges of discrimination, we were told. We personally met a Jewish man who was managing his antiques shop in Damascus, where he had non-Jewish shop-owners as neighbors. They all seemed to get along together quite well. Once again, another Zionist myth shattered.

Syrian Cars Vs. Taxis
One interesting fact about Syria is that cars are prohibitively expensive there, with huge taxes being imposed on them, sometimes three times as much as the original price of the car! Therefore, Syria is simply awash in taxi-cabs! It’s very cheap to take taxis in Syria, fortunately, and they also have community taxis for those on a very tight budget.

Historical Treasures Abound in Syria
For people interested in the history of humankind and archeology, Syria is an absolute treasure trove. One can only surmise that the reason Americans don’t know about this superlative destination is because of the Zionist-dominated US media, which is loathe to promote enemies of Israel. Syria is a world-class destination because its historical treasures excel those found in Italy or Greece, not only in terms of scale, variety and excellent preservation, but also, happily, because of the lack of hordes of swarming tourists as those found at the ruins in Greece and Italy, allowing for not only greater enjoyment but also for superlative photo opportunities.

We were impressed beyond our expectations with the incredible beauty of places like Palmyra, the exquisitely sculpted golden-colored stone ruins of a Nabatean, then Roman, city which spreads out for miles; Apamea, the site of ancient chariot-grooved Roman roads lined with majestic columns amidst colorful flowers and herds of goats and surrounded with hilltop villages; the Craq des Chevaliers, the spectacular Crusader castle like something right of a lavish epic movie; the impressive gated fortress of the Citadel surrounded by a now dry moat in Aleppo; the splendorous Omyyad Mosque in Damascus where all women have to don robes with hoods in order to enter; the ancient Christian church ruins of St. Simeon; the almost prehistoric ruins of Ebla, the oldest city in the entire world and the location of the first ever library; and the ancient Canaanite city of Ugarit, where the first alphabet was created. The span of the periods of history from almost prehistoric, to Greco-Roman, to Byzantine, to Crusader, to Moorish, and everything in between, the history these archeological sites encompass is indeed comprehensive and astounding.

The beautiful natural and unspoiled surroundings of these places greatly enhance the experience, since most of these historical treasures are situated on land that is sparsely settled. We also visited Maaloula, a small village outside Damascus carved into of the rocks in a canyon, were Aramaic, the language which is believed to be the language that Jesus spoke, is still spoken. The beautiful Convent and Church of St. Thecla along with the nearby the Byzantine Chapel of St. Sergius are nestled high up into the caves in the canyons resulting in a profoundly spectacular feast for the eyes, and likely to stir spiritual feelings as the swallows swoop around in the rarified atmosphere.

Shopping in Souks Nearly a Transcendental Experience
Other fascinating excursions include shopping in the souks of the ancient cities of Damascus and Aleppo, where it becomes almost a transcendental experience to shop, especially when you consider the bargains, if you are good at haggling! None of us tried to bargain too hard, however, considering it bad taste in the light of our government’s exploitive war in nearby Iraq. Nonetheless, the prices of things in Syria in general are more than fair.

It is the custom in Syrian shops to offer flower tea or coffee to potential buyers, and to engage in lively conversation prior to the buying/selling, transforming it into a very educational and enjoyable experience. Each city also has its specialties to offer in terms of products, such as fine silk scarves, table cloths, jewelry, covered wooden boxes and end tables decorated with intricately inlaid marquetry, often designed with icons or patterns indigenous to certain areas or tribes of Syria.

Syrian Newspapers and Media: War on Iraq is About Israel Not Oil
It may not come as a big surprise that the Syrian newspapers have many stories about the evils of Zionism, the neoconservatives, apartheid Israel, Israel's Apartheid Wall, the war crimes of Ariel Sharon, and general wrath about Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people. These kinds of candid stories are not what one typically finds in the US media. By the way, there were no Syrian stories dwelling on that red herring of "oil" as the reason for the US-led war on Iraq. Because the Syrians know, along with the rest of the world, that the war on Iraq was the brainchild of Israel and the Zionists, both Israeli and American. It is interesting also to note that Syria does not export oil, but uses the oil that is in its ground only for Syria’s domestic use.

Zionists Are Re-building Third Temple Off-site in Israel
The following revelation most likely will come as a surprise to you, dear readers, as it was even a surprise to me, an expert on Zionism and Palestine-Israel.

As a matter of fact, it is a fact that is not known by many outside of Israel or the Middle East:

The Zionist Jews are already re-building the Third Temple offsite somewhere in the Jewish state of Israel, which they plan to re-locate to the original site of the first two temples in Jerusalem--- on top of the Temple Mount, the site of the “Wailing Wall” where Jews currently worship, and where the Al Aqsa Mosque currently sits atop. The Zionists are waiting for the right moment to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque of the Dome of the Rock, which is the third most holy site of the Muslim world, and then re-locate the temple they are currently building off-site. We were informed about this endeavor by a top-level Syrian businessman during our trip over dinner.

According to him there are many Zionist organizations whose sole purpose is to realize this event. Apparently this is common knowledge in the Middle East, yet Americans are certainly not aware of this. This makes it even clearer why Sharon’s visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque in September 2000 with 1000 troops sparked off the Second Intifada by the Palestinians. Of course, the Palestinians were already pushed to the boiling point by many factors at that point.

However the military visit to Al Aqsa Mosque was a deliberately provocative act by Sharon to show that he was stepping up the timetable to realize the Zionist dream of rebuilding the Temple on the site of the Al Aqsa mosque, heralding a NEW WORLD ORDER with Jerusalem as the capital of the world. The Zionists have already been digging tunnels underneath the Al Aqsa Mosque. For more information about this, please check out http://www.hoffman-info.com/warren.html and also http://www.templemount.org/tempprep.html.

Of course, the Palestinians reacted predictably violently as Sharon was hoping, to give him an excuse to “retaliate” with even greater force and more deadly violence, since Israel has the fourth strongest army in the world, and the Palestinians have NONE.

Unfortunately for Sharon, the WILL OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE is stronger than all of his weapons. However, the Palestinian people are being sorely tried. It’s up to the American people who have become enlightened about the evil of Zionism to spread the word of this new Nazism, this neo-Nazism, and to stop it by pressuring our government to end its unconditional support of racist apartheid Israel and becoming the media ourselves. We must spread the word NOW. There is still time for JUSTICE to triumph over evil.

The Power of the People and American Public Opinion Will Change Things

As a lone sign at the recent anti-war rally in NYC on March 20, 2004, stated: "Second Most Important World Super-Power: American Public Opinion." That’s why they lie to us, because we are really powerful. Once the American public becomes armed with the Truth about Israel, the elite are afraid that We the People will demand changes. And the awakened American people will.

If you believe in justice for all regardless of religion, ethnicity or sex, you and me, we've got our work cut out for us.

At any rate, if you are looking for a fantastic, eye-opening adventure with good value for your money, I highly recommend that you consider taking a trip to Syria. I have been to many places around the world, and my trip to Syria ranks somewhere at the very top.