Syria blog: Road to Aleppo

When I woke up in the morning, I thought the journey to Aleppo would be a breeze. The town had been wrested away from the Islamic fundamentalists two years back.

That was not to be. The road is militarised from start to end. There is a portion of the road still controlled by terrorists and detour needs to be taken to reach Aleppo.

The talk is that with the Idlib offensive, the occupied portion too shall be liberated. One must admit that highways in Syria even if they only connect main cities are very well maintained. It is despite the war.

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War does not discriminate. It is an old saying. The government is winning the war against Islamic fundamentalist but there is another war waiting for them. It is plastic.

Whether it is Damascus, Aleppo or road to Aleppo, plastic is the first thing which you will notice. It has choked plants and lies unattended in every nook and corner.

It reminded me of Goa. Wherever you go in Syria, rubbish and plastic greet you. It looks like an invasive species which has overtaken the land and colonised it.

Entering Aleppo was a surprise. The city had a rhythm. People were out for the daily chore. Even Damascus had a rhythm but finding one in Aleppo was a sweet surprise.

The entrance to the city bears the sign of war. Destroyed houses create an image of a dystopian future. It tells you that war was not fought by tanks alone. It was fought street by street and house by house also. It is hard to imagine that how a part of this city was occupied by hardline Islamists. You have to be out in the evening to understand the contradiction.

Despite sharp political positions, practiced Islam is very liberal in Syria. Girls and boys go out together. Scarves have become a matter of fashion statement for many. The majority of women do not wear scarves. It stands as an antithesis to the imagined Muslim community by many non-Muslim countries.

Alcohol is freely available. Cosmetics are the latest and up to date. Fashion is also current, and it is ok for women to wear whatever suits them and you would rarely find people staring at them. Even the wedding processions are modern and can put to shame, large and boisterous Indian Punjabi weddings. The cultural moorings get better of hardline Islam in Syria vested interests want to stay in the country.

Even beards come in different shape and size showing pure contempt for the prescribed size and limit of it. It is not superficial. This is how Syria was, but it perplexes me as to how Al Qaida, AL Nusra, ISIS and many others could find a foot in Syria. Is it because neighbouring countries opened their borders for the fighters to cross over to Syria and fight? I found no popular support for ISIS. In fact, ISIS propaganda has led to people from South Asia and other countries join a war in the Levant which the people of the country do not want.

Sitting in the café, I was told by many locals as to how Islamic fundamentalists, dismantled the industrial hub of Aleppo and sold machines cheaply in Turkey to finance the war. The chatter in the café reflects angst and anger against US intervention and its subsequent help to Islamic fundamentalists in the region against the Syrian government in the name of human rights and democracy.

A discerning eye would also find Russians stationed in places of importance. They are there, exerting the vision of Moscow. The locals also mention that this time Russians did not fight but directed and advised the Syrians when it came to urban warfare. Syrian and Russian cooperation is a well-accepted civil fact. Maybe Russians learnt the lesson in Afghanistan and have stuck to aerial bombardment.

Coming back to Aleppo, half of it is in ruin and the other half does not betray any sign of brutal war which the country fought.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)