What has happened to you, oh beautiful Syria?

Once upon a time there was a folk song written by Çolpan that said, “Oh beautiful Turkestan, what has happened to you – Your roses have died, without reason and untimely.” As we wait for the roses in that land to bloom, it is ironic how in recent years, every time I watch news on the land of Damascus, I mumble, “Oh beautiful Syria, what has happened to you?” Based on Prophet Muhammad saying, “Damascus is the land Allah [God] created eminent on earth. The angels extend their wings over the city.