Omar Sulaiman was one of the first activists to work toward organizing the Syrian revolution. The poet, who was born in the Damascus suburb of Quteifa in 1987, met with a group of activists and writers in February 2011 to plan the first demonstration in Syria, which was eventually held on March 15. Sulaiman participated in the protest with two of his poet friends, Omar Idilbi, who later become a spokesperson for the Local Coordination Committees in Syria, and Mohammad Dibo, who was arrested a few days after the demonstration. Sulaiman also participated in a sit-in outside the Ministry of Interior on March 16 to demand the release of political prisoners.

Sulaiman is the author of “I Shut My Eyes and Walk,” a collection of poetry that won the 2011 Suad al-Sabah Award in Kuwait. “Hymns of the Seasons” is another collection of Sulaiman’s poetry, published in 2006. His poem, “A Message That May Not Arrive,” won the Golan Prize for poetry as well. Sulaiman also has experience as a journalist; he is a former correspondent for a magazine titled Black and White.

Shortly after the start of the Syrian revolution, Sulaiman went to Homs to participate in the protest movement there. He was present at the famous Clock Tower protest of April 18, 2011. He documented events of the revolution on a daily basis, and reported to media outlets in an attempt to deliver a truthful message about what was taking place in Syria.

In June 2011, the poet and his friends launched a group called Nabd Civil Youth Group in an attempt to organize revolutionary movement in Homs, but he left the movement that September. As living conditions in the city deteriorated as a result of the blockade imposed by the regime, Sulaiman began participating in relief efforts, while continuing to organize protests in the Khalidiya and Bayada neighborhoods.

Sulaiman built on his experience as a journalist by writing articles about the revolution for a number of newspapers and magazines, focusing on the political and cultural aspects of what was taking place on the ground. He has been published in AlQuds Newspaper and Lebanese Al-Akhbar and As-Safir Newspaper. His writings criticize not only the regime, but also members of the opposition who try to take advantage of and benefit from the Syrian revolution monetarily.

In the beginning of 2012, Sulaiman moved to the Barze neighborhood of Damascus, where he worked as a media and relief activist until he left the country in March of that year. He was wanted by the Syrian intelligence’s national security branch, and so he sought exile in France. He is working on compiling a collection of his works during the uprising titled “They Should Not Die.” This includes poetry based on events he witnessed and experienced, and the articles he has published in newspapers. In this collection, Sulaiman is trying to shed light on the revolution while exposing the foreign agendas trying to take advantage of the Syrian people.