A Statement on the Festival of Martyrs, May 06, 2013

Media Statement

Syrian Coalition Media Office

Istanbul, Turkey

May 6, 2013

The Syrian Coalition stands in humility on this day, the Festival of Martyrs, amidst the grave sacrifices of the Syrian people, and in the face of the reality that Syrians have been living martyrdom since the beginning of the revolution. For over two years, Syrians have been losing the finest young men and women at the peak of their youth, after setting forth to regain freedom from a totalitarian, uncivilized, and inhumane regime. This regime not only ignored their demands, but also crushed their aspirations and ambitions in their path for freedom.

Our martyrs represent our courage and our struggle. They introduced to history a new page of peaceful resistance. They presented to the history of civilizations the story of a willful people in the face of an evil tyrant who continued to oppress, until he forced the people to pick up arms.

Many of our martyrs today, on this day May 6th, are children, women and elderly, targeted by Assad bombs, rockets, and chemical weapons.

And just as the blood of each of our martyrs was equal a hundred years ago, today it is also equal and dear to us all. There is no justification for shedding the blood of the innocent, under any circumstance.

We offer our sympathies and condolences for our martyrs, and to our Syrian people. We offer our sympathies and condolences to ourselves, as we have been abandoned by the world. We ask God for His help, and we ask for the patience and strength to continue.

We ask for Mercy for all of the martyrs of this blessed revolution, as it nears its 3rd year.

We ask for Mercy for all martyrs past, present, and future.

Long live Syria and its people free and with honor.