Syria: Happy Birthday Bashar? · Global Voices
Thalia Rahme

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.
Syrians marked the birthday of President Bashar Al Assad, who turned 47, on September 11, 2012, in their own way. With the Syrian Revolution reaching its bloodiest peak, many netizens took to their keyboards wishing it would be his last birthday. Others wished him a long life, a safety for Syria.
Mixed Wishes
Saloom links between September 11 attacks and Al Assad's birthday [ar]:
#ذكرى_11سبتمبر و #عيد_ميلاد_الاسد ! بيوم واحد !!! يا ناس هاي مؤامرة كونية !! العمى !! #بشار_الاسد #سوريا
@Saloom_27 The anniversary of September 11 attack and Bashar's birthday!!! Folks, this this a universal conspiracy!!!
Free Didi from Syria wonders:
@Kdana64: Is it quiet in #Damascus today cuz they are preparing for the celebrations of #Bashar's birthday? #MeWondering
And like many, Issam hope this will be the Syrian dictator's last birthday:
@Issam510: Today's Bashar's #Assad Birthday, I wish hem to be his last one #سوريا
Sheahana wishes are also not so happy [ar]:
اللهم اجعلها آخر الشموع التي يطفأها في حياته ،فكم ميلاد اطفأ شموعه #عيد_ميلاد_الاسد
@Sheahanaaa: Oh Lord! Make those the last candles he blows in his life!!! How many birthday has he extinguished?
Mohra – Wail (Foal and Gazelle) shares the same view [ar]:
كل عاام وانت بخيرر وشعبك ينزف ؟! اطفي شمعتك اليوم يابشار !! فهذي اخر الشموع التي تحرقها على ظهر شعبك
Lebanese Heba Bendak tweets:
@HebaBendak: I wonder how bashar is gonna celebrate his birthday. hmm his men will probably rape more women and kill more children as his b-day gift.
Last year, YouTube user syrianguy2020 uploaded a video to mark the occasion where he sings Bloody Birthday to Bashar:
But the Syrian President also had many supporters who wished him a long life, like Katia, for example:
@imSMKT: oh btw, today is #Syrian President Dr. Bashar's birthday :D happy birthday our leader~ God bless you and helps you bring this land to safety
Mary Aswad, a Syrian based in Germany, also extends her wishes:
@mary_aswad happy birthday to the greatest president, bashar al assad!
And Marco Al Tamimi, from Dubai, shares a prayer [ar]:
#عيد_ميلاد_الاسد عيد ميلادك اتى واعداءك قد سحقوا تحت بساطيل جيش سورية الباسل. عيد ميلادك اتى ومعارضيك يرفعون لك القبعه لصمودك لحب الشعب لك
@MarcoTamimi: This is your birthday and your enemies were crushed under the fleet of the courageous Syrian Army. This is your birthday and your opponents are raising their hats off to your resistance and for how much your people love you
On one of pro-Bashar Facebook pages we can see this banner dedicated especially to the occasion:
A pro-Assad page on Facebook marks his birthday with a banner
The caption reads:
They said today's a feast. Flowers are covering Damascus. I told them this is not any celebration. It is the birthday of the cherished, the Lion (Assad of Damascus)
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12.