Give Al Assad a chance

The same day that European Union foreign ministers met to discuss tightening sanctions against the Syrian regime, President Bashar Al Assad addressed the nation for the third time since the uprising began in March.

While Al Assad outlined the need for reform and acknowledged shortcomings, the international media was quick to dismiss his pleas for dialogue and instead emphasised the brutality of his regime.

Al Assad's speech may have generated huge interest, but not many were actually listening. The opposition dismissed Al Assad before he even got to the podium. In all fairness, it is difficult for even the proponents to stay engaged. After the third speech, it is fair to say that Al Assad's speech writer is not very good.

As for the president, he lacks charisma and appears awkward. This latest speech is in fact a lot better than his first where he appeared out of touch with reality, and careless.

At that time, the protests were just gaining momentum and the world was still stunned by the images being broadcast from a defiant Syria. The president was clearly downplaying the scope and impact of the protests by appearing nonchalant.

In reality, it matters little to the Syrian opposition what the president says or how he appears; their minds have already been set. Even those who gained hope from his speech are not prepared to step back. Fear prohibited people from speaking out for many years. It is also fear that prevents those same people from not speaking out today because they fear the repercussions if the regime stays.

There is no doubt that the Syrian people have suffered for many years and lack the most basic of civil liberties. Syria's bureaucracy and government are infested with corruption, while poverty and unemployment are widespread.

According to a report by the United Nations Development Programme titled Indicators of poverty and division of income in Syria, 34 per cent of Syrians lived under the poverty line in 2004-07. The degree of poverty is not consistent throughout the country. Rather, it is concentrated in the peripheral areas. The Kurdish areas of Hasaka and Qamishli in the northeast are the poorest.

Poverty

Al Assad acknowledges that poverty is a serious problem. He has specifically identified corruption and the uneven distribution of wealth as major setbacks. He admits that ordinary Syrians are legitimately angered and resentful. He accepts that they often feel humiliated.

Regarding recent reforms, Al Assad has said amnesty will likely be extended. He referred to the massacre of Muslim Brotherhood members in Hama in 1981 as a dark and bleak period.

Clearly, the regime is trying its best to stay in power. Few would disagree that the reforms should have been implemented years ago. But we stand here and now. The regime is willing to make concessions today because it is desperate, sure. But is that necessarily a bad thing? The regime didn't have motivation to implement change before, but today its existence is threatened and it appears serious to implement change, so why not allow it?

Will there be complete justice? Complete harmony in society? Probably not. But can either one of these things be guaranteed if a different regime comes to power? Can anyone ensure that leaders put the interests of the people above their own? Probably not.

The wave of protests sweeping the region is a sign of relief and is bringing with it much needed hope and excitement for a new and better tomorrow. But we must be careful not to get too carried away by ideological and unrealistic expectations.

Change doesn't happen overnight, and replacing the old doesn't always necessarily bring something new with it. Syrians have already won. They won the genuine support and admiration of the Arab population and others across the globe. They've succeeded in facing their fears and no one can take that personal victory away. But just as being complacent is harmful, letting emotion and idealism take over can also be detrimental.

Dina Khanat is an Arab-American writer currently residing in Dubai.