Syrian hospitality

We have been greeted at every pitstop with flowers and smiles and food and water; with people lining the roads calling and waving and chanting; often there are shows of traditional dances and music, much as in Lebanon. There have been so many dances that I’m having trouble which costumes come from which part of the region/country/area, but it is clear that they have all been specially prepared for us. Who is feeding us, I wonder; many people in Syria, especially outside the cities, are poor, and rely on charity themselves. Are the sponsors trying to give a good impression of the country, with the famed Arab hospitality? [Even the bogeymen Israelis know about this: later, a representative from the Israeli ministry of tourism asks us about it – “yes, I’ve heard it’s wonderful round there”.] The welcomes are not spontaneous, that much is clear, but they seem genuine and enthusiastic. It is difficult to talk in depth, even in Arabic, as there is little time, and they are shy and mostly ask the questions: “do you like our country? Do you like our food? Is it different to your country?”. Mette pushes it on this one: “Well, yes, it’s different; we live in a democracy, you know?”. The doctor who wants to make it to Canada looks just a little uncomfortable. “Yes, I know. It’s just like this.” Why does he want to go to Canada? “Well, you know.” We do know.

The children are also very prepared, often giving their own performances (sometimes military complete with uniforms), and often with placards prepared at school: [photos]

We are not acknowledging their nationalism. A common chant has been: “Allah, Syria, Bashar, only” repeated over and over – not particularly welcoming to a large group of foreigners. Would we welcome foreigners with such explicit displays of our country's good? Norma tells me about Northern Ireland during the Troubles. "People needed strangers to tell them that they were kind, hospitable, welcoming, sociable, and they needed to tell themselves it too. They were always worried about what the world thought of them, and they needed that reassurance."

Yes, Syria is hospitable, but no-one is questioning the why and the how and the wherefore.