All language subtitles for Cries.From.Syria.2017.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX].en

There were 12 of us
and the boat was overloaded.

The boat capsized into the sea.

I tried to catch my wife
and my children in my arms.

But one by one they drowned.

1963, the Socialist Ba'ath
Party's regime is installed in Syria

as a result of a coup.

1971, the Ba'ath's party member
and military officer, Hafez Al-Assad,

comes to power in a wake of a
military coup, persecuting his opponents.

For thirty years he rules
the country with an iron fist,

crushing any sign of dissent.

1982, residents of Hama rise up
against Assad's Ba'ath party.

The Syrian Army
besieges the city for 27 days,

killing an estimated
40,000 people.

The Hama massacre has been called the
single deadliest act by any Arab government

against its own people
in the modern Middle East.

In 2000, Hafez al-Assad dies.

Power is handed over
to his son, Bashar,

a British-trained
ophthalmologist,

largely seen as a reformer,
and a hope for change.

In 2010, a series of public
protests engulfs the Middle East.

It is called The Arab Spring.

Dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, Libya,
and finally, Egypt, fall.

In Syria, people watch these
developments with anticipation and hope.

Syria is a very ancient
and beautiful country.

It's one of the most ancient
countries all over the world.

It's called
the cradle of civilization.

The first alphabet
came from Syria.

But unfortunately,

we Syrians have been living
under dictatorship for 40 years.

When Bashar al-Assad
became the president of Syria,

we all thought that he's better
than his father, Hafez al-Assad.

But he was even worse, because
anyone who'd joke about him, or his father,

or the Assad family,
or the whole government,

he will just disappear,
or he will die.

No one was able to say
anything about Al-Assad's regime.

You would be imprisoned,
or killed, or imprisoned for life.

We are scared in this country.

Even in our private lives

we cannot talk about politics.

People wanted to
get rid of the regime.

The revolution started
in Tunisia.

And most of the youth and the people
who were not satisfied with the regime,

or were treated unjustly
by the regime

they started to wonder if a
revolution will happen in Syria.

But we were so optimistic that the revolution
will, sooner or later, start in Syria.

We used to sit
next to our school

and watch the demonstrations
and what happened in Tunisia.

So my friends and I
decided to write

"It's your turn, Doctor."
On the school wall.

So we did.

They wrote,
"It's your turn, Doctor."

Because the head of the Syrian regime,
Bashar al-Assad,

was trained as a doctor
in the UK.

The next day,
the school found out and reported us.

They told my father,
"You have 24 hours to give Samer to us,

or we will take his mother or his
sister until he surrenders to us."

So my father handed me in.
About 14 cars came.

Then they sent us to the
Criminal Security Department.

They tied us up,
and hung us on the wall,

and beat us hard.

They kept us in tires.

Investigation, beating, torture.

We were in prison
for two months.

After that they set us free.

Slowly, some of
the kids were released.

But still, number of them
are still missing.

How on earth a regime
can torture these kids?

Nails have been taken away
from their fingers.

And then people
started go on the streets

in massive numbers.

The regime started to
beat the children of Daraa.

The people reacted to this,
"It's time for revolution in Syria."

United, united, united.
The Syrian people are united.

We've never expected that the
government could bring death to all of us,

only because we protested and
we demanded our simplest rights.

And because of that people
started to protest more and more.

The parents of Daraa demand
the police to release their kids.

The police simply said that,

"If you want children, make new ones,
because they are already dead."

And then they sent their
bodies to their parents.

Look what the regime
in Syria does.

Because he is demanding freedom.

After 22 days of torture,
Hamza was released.

He was swollen and all his body
was full of bruises

and stitches, it was horrible.

But the thing that added more
fire is the reaction of the regime.

And even Hamza Al-Khateeb,
the young innocent boy they killed,

and cut his limbs,
and cut off his genitals.

The media said
he was trying to rape

the officer's wives in the
military residence in Daraa.

This little kid has raped women?

How come? And people simply
refused to silenced.

Then more and more bodies of the horribly
tortured kids started to be released.

Let us show the whole world
the reforms of Bashar Al-Assad.

And they were just slaughtered
in the detention center.

They were kids,
just 11 and 12 years old.

And why? Only because they
wrote a sentence on the wall?

My son, Thamir, who is now
among the martyrs of God,

which the criminal gangs of Al-Assad
caused in the army headquarters.

Because those who did this,
are not human.

The real ugly face of
the regime had been revealed.

Children of Daraa were a divine
message to the Syrian people

to stand against corruption,
injustice, oppression.

It started the revolution there.

All over Syria.

We did not have the courage
at first to protest.

But we got angry when the regime

tortured children
by pulling their nails.

I participated in the revolution
from the very beginning

standing on shoulders,
demanding freedom.

Do you like Abdul Baset?

Do you love him?

Then kiss Abdul Baset al-Sarout.

One guy, his name
is Abdul Baset al-Sarout.

He was really popular because he was
a soccer player in our national team.

Abdul Baset al-Sarout was one
of the most famous goalkeepers,

but during the revolution,
he became one of the most loved icons.

♪ Old and young know ♪

♪ The one who
Kills his people ♪

♪ Is a traitor! ♪

I contribute to this revolution
with the peaceful songs I wrote.

♪ This is a demand
Not a song ♪

♪ He who kills his people ♪

♪ Is a traitor! ♪

The songs document our stories.

The songs encourage people
to protest and fight.

At the first protest
there was a lot of youth.

That day I felt powerful.

We wanted to make history
and change the future.

Ghiath and his friends
used to offer

flowers and water bottles
to the security checkpoint.

Some of his friends used to tell him,
"What are you doing

offering them a flower
and water?

They are raising a weapon
in your face,

and you are offering them
a water bottle and a flower?"

He was like a young Gandhi.

Imagine that. We used to go to
the processions holding roses.

Can you imagine how your
heartbeat goes quickly, quickly,

watching your people just calling
for change, calling for freedom,

and holding roses
in their hands?

Tell me, do you want Bashar?

- No we don't!
- Anyone else like him?

No we don't!

His goal was revolution after
seeing the children of Daraa.

He used to attach to the water bottle
and the flower a paper with a note

"You and I are brothers."

"If I were in your place,
I would not kill peaceful protesters."

We are brothers!
We are brothers, guys!

The majority, the good Syrian,
the patriot, the natural people.

But of course you have the
infiltration of the terrorists among them.

And our job as the government
is to save their lives

through destroying
the terrorists.

The head of the regime
started to call us terrorists.

We demonstrated holding roses
and bottles of water,

and he called us terrorists.

If self-protection is considered
as an act of terrorism,

then we are terrorists.

If seeking freedom
and civil rights is terrorism,

then we are terrorists.

That was
my first time I saw blood.

Blood from people like me.

Very painful for me.

And that time when I heard
a whisper,

that was like...

It's Ahmad!

That whisper, that was
the voice of the bullet.

Which entered into my face.

This regime, they are supposed
to protect us from enemies,

but they are not protecting us.
They are shooting us.

I had a huge desire
to show the world

what happened in Syria.

At least three people died
and six injured in initial reports.

Since that day I've continued
working with the press

by sending messages to some
channels about what's happening

or creating videos
of recent events.

From the beginning of the
revolution we had a strong weapon.

That weapon was the camera.

We show the world our weapons.

Our cameras, our bare chests,
our large numbers,

crying for the regime to fail
and freedom to be achieved

In July 2011, in Hama,

more than half a million people
joined the demonstrations.

At that time, we felt like,"Yes,
we all need the revolution,

we all want the revolution."

My uncle took me

and we joined the protest.

And then they started
arresting people.

The most difficult
torment in my life ever is

when the regime broke
into my home

to arrest my brother.

Since the very beginning
of the revolution,

he was my best friend
and my brother.

After four years now in the detention
center, we know nothing about him.

I was arrested by the
regime on September 29th.

We arrived at the prison.

They said,
"The terrorists are here!"

There was a young woman,
seven months pregnant.

I saw her give birth from the
intense beating they inflicted on her.

Then they killed the infant,
right in front of me.

They raped men,
they raped women,

and even the old women
were raped.

They raped my friends
in front of me.

I swear to God, in front of me.

At that point,
the regime's crimes

reached a level
we could no longer stand.

Some of the soldiers
from Assad's army

simply left because they
are honest and free people.

They refused to obey the orders
and be a part of the regime's crimes.

You bastard, you want freedom?
This is freedom.

When we entered the army,
we swore to protect our people.

A six year old boy,
a sniper bullet entered his left cheek.

We sided with our people and
formed the Free Syrian Army.

From protecting a gang,
to protecting the people.

In the name of God,
to the free Syrian people.

I declare separation from the
Republican Guard and the murdering army.

I declare my separation
from Al-Assad's brigades.

I declare my separation from
Al-Assad's murdering army.

I declare my separation
from Al-Assad's army.

And this due to
the following reasons,

the killing of the unarmed
civilian in all Syrian regions,

and detention of thousands
of citizens.

We pledge that
the Free Army will fight

along with all of the brigades
against the murderers

until God gives us victory.

We then started communications
with everyone, including the other sects.

We communicated with Druz, Alawites, Kurds,
all sects, so they can join this army.

That would represent the
real unity of the Syrian people.

There was
so much pressure on us,

so the Free Army was founded, and I
joined a military group fighting with them.

In the name of God compassionate and
merciful, may God support our shooting.

I thought many times
about joining the Free Army.

They only enlisted people who
were 15 years old and above.

They told me,
"You are still young."

What made me join the Free Army?

I want to protect my country.

I hope to God

that things will be better.

United, united, united.
The Syrian people are united!

I was at my home when my
sister called me saying that they...

arrested Ghiath.

Everybody knew that there was a
general from the regime intelligence

threatening to kill Ghiath
during the demonstrations.

One of the generals,
everyday, he called his mom.

He threatened her that he's
going to cut her son into pieces,

he's going to slice her...

I mean, why?

They detained him
for three days.

Then they brought us Ghiath.

Actually, they did not
bring us Ghiath.

I mean, it was not his gracefulness,
nor Ghiath's smiling face.

In fact, signs of torture
were very clear on his face.

I touched him and kissed him,

he was so cold...

When we went to his house,

I still remember his wife.

She was married only for
six or seven months before.

She was wearing her white dress.

When we found out he was killed,

there was a huge demonstration
in Darayya.

Around 40,000 protesters.
It was the biggest demonstration yet.

When we left to take Ghiath's
corpse from his house,

we realized the streets
were closed.

The army blockaded us.

This is the funeral
of the hero, Ghiath Matar.

Ghiath was a very simple person,

but I think he can both
be simple and an icon.

And to pay tribute to that,

ambassadors from
the United States, Germany,

France, Denmark, and Japan

came to attend his funeral.

We couldn't visit him
the first month.

Regime security surrounded
the graveyard.

Because even when
he is under the soil...

he is a spike in their throats.

Even under the dirt,
they are scared of him.

We used to use the Syrian
flag in all our demonstrations.

Which is red, white, black,
and two green stars.

But unfortunately,
the regime started to take these footages

and used them as a propaganda,

that these large masses are supporting
Assad, it's supporting the regime.

So we started to use the
original flag of independence.

It used to be the flag of
independence from France.

Which is green, white, black,
with three stars.

So in order to
differentiate us from them,

we started to use this flag.

They asked for freedom,
but nothing happened at all.

Bashar Al-Assad did not
give up his authority.

The regime began to besiege
those who demonstrated.

The regime broke into the
city of Darayya using 600 tanks.

The people of the town,
they started to use all means possible

to fight back.

I remember getting up
all of a sudden

and I wasn't sure if I had
heard an explosion or not.

Then I heard tanks shooting.

Our houses were destroyed.

There was a heavy blockade on
the city and its people from the regime.

This is the checkpoint and
the tank that is shooting us.

They have destroyed
three houses this morning.

They've been shooting
since morning.

Look how it affects the wall.
This is from the tank shot.

Look, look! Here are the shots.

Three hours later, and it's still burning,
and we got the children out.

Random bombing on houses.

Are these armed gangs?

They burned the whole house
completely.

We are facing people
who are unafraid of God.

And we have continued
to be peaceful!

Here is the tank.
It's aimed right at us.

One by one, the regime started to
beseech a number of cities all over Syria,

locking people in these towns
with no supplies.

Because of
the situation we are in now,

there is no way
but to fight them directly.

But it's not enough.

You need first... before
you fight and defeat them,

to cut and suffocate
their supplies.

It was really scary
when we were under siege.

No one could come to us,
and we couldn't leave.

It was six days of blockade.

Children are suffering from
lack of supplies.

Sometimes we didn't eat
for a day or two.

We weren't even able to sleep

from severity of the hunger.

The army sold food,
but at very steep prices.

We never felt full.

When we felt felt hungry mother
would give us water, lemons and mint.

And we drank it.

Our neighbor came to us and she said,
"Leaves of trees are very tasty like chips."

Many people in that period
only ate weeds.

This extreme malnutrition
is seen in a lot of people,

especially children,
the elderly, and women.

Can you imagine the stages
of a child starving to death?

I haven't eaten in seven days.

Now imagine the child's family

watching him starving to death.

This child, Abdul Aleem Al-Khateeb,
died of starvation

because of the siege on the city,
which lasted for one and a half months.

I felt I was going to die,

because of that I wrote my will.

This is my will.

"I ask you, my mother,
to remember me,

prepare my bed every night,

and remember
my continuous smiles.

And you, my sister, tell my
friends that I died from starvation.

And you, my brother,
remember when you and I were hungry.

Oh, angel of death, go ahead and catch
my soul so that I can eat in paradise.

Don't worry, family, I will eat for
you in paradise as much as I can"

A long time ago
we had electricity.

Before Bashar cut
the electricity,

we used to push a button
and the water would go up.

Every day we wake up
at 6:00 a.m.

to pump and pull water
to the top floor.

And we go searching
on the ground

for any rotten bread
we can find.

Even searching in the garbage.

Some people died of hunger.

And some people slept
without eating,

and some people slept
and didn't wake up.

Aleppo was a little late
in joining the civil war.

The regime did not want
revolution here,

because we had the biggest
economy in the country

and the regime depended
heavily upon us.

We said,

"Oh, God, we don't want
the war to come to Aleppo."

In the seventh month of 2012

the Free Army entered Aleppo.

Then the Eastern neighborhoods
were under the Free Army control.

The Western and rich neighborhoods
were under the regime's control.

The Syrian Army
attacked the Free Army.

Some of us were caught
by the regime.

They caught my cousin, and till this
day we still haven't heard from him.

When the Free Army entered
Aleppo and began the liberation,

we thought it wouldn't be long.

Three or four months maximum,

and Aleppo will be liberated,
and we'll control everything.

War was never our choice.

We were forced into war.

I have my group of fighters who
fight for our land and our religion.

My group is called,
"The Martyrs of Bayyada."

I had to learn how to fight
and how to use weapons.

Leave it locked, brother.

The fighters used to
be demonstrators.

Civilians whose homes are being shelled,
their brothers are being shot.

Fighting and war
are difficult things.

Even in our religion,
fighting is abhorrent.

We are marching
towards our deaths.

More than 20 mortars
hit this place.

There are women and children in the houses.
We can't pull them out.

And you expect us
to remain peaceful?

The people want to be armed...

A mortar just fell beside me!

A mortar fell on
the civil areas!

♪ Wipe your tears
Let me feel happy ♪

♪ When I see your smile
Mother ♪

♪ Oh, Mother
The nicest martyr ♪

♪ Is coming to you in heaven
In new clothes, Mother ♪

To my fellow Muslims everywhere,

to the honorable people
of Syria.

We, the Central Command
of Jabhat Al-Nusra

aim to fulfill the following.

Liberate the land of Syria from the
rule of the tyrant, Bashar, and his allies.

All praise due to God,
Lord of All.

Your brother,
Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

Jabhat Al-Nusra Front
is an Islamic militia.

They started to gather themselves
and we had al-Qaeda in Syria.

There weren't any problems between
them and the Free Syrian Army.

Both were fighting side by side
on the front lines.

But actually they came to
stab us in our very core.

One day I was arrested by some
unknown people from Jabhat Al-Nusra.

My only crime was criticizing
their behavior on Facebook.

They had the screen-shots
of my posts.

They arrested me and took me to
an unknown place for two months.

Al-Nusra arrested me.
They kidnapped me.

It started with electricity,

knocking teeth out,
breaking ribs.

And now I have to use these,
because they knocked my teeth.

Others hit me with
thick electricity cables.

They hit me until
the cable dissolved.

I still have small pieces
of cable under my skin.

When they hit me,
they were saying,

"You started the fights against
ISIS who are our brothers."

You started the fight
against Islamic fighters.

All of you Free Army
are apostates.

The cruel torturing was identical
to the technique used by the regime.

Even the detectives were the same
who worked with the Al-Assad regime.

I spent a year
and nine months there.

I am a leader from Al-Maara,

and all the Syrians went out
on the streets and demanded,

"Freedom for Jamil Afesee!"

That pressure was the main reason
they released me from this turmoil.

And after I fixed my teeth,
I went directly back to the battle.

The regime decided
to punish Darayya

because we never
stopped demonstrating.

I returned back home

and it was not home.

Sixty percent of all the
buildings were all set on fire.

And then you could
see trash, and rubbish, and...

and skeletons.
It's not trash and rubbish,

they were just bodies
of people on the streets.

We endured hard times
for a year.

After this period there were
strong military actions,

very fierce operations against the civilian
neighborhoods that had demonstrated.

Brutal bombing
of civilian houses.

Trapped Homs.

Homs is dying, why are you not by our side?
Why don't you help us?

May God take revenge
on you, Bashar.

We were at school when they
started bombing schools.

The teacher told us,
"The one who will be silent,

I will let him go."

My cousin and I kept silent,

and then the teacher
told us to go.

Before we arrived home,
the school was hit by a bomb.

Praise be to God,
my cousin and I were not in the school.

But all of my friends,
may their souls rest in peace, died in it.

I have children in
4th and 8th grades,

so whenever we hear
sounds of planes,

we worry the plane
has bombed someone.

But we can't stop the children
from attending school.

There was a school art exhibition
for drawings that the children set up.

My sister was a participant
in the exhibition.

It was about drawings that
reflected each child's personality

and the situation
they were living in.

And at exactly 10:00 a.m.,
the students were standing there

waiting for their parents for
the opening of the exhibition.

Bombing of a school
in the Sukan area,

the students were there.

A missile hit
the school corridor,

right where the drawings were
hung up and the children were waiting.

It seemed intentional,
like someone was told about the exhibition.

The girls' bodies
looked horrible.

Shreds of them were
on the floor, on the walls.

Blood was on
the girls' paintings.

After a while, they found my daughter's
body under the rubble and took her out.

When they brought my daughter's body,
there was something extra.

She came with a different foot
from another girl's body.

We burn the tires
to create a no-fly zone,

because the planes target us.

We want to help the grownups

and all work together.

It's coming closer!

Explosion.

I got up in the morning
and opened my phone,

and I was shocked.

Missiles landed over
Eastern Ghouta.

But this time,

these missiles were
not normal ones.

Injuries started to flow to all
the hospitals in Eastern Ghouta.

I remember at 4:00 a.m.

the rescuers got a woman.

Once the woman entered,
the chemical smell was all over the place.

And there is no other explanation for
what happened on that day, August 21st.

It is sarin gas,
that is the answer.

Thousands of people
had symptoms such as

loss of consciousness,
constriction of pupils, heavy sweating.

Some of them were
having convulsions,

and some of them died
as a result of these symptoms.

I will never forget that scene.
Never ever.

I can't forget the mother dying while
looking at her daughter next to her.

The look in her eyes

can never be forgotten.

The woman is dying
looking at her daughter

to see if she's alive
beside her.

How come somebody kills people using
chemical weapons, suffocating them?

Kids, this sized kids...

all blue.

The fathers, the mothers,
the kids...

At that time, I was pretty sure

that the universe is
going to stop Assad,

even if anything,

even the heavens will stop Assad from committing
all these types of atrocities against us.

I believe the number
is between 900 to 1,000 deaths,

and 8,000 injuries.

Out of this number,
women and children were 67 percent.

After the Syrian
attack on Eastern Ghouta,

the international community
got involved.

They asked the Assad regime to
hand over all his chemical weapons.

The Organization for
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

went to 12 locations out of 25
that were admitted by the regime.

We told them the regime
has more than 25 locations.

Finally Al-Assad confessed
to having 1,300 tons.

As specialists,

we know the number was much larger,
we have more than 3,000 tons.

After August 21st, 2013,
the chlorine appeared.

Here in this place a barrel
of poisonous chlorine fell,

tens of civilian injuries
resulted from this explosion.

And as you can see,
it caused a hole in the ground.

Thirty to forty injuries,
almost all children.

In front of me, a child,
one month old,

choked immediately and died.

And the ambulance
took him away, dead.

In the agreement to ban chemical
weapons the regime signed,

they did not include chlorine.

It was documented that chlorine
was used more than 179 times.

As germs multiply everywhere, it can
be very difficult to exterminate them.

But these germs can strengthen
the immunity in our bodies.

The solution is to take care
of the problem ourselves,

and avoid outside influences
that weaken our patriotic immunity.

The head of the regime,
he started to call us,

the Syrian people,
as germs and bacteria.

And he wants to dispose us.

Ironically enough,

he started using
chemical weapons

to eradicate us.

As you can see here,
a rocket hit a seven-story building in Homs

and destroyed it completely.

My brother Abdul Baset,
Homs has been trapped for a long time.

And it's almost the anniversary
of the third year of revolution.

What do you think about
reconciliation with the regime?

Sure, we have no problem
reconciling with the regime

as long as they give back
these heroes to us.

As long as they give back
these martyrs to us.

As long as they
return them to us.

We will continue fighting
and struggling

until the end,
when the corrupted regime falls.

Five of my uncles were killed.

Now we have massacres all over Syria
from Idlib, Aleppo, Daraa, Homs to Hama.

There is no area in Syria that has
not been affected by massacres.

Can you imagine this nation
ever being subdued?

These people are willing
to sacrifice themselves

for their religion
and their country.

Those who don't go
to battle, cry,

"Have you ever seen
such legends?"

It's a nation that deserves
the support of everyone.

On this street,
there is a sniper.

On the second street there is one.
On every street there is one.

Now we are digging tunnels
underground

to avoid being sniped because
we already have a lot injured.

These people are kind.

These are good people.
These are passionate people.

This is a civilized,
educated nation.

These are good people
who love everybody.

A nation defending itself,
loves and stands for what's right.

With such a regime,
and such brutality and barbarism,

it's not enough to just sing.

I have to protect myself,
my family.

Bashar Al-Assad thinks
he is the right one

and we are the wrong ones.

He feels he owns Syria,

and we are the ones killing
people and bombing people.

Now we are in the third year.
We all want to break the siege.

But we didn't come here to eat,

we came here to die with honor.

If they keep up the siege,
it won't stop us.

We fight and die
standing on our feet.

The war is worth fighting for
and worth dying for.

Let them do what they want.
We're not scared.

We are the people of the land

and the decision is ours.

After that the battle
of Al-Qusayr happened,

and this was a turning point
for the Syrian revolution,

because many of the cities
in Syria were liberated.

Al-Assad's regime collapsed to an extent
that he couldn't protect any region.

Then he asked for support from a
sectarian militia across the border.

There is bombing of the civilian
houses by Lebanese Hezbollah.

We were surprised by the regime
intervention of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Followed by sectarian militias

from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan,
from all over the world.

We are currently fighting
with the Lebanese Hezbollah.

In order to further destabilize
the security situation,

Bashar Al-Assad released
criminals from prisons,

and released radical Islamists.

Now, half of them are
leaders of ISIS.

We lived in the province
of Al-Raqqah in Syria

when ISIS invaded this place.

In the beginning
they were not so violent.

They started to teach us
what is Islam,

what God said,
and what the Prophet said.

They came to the village,
and there was no problem.

I myself walked with ISIS
and held their flag.

Once they completely invaded
and controlled everything,

that's when their
true face was revealed.

Before ISIS came,
the Free Army was here.

When ISIS entered, they started
killing the captains of the Free Army.

A woman wasn't allowed to go
from her house to the next house

without full coverage
of her body and face.

Any woman who did not
wear a veil,

would be beaten in the street,
even if she's young.

I was 16 years old
when ISIS entered Al-Raqqah.

My friends belonged to them.

The leader said that joining
the holy war is your duty.

When ISIS started to teach them,

they started to see
everything as wrong.

He told me, "Mother,
it is unlawful to appear in front of men.

What you are wearing
is unlawful."

But I am at home,
with my daughters.

Gradually, I began
to hate my family.

I spent all my time with ISIS
and I didn't visit my family.

If you enter, you can't leave.

They will cut your throat
instantly.

They won't let you go because
you will tell others. No way.

They came to our house and said,

"Come with us or we'll
kill you and your family."

We went to those who smoked
and caught them.

Anyone who smokes or blasphemes,

they cut off their heads.

I saw the punishment

when we went to the market.

The worst experience was when
I saw them slaughtering a man.

His hands were tied on his back,
he was on his knees.

Blood splashed instantly, it was horrible
and shocking. My daughter started to scream.

To this day I can't delete
that scene from my memory.

That was the worst experience
of my entire life.

When I was watching this,
I was very scared and afraid.

I'm afraid that they will
cut my head off, too,

just like they did to other
people who did nothing wrong.

We are coming to you
with men who love death

the same as you love life.

I hate them because
I saw them kill many people.

There even are a group of
my friends from our region.

They sent them
to the Kobani war.

None of them returned.
They all died there.

This girl is a "heretic,"
and this is her "heretic" father?

This is ISIS, they pretend
they are Muslims,

and they kill whole families!

Aren't you afraid of God?

I've thanked God a thousand
times that my son didn't join ISIS.

I agreed with my brother and
son-in-law to send him to Turkey.

We thank God that we were able
to make him travel to here.

When we arrived at the border,
we saw the Free Army.

And they removed my mother's
veil, and said this is freedom.

ISIS continued committing all
types of atrocities against the people.

Most of them,
they decided to flee,

and escape these territories.

We Syrians are the people who
are suffering the most from ISIS.

At the same time, everybody else
is accusing us of being terrorists.

ISIS is the one that
took over our own place

and we have to confront
them and we have to fight them.

But if we want
to make a comparison

between the brutal Assad regime
and the terrorist ISIS,

what is the crime ratio
between them?

ISIS crimes in Syria are equal
to two percent of Assad's crimes.

98 percent are by
the Bashar Al-Assad regime.

The primary terrorist
is the regime.

With every new
crisis that we're faced,

we think that it's the end,
that nothing worse can happen, ever.

But when the Russians
got involved,

things are getting
worse everyday.

The Russian attacks
are more concentrated

more devastating,

and they kill a larger number of
people than the Assad attacks.

The Syrian people are being
killed with Russian air strikes.

Why did Russia come to Syria?

To support the gang of Bashar
Al-Assad against the people.

All of the prohibited weapons,

the Russian air force uses them.

They use cluster bombs.

They use phosphorus bombs.

When the plane passes
above our house,

you hear...

Whenever you hear it,
a house gets destroyed.

In Syria, you can't go
ten minutes without hearing

rockets being shot
from the planes.

People started shouting that
there was an incoming plane,

so my friends and I
took refuge in a building,

and the bomb hit
that same building.

The building collapsed
and buried us.

It took more than four hours
to save us from under the ruins.

My shoulder was torn and broken,

and my leg was broken, too.

I remained laying on my back for a month,
I couldn't stand or walk.

A lot of other people got
injured on that same day as me.

The Russian bombings
hit our home.

My father, my niece,
and my cousin were killed.

That was the hardest day
I have ever experienced.

Oh, my son! I've lost my son.

One of my friends was killed

and a lot of my friends were injured
today by the Russian bombardment.

They killed my brother,
he was 22 years old.

They killed my brother.

In all these problems that is
happening in Syria in this bad situation,

there's a group of people
that give us hope.

We call them the White Helmets.

The White Helmets is a group
who are trying to save lives.

The White Helmets,
whenever there is a bombardment,

they are the first ones
to go there.

They are ordinary people,

teachers, doctors, carpenters,

after all they've witnessed
of the atrocities

committed by the regime
and now the Russians,

they decided to join forces and
to establish the Civil Defense.

The Civil Defense was formed in 2013,
it was completely voluntary work.

The Syrian Civil Defense
declared to the people their intention,

"From civilian to civilian,"

and we don't belong to any
military group or political party,

we are neutral to all people.

I mean, most of my friends
are in the Civil Defense.

Amazing, amazing people.

They have the sweetest,
sweetest hearts ever,

and they work under the most
dangerous circumstances ever.

Now they concentrate
all their efforts in Aleppo

because it's the largest
city now under siege,

under Russian attacks.

What keeps us going is saving
a child from under the rubble.

Because when we save
a child alive from the rubble,

this gives us hope,
and all of Syria hope.

She stayed two hours beneath the
rubble and eventually she got out alive.

She is one month old.

We were working for two hours
to get her out of the rubble.

When I took her into my arms,
I felt as if she was my own daughter.

Heavy air raids on Aleppo

on the 5th day of Ramadan,
since morning till now.

We went to Aleppo to
cover what was happening.

Russia and Al-Assad regime

were doing massive bombing
of civilian houses in Aleppo.

The barrel bomb that we were
watching in the sky

just fell down here
on the civilians' houses.

At this moment the helicopter

is still flying in the sky
above Aleppo.

It seems like it's going to
bomb the same trajectory.

Hadi!

Hadi is injured, guys!

I felt something on my head,
shrapnel had entered this part of my skull.

Then they took us to the hospital
and wrapped our heads with bandages.

We entered our houses in Aleppo.

Suddenly, I was covered with
sand, iron, and stones.

I didn't know what was going on,

but I knew this was the end.

I was about to die.

After a while I heard voices saying, "Yes,
we will help you!"

I realized the Civil Defense

had come to save me.

Every day I'm getting better
and better.

I can't move myself now
or get up from the bed.

The doctors said I will be able to walk in
six months, but I'm sure, with your prayers,

I will leave the bed sooner
and get back to work.

To my people in Aleppo.

You are my people.

While I was living among you

documenting the crimes of
Russia and the Al-Assad regime,

when I arrived at the place
where the attack occurred,

because I was watching the
civilians, women, children, old men

pulling themselves from
the rubble of their homes,

covered with dust
of destruction,

I was sure that Aleppo
will never fail.

These massacres committed by
Russia's and Al-Assad's planes,

they said they were
fighting ISIS,

but that was the biggest lie
in human history.

There wasn't a single member
of ISIS in Aleppo.

The city was completely
controlled by the Free Syrian Army.

It was completely genocide
against the civilians in Aleppo.

When the Russian forces entered
under the pretext of fighting ISIS,

they bombarded 22 hospitals.

This was documented by the
organization Doctors Without Borders.

All of the hospitals
were bombed. Why?

Why focus on hospitals
specifically?

Because they want to kill
as many Syrians as they can.

What have the children done?
What have the civilians done?

You bastard, may God
take revenge on you!

Why would you bomb a bakery?
The bakery has bread for us to eat.

Why would you bomb it?
So I die of hunger.

The Russian participation,

or what they announced as
the front against terrorism.

This is the practical thing
against terrorism.

The Russian support and
participation is going to be stronger.

The Russians are very serious
on fighting terrorism,

and there's cooperation
between them and the Syrian army.

Look at these children,
you Russian pigs!

Is she a terrorist?

Is this little girl a terrorist?

And that little boy,
is he a terrorist?

Look at these little kids.
Look! Look!

Was she carrying a gun,
and fighting on the fronts?

You Russian pigs,
you are traitors, all of you.

They're targeting civilians.

They're not targeting
extremists as they claim, no.

I am not a terrorist,
I am in the right, I have a cause.

I have human rights.

If you care for human rights,
then you understand what we need.

This is Syria.

This is the regime army,
and this is the Free Army.

And this tank shoots here

and kills these people.

And that one,
he shot this one dead.

This is the building,
this is a plane.

And this plane shoots here
and destroys the building.

This is the Syria
that I've seen.

I am in the middle.
Both sides are shooting each other.

My mother woke us up and told us that,
"Your father died."

She told us that we needed
to go to the bus stop.

No one is staying in Syria,
so we left.

At that time,
a plane had shot missiles at our school.

The missiles had poisonous
chemicals that burned.

That was one of the reasons
that made us travel to Turkey.

I have thalassemia, which means
I need a blood bag every 20 days.

If I stayed there, I would die
without blood transfusion.

We kept resting and walking.

We slept for around
two to three hours.

We were sleeping in ISIS ground.

We suffered a lot on the way.

The roads were filled with
bombs and explosions.

I was carrying
my stuff on my back,

I was also carrying a baby.
We struggled till we arrived.

At the border, the soldier made us
wait in the cold weather on the ground.

We begged them,

and they told us
to identify ourselves.

Our life in Syria is miserable,
full of bombing.

We want to go to Turkey
to start a new life.

The Turkish army

started shooting at us.
We thought we were going to die.

There was a guy
who threatened to shoot us,

but then we were able to pass the border,
and then we arrived.

A Turkish smuggler led us.

We passed through a tunnel
to cross the border.

As soon as we
crossed the border,

it started snowing.

We did not have enough blankets.

We slept and it was so cold.

There was almost no
electricity and we suffered,

and we stayed in Turkey
for a long time.

My father told us to try to
go over the sea to Greece.

We sold everything we had...

and we gave it to the smuggler.

It was scary,

and the sea was dangerous.

At that time, it was snowing in
Turkey and the waves were very high,

and it felt like
it was going to capsize.

The rubber boat was punctured
on the bottom.

It was filled with water.
We were going to drown.

There was an inflatable boat
behind us, it was safe.

But the next one sunk.

I saw a boy in the sea,

dead.

The sea killed many children.

I was also praying to God,
deep in my heart.

I did so because, I know
He loves me.

God loves all children.

We stayed at sea for four hours,
then we arrived on an island called Samos.

When we finally arrived,
everyone was so relieved.

The sea...

It's not nice, at all.

Syria, Syria!

I was ill for two days in Greece.
A nerve in my legs has problems.

It hurt so much that I couldn't
move my legs for two days.

Where are you from?

- Syria.
- Syria.

How long did you travel
from there to here?

Twenty days.

The police caught us
and took us to the center.

My brother, Mahmoud,
was very sick,

and they took him
to the hospital.

But they were lying to us,

and they took us to the prison,
and when they gave us food

it was a small piece of bread
they threw at us

as if we were dogs.

With difficulty,
we were able to overcome.

Then we arrived in Hungary.

Hungary, they were
not good to people.

They imprisoned us.
I needed a blood transfusion.

I asked for water,
there was dirty water on the ground.

He said, "You want water?
This is water."

Then we went from
Hungary to Austria.

And from Austria to Germany.

From Germany, we came to
Belgium, where we've stayed.

My mother couldn't come because
she didn't have the proper papers.

My brother died here,
and my mother didn't get to see him.

I don't know,
where is the humanity?

For someone not to be able
to see his mother.

We asked for my mother,
and no one helped us.

Why did these people
leave for Europe?

Did they leave to look for work?

Did they leave to look for
a beautiful landscape?

Did they go on a vacation?

Why did these people
leave for Europe?

Some people claim that
they are terrorists.

No. These people seek safety
from Bashar Al-Assad.

Their country is not safe because
of Bashar Al-Assad's bombings

and the Russian air-force bombings
that kill our women and children.

They crossed the seas,
their children drowned in the seas,

some of them died
fighting the waves.

They sleep in the streets
and in the parks.

They eat out of the garbage.

Why?

They went to seek safety,
to provide a good life for their children.

This is the school of Daraa

where the spark of
the Syrian revolution started.

The Assad regime will fall
because of this school.

With flowers, with flowers!

We shake the throne of Assad!

When they painted graffiti
on the walls of their schools,

and I saw how they beat them
and how they killed them,

I couldn't imagine that a person
can do this to another person.

It's become like... for Syrians,
I think it's become normal.

This will never be normal,
but it's become like a daily thing you see.

The war began five years ago,
and now we're starting the sixth year.

People can't stand it anymore.

Our dream is to end this war.

I've been married for two years.

I don't have children,
but we are expecting a child.

If I had the opportunity to leave,
I wouldn't leave my home country.

I'd like Syria to return back
to what it was before.

I remember the Syria at night,
when there were lights,

lots of cars, and many
beautiful things.

Syria was beautiful, but when war happened,
it was leveled to the ground.

We want to see a more beautiful Syria.
So we are working on rebuilding it.

Our big dream is,
to see our country more beautiful.

We were forced to leave Syria.

I saw things that the human
mind can't even imagine.

Till this moment, I still have a
dream to return back to Syria.

United, united, united.
The Syrian people are united.

In Syria,
there is a revolution of the people.

Like when France
became independent.

Like in America,
the people revolted and became independent.

When countries around the world are
oppressed, they revolt so they can have

a civilized society,
an advanced society.

A society
that protects its people.

I wish that
every Syrian would fight

until Syria is free.

No one has stood by our side.

We are only trying
to be free like you.

We are your brothers
in humanity.

How can you see this genocide the Syrians
are exposed to and still keep silent?

If anyone can hear me now,

please help us get back
to our beloved country.

More than 20 people in our
extended family have been killed.

I have nothing left
in this life to love.

I dream of this
revolution's victory.

And if I don't witness this victory,
then I would hope to die fighting for it.

I beg you to
put an end to this war,

and if you do this,
I'll thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We are not terrorists.

We are not asylum seekers.

We are people like
everyone in this world,

with kids, with lovers,
with husbands, wives,

and we still have dreams,

like anyone else in the world.

In five years, my dream was

to bring the change that
we all aspire to my country,

but now, actually,
I don't know what my dream is.

For all the bloodshed to stop?

To see my brother?

To go back home?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Would you like to say anything
in English to the world?

I speak in English to make the voices of
the children of Aleppo reach the world,

to help them, because they're dying.
Why do they have to die?

♪ These are hard times
In these times ♪

♪ Feels like this world's
About to capsize ♪

♪ Feels like it might take
A miracle ♪

♪ To make it out alive ♪

♪ The clock is ticking ♪

♪ What do we do? ♪

♪ Is someone listening? ♪

♪ Help us through ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring peace to its doors
Bring hope to its shores ♪

♪ We got to change it ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring wind to its sails
It's gone off the rails ♪

♪ And we got to save it ♪

♪ Raise up our hands
And rise together ♪

♪ It's got to be now
It's now or never ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ We've got to save us ♪

I'm so sad, because they want to take
our land away and expel us from Aleppo.

Aleppo is my land, my school,
my home, my garden.

♪ Feels like we're trapped
In a landslide ♪

♪ Can't even look
At the headlights ♪

♪ 'Cause when you look at
What's going on ♪

♪ You just wanna
Run and hide ♪

♪ Only love can
Fight the darkness ♪

♪ Only love could
End the hate ♪

♪ We've got to get us
Some love tonight ♪

♪ So love can light the way ♪

♪ The clock is ticking ♪

♪ Time's running out ♪

♪ Is someone listening? ♪

♪ Help us out ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring peace to its doors
Bring hope to its shores ♪

♪ We've got to change it ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring wind to its sails
It's gone off the rails ♪

♪ And we've got to save it ♪

♪ Raise up our hands
And rise together ♪

♪ It's got to be now
It's now or never ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ We've got to save us ♪

I deeply hope to return
to Aleppo one day.

We shall overcome someday.

My dear, God willing,
you will come back.

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring peace to its doors
Bring hope to its shores ♪

♪ We've got to change it ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ Bring wind to its sails
It's gone off the rails ♪

♪ We've got to save it ♪

♪ Raise up our hands
And rise together ♪

♪ It's got to be now
It's now or never ♪

♪ Prayers for this world ♪

♪ We've got to save us ♪