Ziena Hallaq: Syrians need civil disobedience

Syrian artist Ziena Hallaq has asked for her country's beleaguered people to start "civil disobedience", after Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad gave his fourth speech. “The current crisis caused the emergence of new powers, which could be involved in forming a broad government,” stated the president in his speech. "Al-Assad’s speech does not rise to the level of Syrian blood shed by him he and his corrupt regime," said Zainab, who settled in Tunisia months ago. She pointed out that the solution to the crisis in Syria was to start "sit-ins and peaceful civil disobedience". "We call for disobedience daily and we have started the call for strike.” The Syrian artist "supports the Transitional National Assembly for refusing to participate in any future government, or dialogue with the Syrian authorities, too". "It’s not possible after 10 months of the murder, torture, rapes, that cooperation can be proposed,” she said. Hallaq was “forced” to move to Tunisia several months ago "to save her daughters after receiving direct threats from the regime". On Monday, dozens of Syrian artists grouped under the "Coalition of Syrian artists for freedom" released a statement saying: “Institutions have lost legitimacy, so we need to find traces of humanity outside that frame.” “A murderer’s regime cannot reform dead bodies, nothing can but the decision to prevent such crimes,” said the statement. On her opinion of artists and supporters of the regime, the Syrian actress said: "Every artist has complete freedom to express their political and social perspective. The nation would then, however, judge those who supported the last regime." She concluded her statement to Arabstoday saying: "I can only judge those whose hands are filled with Syrian blood.”