General announcement to our Syrian Brethren:
(Translated by Moutassem Abou-Hamdan)
« In the name of the sacred Syrian nation, and its blessed independence, I salute you and salute true Arabism and national pride in you, and call upon you, an Arabic nation that stood the test of time and protected itself, never in disgrace and never fleeing a battle. And I inflame in you the solidarity of your national struggle, you who always were the shield of our homeland and its heroic defenders, and who have always answered the call to defend its honor whether you’re healthy or sick, young or old. And I call upon you from the fortifications of the impenetrable Mountain, which is your home, weapon, and refuge, that you rise to protect your country, the land of your fathers and ancestors, and brake the shackles of colonialism. The winds are backing your sails so take advantage of it; and you are presented with the opportunity, seize it ».
“Patience with ignorance is submission to humiliation …
And rebelling can save you when benevolence does you no good”
« Having said that, my fellow Arab citizens, our bloody revolution is in every detail a rise to free the nation from the colonial usurpers. This a far reaching Syrian revolution with a noble purpose, fueled by souls, spirits, weapons and unshakable determination to achieve Arabic independence. In seeking our Syrian country’s independence we shall live in dignity and die an honorable death ».
« We have inflamed the fire of this independence revolution after the country has lived under the colonial nightmare for five long years. We will not be laying down our arms, nor are we seeking peace from the French or expecting them to change their ways until we get what we want which is to free, by the sword, all of our beloved Syrian land from its occupiers. We are confident that we can accomplish this easily especially when everyone in this land is ready to sacrifice all they have and all they hold dear in order to attain it. Therefore, I call upon the entire Syrian homeland, from coast and inland to plains and mountains, to pull the trigger of the general revolution against the French. Whoever answers this national call and stand up for his responsibilities is the faithful, true Arab. And he who ignores it is a traitor to his nation and his people, and will have the fate of traitors ».
« So go ahead Oh glorious Arabs, you who hurry to the rescue and help, unite your endeavors and hearts, carry your arms, spread your emblems and ride your horses. At dawn, surprise the enemy roaming your neighborhoods with the revolution bullets, intercept their roads and entrap them, cut off communications wires, blow off bridges, attack their checkpoints everywhere, kill them wherever you meet them and seize their weapons and armament. Unite against them and be patient whether you’re attacking or withdrawing, for God supports the patient ».
« The day has come when we liberate our land, the land of our children and grandchildren. This enemy has caused our people enough evil, loss, exertion, torture, killing, destruction and damage to the trade; but he is today weaker in our land than he will be tomorrow, and has less soldiers and arms after all the defeats in Morocco. Today in our Syrian country they are non-existent, and closer to being vanished, and nothing will ever stay the same. So hurry to arms for this is the day, this is the situation, and the general revolution is the country’s and people’s savior from slavery ».
« We have reached so far on the road of the revolution a great deal of victories, kicked the French out of the Mountain and the neighboring area, and we are working hard to defeat them in their command centers and erase their presence. We have had bloody battles with them that words don’t do it justice ».
« We killed the enemy’s soldiers, took their weapons and ammunition, captured their officers and leaders, shot down its airplanes and had our Arabic knights demolish its tanks. We declared a temporary Arabic government to manage the country pending the expulsion of the enemy then a constituent assembly shall meet to form a government that the nation will choose. We raised the four-colored Arabic flag in Swaidaa, where the military base of the Mountain is and the true men are, and we established governance, brought back order and raised hopes with the help of God almighty ».
« And here we are grouped, armed and ready, continuing to march against the enemy forces wherever they are and as soon as they are spotted they would be vanished. ».
« Our proclamation to all employees at different ranks and grades, be honest in your jobs and deeds provided that you don’t cooperate with the occupation or be of any help to them whether through tax collection, military deployment or any kind of service or support to the enemy. Any employee, whether civilian or military, who does any of the aforementioned acts will be considered a traitor to his country and will be punished accordingly ».
« People in charge should exercise every effort during this difficult time not to let the country slip into chaos or allow for assaults. It is a must to protect monies, lives, interests, and minorities as well as maintaining and respecting current laws, however, those who dare to commit treason will be court-martialed ».
« To the day that we can already sense its dawn, the day that the Arab Syrian land is liberated, you who refuse injustice, appalled by humiliation … until that day that the country unites and returns its sovereignty ».
Sultan Al-Attrache
General Commander of the Syrian National Revolution Armies