Shaaban: Some points in Geneva1 communique still valid, reality requires change in priorities
Montreux, Jan 23, 2014 (SANA) – Presidential Political and Media Advisor, Dr. Bouthina Shaaban, said that some points in the Geneva1 communique are still valid but reality requires a change in priorities, on top of which would be restoring peace and stopping arming the terrorist groups.
In statements to al-Mayadeen TV, Shaaban said that “If we ask any Syrian citizen, he will say that the priority is for restoring security and stop terrorism, which will never stop until the countries that are funding and arming the terrorists vow to cease such acts.”
Shaaban added that the countries that have good intentions as far as Syria is concerned agree on these priorities and the countries that have conspired against it refuse them, noting that “We hope that all sides will be convinced that the wahabi mentality endangers Syria, the region and the whole world and It is in the world’s interest to stand by Syria against this mentality and leave the future of Syria for the Syrians to determine.”
http://213.178.225.235/eng/21/2014/01/23/523863.htm
Mar 25, 2011 – Shaaban: Forming Committee to Punish Perpetrators of Daraa Events, increasing employees’ salaries
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/03/25/338411.htm
Latest News Syria 
Bouthina Shaaban: Goals of Terrorist Groups Meet with Israel’s Ones
Jun 8, 2013 – DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Presidential Political and Media Advisor, Bouthina Shaaban, affirmed that the goals of the armed terrorist gangs meet with the goals of the Israeli entity which manage and arrange to them some of the criminal acts committed by these gangs against the Syrian people.
“The terrorist groups’ attack on a checkpoint in al-Qunaitera is part of the premeditated scheme against Syria by its first enemy which usurps part of its lands as well as the Arab rights; mainly, Israel, the beneficiary side of what is going on,” Shaaban said in an interview with al-Mayadeen TV Channel broadcasted on Friday.
She said the Austrian decision to pull out its forces operating within the UNFOF in the Syrian Golan reflects differences among the European countries on tackling the crisis in Syria, and the region in general.
The Syrian senior offical added that Syria is historically and culturally very important country in the world as it is the cradle of the holy religions, asserting that what is going on in Syria is a part of the attempt to redraw the map of the region under a new title which is called ” the Arab Spring” which aims at destroying the identity, heritage and culture of the Arab countries.
She said that there is a direct military intervention in Syria as some western counries arm, fund and send mercenaries who kill the Syrians, abduct, shed blood and behead them.
Shaaban stressed that the Arab League (AL) is the spearhead of the war on Syria, as it pushed for this crucial situation and such amount of bloodshed, therefore it is considered as a “partner of what is taking place in Syria”.
“Syrian people and army’s steadfastness confronted the culture of hegemony and servility which Zionism and colonialism are trying to impose on the Arab Countries,” she said.
Shaaban pointed out that Turkey and Qatar turned over the good relations with Syria as Turkey sought to create a position for the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria while Qatar has no independent decision as it is a tool for the US.
“Syria is going to Geneva international conference without preconditions as it knows that it will negotiate the masters of some opposition sides,” she said.
Shaaban added that president Bashar al-Assad’s vision on the crisis was very clear since the beginning as he dealt with its internal side through the implementation of most of the reform decisions and its external side when he clarified that there is a real attack against Syria which aims at undermining it and destroying its army and identity.
She confirmed that the “Palestinian cause is the compass of the Arab-Israeli conflict and it is also the compass of our existence as Syrians”, asserting that Syria has always supported the Palestinian cause and any other resistance movement which supports Palestine.
H.Zain/Mazen- SANA – 8/6/2013
Shaaban: Forming Committee to Punish Perpetrators of Daraa Events,
increasing employees’ salaries
Mar 25, 2011
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/03/25/338411.htm
Damascus, (SANA) – Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthina
Shaaban said “the Regional Leadership of al-Baath Arab Socialist Party
chaired by President Bashar al-Assad, on Thursday discussed the latest
political developments, the public and services situation in the country.”
The meeting dealt with the level of governmental performance and the
efficiency of security, political and administrative institutions to provide
the best services for citizens, ensure decent living standard and to protect
the citizens’ freedom and dignity, she added.
Shaaban talked in detail about the regretful events in Daraa Governorate and
the accompanying chaos which led to destroying public facilities and
inducing death on citizens.
The meeting decided in the living condition field:
– The formation of a committee to contact and listen to citizens in Daraa to
know the reality and circumstances of the regretful events and its causes
and to punish perpetrators besides tackling all resulted effects in a way
that responds to the legitimate demands of citizens.
– The increase of the employees’ salaries immediately to positively reflect
on their living standard. – Finding the necessary funding to provide health
insurance for the state employees.
– Providing the needed capabilities and resources to increase job
opportunities whether to create new jobs for unemployed youth or to appoint
temporary employees as permanent.
– Making comprehensive assessment of the performance of the government,
local and administrative institutions and taking decisions regarding them
urgently. In the political domain:
-Laying down new and effective mechanisms to combat corruption and issuing
the relevant legislations and establishing the necessary commissions.
-Studying the invalidation of the emergency law as soon as possible and
issuing legislations to guarantee the safety of the homeland and
citizens. -Preparing a draft parties’ law in Syria for political and public
dialogue.
-Issuing a new media law that meets the aspirations of citizens for more
freedoms and transparency.
-Amending Law No. 49 on the border areas as to facilitate the citizens’
paperwork and eliminating causes for complaints associated with enforcing
it.
-Consolidating the powers of the judiciary, preventing indiscriminate
arrests and settling the citizens’ cases as soon as possible.
Shaaban: Demands will be heard and answered in deliberate and calm way
On procedures to be taken regarding the Eastern region, particularly
regarding those who have no civil registrations, Shaaban said: ” We in Syria
don’t use the word “Kurds” since they are Syrian citizens and President
Bashar al-Assad talked about them in various occasions.
We don’t like to be referred to as a religious, denominational or ethnical
identity. The demands of this segment of the Syrian society were the focus
in the last Regional Conference held in 2005 and they are still under
discussion, she added.
Shabaan said:” We may not succeed in responding to these demands on the
right time, but it doesn’t mean that they won’t be fulfilled. These demands
will be heard and answered in a deliberate and calm way. I wish the Syrian
people would be able to differentiate between the just demands and those who
want to fish in troubled waters,”
On the presence of Hezbollah groups in Daraa Governorate, she said it is
very funny and ironic that some news agencies reported such a lie. Those who
did it don’t know Syria’s value, potentials or position. We are a country
that is capable of managing its own affairs. It is part of a media
mobilizing project to give the image that something very serious is
happening.
Shaaban said ” In a time when some sides try to exploit the Arab revolutions
which took place in Egypt, Tunisia and other Arab countries for achieving
certain goals which do not serve the interests of the Arab nation, we see
that targeting Syria is very clear as it constitutes the safe sanctuary for
the resistance, and as President Bashar al-Assad stated several times that
we are with the resistance…It is not strange that Syria is targeted, and who
reads today the Israeli and western newspapers in general knows how much our
country is targeted.”
“I mentioned this point to say that it is completely separated from the just
demands of Daraa’s inhabitants and the Syrian people in all the provinces,
not only in Daraa,” Shaaban added.
Shaaban conveyed President al-Assad’s condolences to the families of the
martyrs, stressing that Daraa is a precious part of the homeland, adding
that the people of Daraa are inseparable part of the Syrian people.
“Daraa was not selected for any social or economic reasons, but only for
geographical reasons as it is located near the borders and the weapons and
money can reach it so easily by the groups which target the security,
stability and dignity of Syria,” Shaaban said.
She added” It is doubtless that no Syrian citizen has an interest in
destabilizing the security and stability of Syria, and no official has an
interest in targeting the security and stability of the country…There is no
dispute between the citizens and the Government on the importance of Syria’s
dignity, security and stability, but there is a dispute between the Syrian
people and Government and the enemies who target the security and stability
of Syria…This doesn’t underestimate the just demands which are on the table
of President al-Assad and the Syrian leadership, and there is no topic which
is not allowed to be discussed”
“Everything the Syrian citizen thinks of or wants is legitimate and it must
be discussed, and it is the viewpoint of President al-Assad,” Shaaban said.
“The second thing which is targeted in Syria is the wonderful coexistence in
it…This region is targeted to become sectarian, regional and racial…Whoever
comes to Syria recognizes this great coexistence spreading among all the
spectrums of the Syrian people regardless of their religion or race…On this
occasion we greet our brothers the Kurds and we congratulate them on the
Nowruz Day which represents a civilized occasion in which all the Syrian
people participate…All the Syrians participate in the Muslim and Christian
occasions,” Shaaban said, indicating that this great Syrian example is also
targeted, and we must not diminish its importance.
Shaaban addressed those who pretend that they want freedom and dignity for
the Arab nation saying” We saw the samples they presented in Iraq and the
million martyrs there, and we saw the absence of security…Nobody can be more
keen on achieving the interests of our people than us.”
She added “President al-Assad doesn’t want the bloodshed at all, and I
witnessed his directives on not using live bullets whatever the
circumstances as he is keen on every citizen…This doesn’t mean that there
are no mistakes or practices which were not unsatisfactory and not up to the
required level…I don’t deny this thing which might happen and which could
have happened, but we mustn’t mix the malpractice or the wrongdoing or the
bad person and the desire and will of President al-Assad to move Syria with
the Syrian leadership to the dignity, prosperity and security, in addition
to achieving all the aspirations of the citizens.”
Answering a question on when the actual implementation of the decisions will
start, Shaaban said “The actual implementation will start today, and next
month will witness new decisions…the date and speed are at the heart of
these decisions.”
On the foreign side or the armed group which smuggled weapons and money into
Dara’a, and its political goal, Shaaban said “investigations are still
underway… there are indications and signs of the existence of foreign
funding, arms smuggled and given to some people, but we couldn’t talk about
who were the sides that funded or who were the sides who prepared, we will
present details after the end of investigations.”
As for the number of the dead circulated by news agencies and what is the
real number, Dr. Shaaban added “the Syrian TV gave the right number of the
martyrs… the problem is in the media which wants to exaggerate in the
numbers and events.”
“Syrian TV and media have the credibility… I talked to some journalists this
morning, some of them said that even if we tell the others about something,
they would not believe our words, they would believe another person who
lives in London or Paris,” Shaaban added.
She called on all mass media to try to be credible in conveying the news and
events. On the way of dealing with demands of Dara’a citizens who peacefully
demonstrated, Shaaban said “Dara’a demands are of priority…. It is not a
study, it is a decision… the decisions were adopted to deal with these
demands… President al-Assad is very careful about their demands.”
As for what has been described as armed gangs or instigators, Dr. Shaaban
said “this has been named perhaps on those who carry weapons, not demands,
but want to destabilize security and stability… when a national crisis
occurs, there might be a provocative or not good word… I want to say that
this naming was for those who tried to destabilize the security and
stability of the country, not the people and families of Dara’a.
She thanked journalists for the important role they played during the events
of Dara’a.
English Bulletin
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MewNews/conversations/topics/60271
A woman with a vision
Buthaina Shabaan was born in 1953 in a small town called Am-Massoudiah, which belongs to Homs. Graduating as the top student in Homs and receiving the fourth highest score in Syria for the secondary school exam in 1971, she met the new leader of Syria, Hafez Assad, who awarded her a scholarship to complete a university degree. Even though her familly was strict, her father, an Arabic teacher, allowed her to study at Damascus University. She was the first female student to major in English, and she received another grant to continue her studies in Britain. In 1977, she earned an MA degree from Warwick University, where she also finished her PhD degreee. Her PhD dissertation was on the English poet Shelley, who is well-known for his revolutionary political and poetic visions as in his poem ‘Revolt of Islam,’ about someone who has ‘a resolution to confer the boons of political and intellectual freedom on his fellow-creatures’.
Demonstrating a great deal of fearlesness and independence, she maried, against the will of her family, an Iraqi national whom she met during her doctoral study in Britain.
After graduation, Shabaan taught for two years (1982-1984) in Algeria, before going back to Damascus to start a career as a professor in comparative women’s literature and a writer exposing and agitating against the hindrances of women.
Shabaan’s high achievements in school and her membership in the Ba’ath party from an early age attracted the attention of President Hafes Assads, who invited her to do a simultaneous translation for his meeting with former US Secretary of State, Warren Minor Christopher.
Dr. Assaad Al-Saleh is an Assistant Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at the Department of Languages and Literature & Middle East Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.