“We need to be able to agree on the big picture while maintaining our differences. We don’t want to be mirror images of each other, because we have hundreds and hundreds of reasons to say ‘NO!’”
Such is the goal of a group call "NO” which emerged out of what its founders saw as a need to stand in the face of all wrongdoers. At this point in the Syrian revolution, the opposition are committing mistakes that remind of the regime´s, and the group believes the time has come for the people to deliver their message loudly: NO!
The group calls on people to take photos of themselves using their bodies to somehow say “NO!” “We will share any picture anyone sends us of their message of refusal on our page,” one of the organizers said. “If today, you have a reason to say no, say it and let us know. Aim your camera and say no. Say no and allow your voice to rise with ours. Say no, and let your words represent us all.”
This movement was in part inspired by the words of the late Egyptian poet Amal Donqol, in his poem Spartacus’ Last Words. Naji al-Ali, a Palestinian cartoonist who was critical of Arab regimes and Israel, was another source of inspiration. In fact, the spark that ignited the project was one of al-Ali’s caricatures, titled "No". “Our revolution began with the refusal of the current Syrian regime. The revolution was a people’s doing, and refusal is also a people’s doing. And there is no better way to voice disapproval of something than by using your own body to do it,” an activist said to Syria Untold. The point of the campaign, as expressed by its organizers, is the use of art and poetry as a means of resistance, change, and self expression against those who are trying to take away the freedoms of others.
“No, because if life loses its value, everyone suffers. No, because we have a right to live. No, because we said yes for years. No, because everyone who supports one thing has the right to oppose others,” the initial founder said. NO! started out as a campaign by a single individual, but eventually evolved into a group project.
“We are not only a Facebook page, we are a grassroots group present in a number of countries, participating in a variety of activities,” he added. “If we had not gotten a positive response from people who worked with us, we would not have been able to continue and evolve our idea.”
When the group was first born, he said, it had only about 200 fans on Facebook. It began receiving attention after sharing a graphic that said, “No to the new Syrian constitution project.” The image spread rapidly online, which inspired many artists and activists to contact NO!, as they were inspired to use art to inspire change.
“In the initial phase of the revolution, we staged protests and sit-ins to voice our refusal to the regime. The time has come for us to advance our demands, and use creative and artistic means to echo our refusal of all mistakes,” the activist said.
One of the goals of NO!’s Facebook page is to give residents a platform on which to unveil mistakes being made, and to voice their disapproval of them. Having the right to say no is the first step toward change, and the organizers believe it is important that all facets of Syrian society have the opportunity to utilize art to express their varying opinions.
NO! currently comprises a large network of members who share “the desire to express their right to refusal via ideas and designs.” This varies from individual to group photo shoots and the production of short films, including one titled “One who advanced this much will not retreat.” Other Syrians participating in the campaign have used prose as a form of self expression. The common ground held by everything shared by NO! is that it somehow sheds light on a certain event or idea. Members often hold discussions revolving around the different issues they face, and talk about how to best raise awareness in society, including by holding campaigns. For example, the No to Their Arrest campaign “included the stories of detainees, along with personal letters or lines of poetry, so that detainees could be remembered as individuals and not just as numbers. There is no freedom until there is freedom for all.”
Whether through paintings, graphic designs, photographs, or poetry, activists believe it is important for Syrians to find their voices and be able to say “NO!” loud and clear to whatever it is they may oppose. This project, inspired by the works of renowned Arab artists, is a cry to Syrian people that now, more than ever before, is the time for self expression.
