“Young struggle against starvation and the regime”
“the Novel which provides an understanding of the hell in Syria”
“Syrienkriget has now been running for over seven years. At least 340 000 people have been killed and over twelve million people, which is more than half of Syria’s population, have been driven on the run.”
“One of them is the ”Sami” who a few years ago, living in Paris with a Swedish journalist who now turned Sami’s life story into a novel, The homeless cats in Homs. She uses a pseudonym to protect the Sami’s parents and siblings who still live in Syria.”
“A year after the revolution started pushed the first rockets of Homs. Then escalates the civil war. “
“Sami grow up in a secure middle-class family in Homs. Both parents are grateful to the ba’ath party and the al-Assad because they have it so good. The restrictions in the freedom they do not talk about at all. “
“When Sami becomes a teenager he begins to take an interest in computers and the internet, he is working for a while in his big brother’s newly opened databutik and drive around in an old volkswagen that he painted bright pink. He and his datalogikompisar on the universities to start illegal a cheap adsl network in Homs, better and faster than the state. Life’s a beach.”
“But soon knocking the security service on the, the boys are questioned and threatened, and accused of working for israel. When Sami tries to get a passport to travel to Dubai, he is forced instead into the long, hard military service, which he had hitherto managed to keep themselves from. The daily brutality transforms him, he is both hardened and more aware of the violence that is its prerequisite.”
“When he comes home again is the revolt, inspired by arab spring, already in the time, the military has fielded combat vehicles and checkpoints in the streets of Homs and his girlfriend Sarah has cut her hair short and become an activist. Even his brothers are participating in the demonstrations organized in virtually every neighborhood. “
“Sami is experiencing an internal conflict when he realizes that the hated military regime are the same guys who he learned to know and trained with in the wet and the dry. Often they are poor, uneducated guys left in the military as professional soldiers because they don’t have any better prospects. Sami’s clearly dissident history captures many such human nuances.”
“A year after the revolution started pushed the first rockets of Homs. Then escalates the civil war. The military pushes mainly towards the quarter where the Free syrian arm is said to keep to but most of the casualties are civilians. Sarah flees the city, as well as Sami’s parents who get to live with some relatives in the country. They believe all the time that they shall soon return, when ”the regime came to his senses”.”
“Sami will remain in the besieged part of Homs, in two years. He is involved in the formation of a group of activists who are documenting what’s happening, live together and write and take photos as they spread and selling to the foreign photo agencies and the international press. Somehow, they succeed at least in the beginning to gather food, keep the spirits up and establish a partly working computer networks, although the grenades crushing block after block.”
“Several families have remained in the besieged part and a young woman organizes over a period of time a makeshift school in a house which escaped destruction. The contrast between the military and the ruthlessness and raw violence against its own people and these young starving överlevares peaceful motståndskamp and idealism is deeply touching. “
“the War in Syria is approaching its end, hope the outgoing UN mediator Staffan de Mistura interviewed in the fall in the DN. Sami, the weight of her difficult memories and inner chockbilder wanders restlessly around in Paris. To read his personal story, factual and low-key fömedlad of Eva Nour can be a way to understand at least a bit more of this contemporary helveteskrig.”
“The homeless cats in Homs”
