Haid N Haid writes: Many Syrians carry with them mixed feelings about starting the revolution, especially those who lost loved ones in the war. Even the famous chant in solidarity with the city that started the uprising against the regime, has changed. “Ya Daraa hina maaki la almout” [oh Daraa, we stand by you until the end] has become “Ya Daraa sho kan bidna bi ha al saraa” [oh Daraa, what were we thinking to start this nightmare].

Although the latter chant was first used as a joke to “blame” Daraa city for starting protests in 2011, which began the wider uprising against Assad, for some the message was, in part, a serious consideration.

Feelings of guilt about the war are [to] similar survivors’ syndrome after people experience traumatic events while those around them did not survive. There are two main types of guilt; one is regret that they failed to do more and the other is about what they did do. These feelings vary in reasons and intensity, although the two sometimes overlap.

Some people feel guilty for starting the revolution and consider it the main factor which led to the catastrophic situation we face today in Syria. Something you will often hear from people who share this feeling is that “Syria could still be the same if we would have accepted the situation as it is.” [Continue reading…]