Syria's Tragedy Could
One Day Be Our Own

'The Syrian Revolution transformed from a campaign of nonviolent resistance to civil war when tens of thousands of Syrian soldiers and police could no longer bear to kill their own neighbors, and when ordinary civilians had no choice but to defend themselves. They united to form the Free Syrian Army as the military arm of the revolution.
Upon winning the latest edition of Arab Idol, Palestinian superstar and national hero Mohammad Assaf defined revolutionaries as "not just the one carrying the rifle, it is the paintbrush of an artist, the scalpel of a surgeon, the axe of the farmer. Everyone struggles for their cause in the way they see fit."
In a truly national revolution, every patriotic and conscientious citizen has a role -- not limited to, but certainly including -- soldiers and policemen. Refusing to shoot your own citizens and instead defending them IS non-cooperation, and soldiers who refuse to follow illegal orders ARE honoring the tenets of civil disobedience. This realization is reflected by the growing international recognition and support of the Free Syrian Army, including the lawful activities of American NGOs such as the Syrian Support Group.'