Academics' assassinations in Syria raise concern over brain drain

Academics' assassinations in Syria raise concern over brain drain

Recent assassinations of Syrian academics stoke fears among Syrians over the bleak future of the country's brain drain, a matter reminiscent of the migration of professors and academics from Iraq following the collapse of the Iraqi regime.

No one has taken responsibility for the killings. But Syrian government and Syrian oppositions are trading accusations, each of them holding the other accountable for the murders, so far, nine prominent Syrian academics and professors.

The latest murdered was Mohammad al-Omar, a history professor at Aleppo University who was gunned down on Sunday by unidentified gunmen, along with Saryah Hassoun, the son of Syria's grand mufti Ahmed Hassoum, a staunch supporter of the Syrian regime.

The unrest erupted in Syria since mid March gradually turned into violent acts targeting civilians, security agents and policemen. Violence has climaxed recently and evoked painful feelings among Syrians with mounting uncertainties over "what would be the next."

Ramy Abdul-Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an unlicensed organization and known for its anti-regime stands, accused in a statement that what he called "those close to the regime," were responsible for the murders.

However, Syria's state TV aired a recent interview with an alleged murderer of Dr. Hassan Eid, a chest surgeon who were killed last week in the central province of Homs, and the culprit confessed that he committed his crimes for money.

Khaled Abboud, a Syrian MP, told Xinhua that the country has entered a new era dubbed as the "era of wide terrorist explosions. "

Aboud warned that the country would witness more assassinations, which would be "neither in the country's interest nor in the opposition's."

George Jabbour, a local political analyst, told Xinhua that the killing of academics did not follow any sectarian agenda since the murdered intellectuals belong to different sectors. He accused some "foreign intelligence apparatuses" of being involved in the assassination "that are carried out on ground by armed groups."

For many, assassinating intellectuals and talented individuals is robbing Syria of its future. The underlying causes of these murders are still unknown.

"We are losing the best professionals, the real losers are the new generation and the future of Syria is what is at stake," said Mamoun Ali, a university student.

Editor: Zhang Xiang

English.news.cn   2011-10-03 17:55:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua)