Mariya is missing

Mariya is missing.

This is part of her first blog post, on 9 September 2011.  Her last was on 11 February 2012.  After that, she could be found daily on twitter.  Her last tweet (as "Peace4Syria") was on 11 August of this same year.

Who? What? Why? How? Where?

Answers

OK… My name is Mariya and for now let’s say my last name is Suriya!
I’m a 33 year-old interior designer [my job now is Syria] who’s living a stable and enjoyable life… thank God.
I’m currently in Syria, and more specifically in Latakia.
I have decided to blog about Syria and subsequently about the Arab Spring.

Interpretations

That was all fine, but let me tell you the real stuff about me and why I’m doing this:
I’m human first and foremost… and a Syrian in between and amongst other things!
I have a mind, a heart, and a consciousness and I believe that I hold my destiny with my own hands.
I motioned the fact that I’m living a stable and balanced life in order to stress that I have no selfish motives in supporting the uprising in my county… In fact chances are things might go bad for me personally in terms of making a living, but it will be great for all Syrian eventually… So I hope! Moreover, when all this is over I won’t be participating in politics in any way because I hate it, and I’ll just go back to my quiet life.
Since I’m now in Syria I’ll be giving you the inside story… My story, or the way I see things, putting in mind how proud I am of my people rising up the way they are. I’ll be using my mind and heart and the filter of consciousness to remain as subjective as one can be. You may, however, feel the need to check other stories and make up your own judgment.

Reasons

Why blog for Syria? The answer to that is rather simple:

·         I love my country, and every country… I love people, all people… need I go on!
·         I’m addicted to freedom… I did achieve it to a large degree in my personal life, and now I wish it for everyone, and will support it everywhere.
·         Human rights, which became more like human dreams in our countries.
·         My life is never the same ever since fellow citizens like Tal, Hamza, and thousands others are either dead, detained, and/or tortured.
·         I can… you can… and more importantly, we all can if we unite!
·         The universe consists of atoms…! And every atom counts. I’m an atom who won’t just stand and watch, but will vibrate in a certain way that would serve that universe and the other atoms.

Mariya's post exhibits some of what informed her twitter activity - a certain thoughtful faith in humanity and in the future.  But during those months she also showed some steel.   Day after day she reported from Latakia on atrocities, demonstrations, but also, with icy calm and determined precision, on troop movements:

#Latakia #Syria
Two mortar cannons were seen admitted into the Talaa Camp in al-Raml around 3:00 in the morning. 6th of October School’s barrier was closed and people were allowed inside al-Raml but not outside. Tight inspection was detected on all Raml barriers last night.

When I wrote to her that it "must be difficult 2 report such horrors accurately & dispassionately. Maybe dangerous too", she replied:  "it is actually difficult but somehow one grows used to it... necessary human nature I believe".

We know that many have been unable to 'grow used to it'.    Some have become hysterical - who can blame them? - and some have carried on, but with  all-too-visible scars.

Mariya, through her thoroughly impersonal reports, showed herself to be an extraordinary person.   The Syrian revolution has brought out the best in many people, and some, like Austin Tice, have fallen silent, their fate unknown.    Mariya too has fallen silent.  It would not have been difficult for intelligence services to identify her from her self-description.  Please hope for her reappearance and look for opportunities to support her in any way possible.