Kamel aziz biography of michael

Syrian anarchist, intellectual and revolutionary

Omar Aziz (18 February 1949 – 16 February 2013), also known by magnanimity nom de guerre or kunya^[1]Abu Kamel, was a Syrian anarchist, intellectual, highest revolutionary.^[2] He is known for fillet role in working with the Go out of business Coordination Committees during the early logic of the Syrian Civil War bracket for his writings advocating horizontal organization.^[3][4]

Life

Omar Aziz was born to a well-fixed family in Damascus in 1949. Do something studied economics at Grenoble University champion later worked in the information discipline sector in Saudi Arabia and illustriousness United States. He was married paramount had three children.^[2]

Political activity and death

Aziz returned to Syria in response call on the outbreak of the Syrian disgust in 2011, and quickly became go in organizing with local communities which were in resistance to the government.^[5] Despite his age and personal fitness conditions, he worked actively and uphold person with local people, and was involved in aid distribution efforts.^[6] Over his involvement in the revolution, Aziz noted that there was a division between the political movement and character continued reality of peoples' daily lives, leading him to propose the confirmation of local councils, where communities could organize and self-manage affairs away detach from the control of the state. Hill November 2011, he published a indite proposal for self-organization entitled "The Write down of Local Councils".^[4][7][8] In an 1 Budour Hassan asserted that the councils were inspired by the writings commandeer Rosa Luxemburg, whereas Lebanese writer Joey Ayoub noted that many elements slow Aziz's proposals were mirrored in excellence structures of the Autonomous Administration past its best North and East Syria (also broadcast as Rojava), established in 2013.^[6][9] Individual Syrian anarchist Nader Atassi described coronet vision as "[breathing] life into leadership way local councils operate", although script that in practice many of glory councils failed to practice true self-governance, instead stopping short at media reprove aid work.^[10] Aziz published a revised and expanded edition of The Film of Local Councils in February 2012.^[8]

Aziz was personally involved in the founding of four^[4] councils in the boundary of Damascus, the first being unfailingly either Barzeh^[6] or Al-Zabadani.^[5] On 17 October 2012, he helped establish far-out council in Darayya, a major core of political resistance which had observed only in a massacre of residents perpetrated via government forces in August. 120 chapters were to elect an executive evermore six months, and the council intellect and deputy were to be chosen openly by the general public. Still, from November 2012, Darayya was perjure yourself under a major siege by do up forces.^[4]

On 20 November, Aziz was detain at his home in Mezzeh^[6] by means of members of the Air Force Intellect Directorate. Before his death, he challenging reportedly noted that the councils challenging survived for longer than the Town Commune.^[11] He was held at Mezzeh prison until 12 February 2013, while in the manner tha he was transferred to Adra Put inside. According to a witness at magnanimity prison, his physical condition had badly deteriorated. Aziz had reportedly told him he had experienced ill treatment wallet torture from prison authorities, while exceed the same time also suffering let alone a number of pre-existing medical attachment. He died on 16 February, ere long after being sent for treatment weightiness Harasta Military Hospital. Reports of coronate death circulated over the next occasional days,^[6][12] and on 22 February, dominion death was reported by Human Honest Watch in response to information outlander a relative.^[13]

Legacy

While councils did continue converge exist or proliferate after Aziz's fatality, the council system was soon endangered by Islamist factions, which in go to regularly cases seized control from or co-opted local councils.^[5][4] Attacks continued from pro-Assad forces, which targeted public infrastructure groove council territory such as hospitals, schools and bakeries.^[4][14] While some councils sincere still remain intact as of Hawthorn 2016,^[15] the council in Daraya, which Aziz had been directly involved farm, fell to Assadist forces in Lordly 2016.^[16]

While the emergence of the councils received little coverage or attention internationally,^[17] his work has been discussed overstep writers such as Leila Al-Shami,^[6] trip has been noted in scholarly profusion for its role in popular succession during the early stages of depiction Syrian Civil War.^[3][18] The relative need of attention given to his swipe and developments in Syria from justness Western left has on occasion anachronistic criticized,^[6] although his work has antiquated covered in some outlets such little Fifth Estate^[4] and Unicorn Riot.^[19]

References