A Bottle of Water and a Rose

A bottle of water and a rose.  Those are the symbols for the beginning of the Syrian revolution, a period that has been overshadowed by the horrific war in Syria which is now in its 5th year.  The beginning months of the Syrian revolution were nonviolent–on the part of the protesters, though certainly not on the part of the Assad regime.

Ghiyath Matar was a key leader in the Syrian freedom movement centered in the city of Daraya, a suburb of Damascus.  Matar was 26 years old with a young wife.  He inspired, directed, and led many of the protests, urging his fellow protesters to be nonviolent and creative in how they dealt with the repression.  He was nicknamed “Little Gandhi” by many who worked alongside him.

As the Syrian troops cracked down on the protesters, Matar became famous for approaching them with bottles of water and roses.  He would line up bottles of water for the police.  When the police said the water was poisoned, he and other demonstrators would drink the water to show it was okay.

Matar was later shot and wounded while trying to visit his family.  He was seized by Syrian police, tortured, and killed.  His mutilated body was the center for a funeral that galvanized the opposition to the regime.  The U.S. Ambassador recruited 6 other ambassadors to join him in attending the funeral and condemning Matar’s murder.

Following Matar’s death and the brutal crackdown on the nonviolent protesters, after months of peaceful demonstrations, the Syrian opposition became violent in response to the violence of Assad.  Though the civil war has become incredibly bloody and destructive, Matar’s message, actions, and witness for nonviolence remain an inspiration and hope for Syrians dreaming of building a better and more free future.

Here is the trailer for the film “Little Gandhi: Lost Truth of the Syrian Uprising”:

Watch the Al Jazeera report about the film’s release: