It all started when I travelled to Syria in 2011, when the Arab Spring was in full swing, but had not started in Syria. The plane was full of what I would call intelligent middle class tourists on a tour of Syria to learn the history. The plane was a hive of conversations between passengers, comparing their stories on where they were going and where they had been in the past. I was not part of a tour, I was visiting Palestinian friends living in Yarmouk. At that time I thought Yarmouk was just a suburb in Damascus and unaware it was a Palestinian refugee camp. I stayed with five generations of Palestinians that had one dream, that they would one day be able to live in Palestine. I hadn't realised that the wait for my visa would take so long an ate into my holiday, which meant I could not spend much time and would have to return. What I did learn on my short stay was, just how many people loved their president. Cars were decorated with decals of President Bashar al Assad, with some completely decorated. Everyone I spoke to dreamt that President Assad would knock on their door and come for tea, which he regularly did unannounced.

A month later I booked my flight back to Damascus and then the propaganda started, telling people not to travel and for people to leave Syria immediately. Now I had a dilemma to go or not to go. When I told my friends in Damascus what the media was saying, they assured me that it was safe, so I went. It was so different from the first flight, with no tourists and only about ten passengers. Once on the plane I received a call from my friend in Damascus telling me not to go, but it was too late, I was on the plane and the doors were closed ready for take-off. I was told I would have to go, but I could take the same plane back, if I wished on it's turn around

In the Western World, if a group of armed masked men hid among peaceful protestors and then started firing at the police and killing indiscriminately, they are called terrorists. So why is it, when it happens in Syria it is called a conspiracy. Why is there one rule for the Middle East and a different one for the rest of the world or is it a way of saying, there can’t possibly be terrorists in the Middle East because the US sees everyone in the Middle East as a terrorist.

The media are portraying a country which has its people demonstrating against their President, just to give the US an excuse to invade the country to save the people, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The people of Syria love their President and are willing to give their lives for him. There is not another head of state on this planet who is revered by his people as Bashar Assad.

Having being in Syria when the troubles unfolded and witnessing how the country loves their president. I was shocked to see the lies coming from the International Press on the events in Syria, giving a totally twisted view of events. Tens of thousands took to the streets in an impromptu demonstration, to show their support for President Bashar Al Assad and their distain at Al Jazeera for their continued reporting of lies. Later news reports, turned footage of the support, as demonstrations against the President. The question should be asked, is why are they telling all these lies? What is the hidden agenda of the press to completely reverse a story at the risk of war? In a peaceful country, where different religions, live in harmony. Who is it who will gain from causing trouble in Syria?

Why are Syrians around the world demonstrating in support of President Bashar Al Assad, when usually, you would expect ex-pat Syrians to be the first to protest against the President if he is as bad as we are led to believe. They love him worldwide, but none of these demonstrations even make it onto the news.’s conflict through firsthand accounts and rare evidence.

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