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IRISH FILM-MAKER NIAMH Heery is completing the final stages a documentary on the Syrian Refugee Camp at Harmanli in Bulgaria.
There she met Mohamad Almasalmeh. He was 17 when he witnessed the first killings of the Syrian conflict in his hometown of Dar’aa, and is one of the 2.5 million who have fled Syria.
He shared his story with Heery, of how in 2011 residents in his town began protesting against the imprisonment and torture of local children who were caught writing anti-government graffiti.
“They were told to ‘forget about them’,” she said.
“In one of the Dar’aa protests on March 18 2011, a huge police presence was felt, on the ground and at a height. Shots were fired at the crowd. Three people were killed.”
These were the first people killed in the Syrian revolution.
Almasalmeh saw the first man being shot, falling to the ground after a bullet entered his abdomen.
Protests began in other major towns soon after, he told Heery, in support of the residents of Dar’aa who wanted the children freed.
The event was filmed by his older cousin, who sent the footage on to Al Jazeera. He continued to film events for the next two years, before he shot in Dar’aa.
Forced displacement
Syria is now the world’s leader for forced displacement, as over 6.5 million has been forced to move.
That’s 40 per cent of the country’s population prior to the conflict.
“It is unconscionable that a humanitarian catastrophe of this scale is unfolding before our eyes with no meaningful progress to stop the bloodshed,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has said.
Refugees continue to pour across borders into neighbouring countries. Lebanon, a country with a population just shy of 5 million, has received close to 1 million.
In Europe, 56,000 applications for asylum have been received, the UN said, and is appealing for regions around the world to “ensure access to territory for all Syrians seeking protection”.
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Quick reminder that the government could legalise cannabis tomorrow, if they wanted to. But they don’t, for some reason.
@FlipBip: what is the Maroccan government doing ? Follow the money
@FlipBip: the smell of it is reason enough to ban it
@Basildon Joe: Lmao, boomers like you must be terrified from an article like this :)
@Basildon Joe: Erm would one of the main reasons to legalise it not be to ensure the public have safe and legal choices?! Your comment makes literally no sense! I’m assuming you read and comment on the Daily Mail a lot?! Proper Peter Hitchens goo brain conservatism as usual!
It’s legal in some G7 countries and governments collect huge amounts of tax from it and there seems to be no more affect from using it than having a few pints so why not legalize it in Ireland?
@Ned: yes but how ?
@Ned: because as with all commodities that are taxed black markets follow – cigs, car fuels, prescription drugs, alcohol. These are far more dangerous.
@Ned: We’re an impossible people Ned. Never happen
@Thesaltyurchin: you are right impossible people is an Irish problem
@Nerb: The black market already exists!
Legalise and tax
@qffaffaf affrafrfraf: easier said than done.
@offside again: 177 people caught drug driving last week alone putting the lives of other drivers in danger.Think about that for minute.
@Willie Marty: Was anyone caught drunk driving? Weak argument.
@Diarmuid Hunt: the article is about drugs.Read it.
@Willie Marty: I did. However your comment was about drug driving. People use a legal inhibiting substance and drive and risk other people’s lives. Is people acting irresponsibly a valid reason to ban alcohol?
@Diarmuid Hunt: were you ever advised “if you drink dont drive”
@Willie Marty: Yes I was numerous times by many adverts from the RSA as were all the people who chose to drink and drive… it obviously doesn’t stop it happening. Are you saying people that drug drive don’t understand the implications of driving under the influence and that a simple PSA would sort it?
@Willie Marty: Cant lump Cannabis in with all drugs. Still waiting for that first challenge on the courts tho, go to Amsterdam for a weekend the following week your arrested for drug driving in Ireland… gonna be an interesting case.
@Diarmuid Hunt: no drugs no alcohol-less misery less crime and more productive lives for all.
@Willie Marty: False narrative, money creates crime.
@Thesaltyurchin: it sure does and theres money in drugs.
@Willie Marty: More productive or more profitable?
@Diarmuid Hunt: a bit of both.
@Willie Marty: yeah and all the people who might’ve had a blunt a week ago and still fail it. Wake up there’s people with cancer who can’t access is because of these stupid laws.
@Willie Marty: Prohibition worked great in the USA! It caused no crime at all……
There is a huge industry around the so called treatment for cannabis abuse , and do called experts acting like there they are speaking from position of proven facts ,When the truth is there is only limited real facts available as off now ,And you look a bit closer you will see ,the do called experts on cannabis abuse are usually making a fortune from so called treatment programs
@Robert Halvey: yep all a big scam. Really wish the Irish people would do their own research on cannabis. So many smart people using it for various illnesses.
@LegalisationSavesLives: i use it to get stoned. Sometimes i use alchohol to get drunk.
i use paracetamol for pain. Tea to get me going, nicotine for i dont know what.
i go to the doctor if i feel i should.
@offside again: Are you a functioning human now though??
@offside again: Tea to get you going? Fluck me, you’re a special case for sure. Happy New Year, tho ..
@Donna Fallon: yes, I have a job. I am a functionning member of society.
@offside again: sounds like you need a lobotomy
@reg morrisey: Sounds like everyone else on this comment has already had one tbf!. Talk about reactionary, you folks are really finding food on those rocks at the bottom! :)
Torn on this one… the weed that’s being distributed in recent years is seriously strong (and or dipped in other substances) compared to the stuff circulating back in my day. I know too many young people who have experienced severe irreversible drug- induced psychosis from it’s usage. If it was legalised and regulated, it might clean up the market??
@Donna Fallon: don’t know a single person who had a bad reaction to weed ,
Where are all these people who suffer from REEFER MADNESS
@Donna Fallon: sure you do Donna. Funny enough I’ve never know anyone over all the years I was involved in the music/clubbing scene who had a psychosis episode from weed intake,the ones I did know that had issues were with alcohol and cocaine
@sean weir: Go to the psychosis unit in St. John of God Stillorgan Dublin
@HisMastersAlibi: Go to the psychosis unit in St. John of God Stillorgan Dublin. Yup admittedly, my episodes were from uppers like coke, alcohol and ecstasy. Do not try to downplay the affects of weed, hash, resin, oil etc. Honestly any stoner I was in school with is now either in a home or still living with their parents. No motivation.
@sean weir: i do and it was back in the day. Alchohol can also have an immediate and negative effect on some people.
But that’s not the point.
Tread carefully
@offside again: You’re offside again.
@Donna Fallon: Legalisation that allowed people to grow a few plants and organised regulated dispensaries to sell to adult consumers as in other jurisdictions, would greatly reduce the risk of young people buying cannabis laced with other drugs, etc, to either increase potency or just to add weight.
It wouldn’t end the business of drug dealers, but it would give people better options and likely clean up the entire market, especially if testing of cannabis products was easily available to consumers, then any contamination of the pure product would be made evident, making it less appealing and harder to sell, which would therefore force even the non-regulated market to clean up it’s act.
@Dvsespaña: wow man
@Donna Fallon: utter nonsense
@Donna Fallon: I feel you nothing about Cannabis Donna, but it seems you know everything. I’m conflicted.
@Basildon Joe: For the sake of any unsuspecting reader; If a person experiences Psychosis OR an extremely rare case of Schizophrenia it is 100% because they are predisposed to it!… know yourself, don’t wait to find out!
@Thesaltyurchin: Lol I wish I knew everything!! No on a serious note, I have first hand experience of the negative effects of THC. When I was young, I used to travel almost monthly to Amsterdam- wasn’t my drug of choice personally. However, I’ve family members and close friends whose lives have literally been arrested due to abuse of that substance- I’m not talking about those who have the occasional spliff.
@Shimo F: Prove me wrong!!
@Donna Fallon: eh no. You don’t.
@Donna Fallon: Appreciate that’s your version of reality Donna, but that’s a tiny, tiny percentage of people who are mostly fine. My lived experience is one where everyone who enjoys Cannabis is completely normal, with families and very active lives, zero mental health knock on (if anything in the opposite direction!). The only negative is organised crime but with more people growing at home this could be wiped out (never entirely, but to the point where it makes little revenue), leaving facilities and law enforcement free to actually save lives. Genuinely believe society is worse off on the outside of issues like this, in Ireland tho we do like people to be ‘worse off’ tho
@sean weir: You’ve obviously never seen the teenagers with irreversible psychological problems due to early cannabis use. I see these kids every day, crippled with anxiety and depression that they’ll have to live with for the rest of their lives. Every one of them says the same thing, that cannabis is harmless. Multiple independent studies show the harm that this drug does to young brains. Just because you don’t know anyone affected doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
@stephen deegan: That’s an excellent reason to legalise and regulate.
@Donna Fallon: That is exactly what it does. Controls the quality of the product and makes it safer for everyone.
@HisMastersAlibi: The new hybrid stuff is shockingly strong. It is not like the mellow pout stuff of the past. Very speedy!
@Basildon Joe: I have never in nearly 50 years of knowing about it. Seen anybody use cannabis and get violent. Other drugs yes they do but a dope head is too laid back to get angry!
Toby and Sam are two beautiful Springer Spaniels, lovely temperament, clever and great with kids!
The article reads like a 12 year old has written it .
A “dab rig” really????
@sean weir: Google “dab rig” .
We are not accustomed to this in Ireland, cos the product is extremely unusual here. I believe it’s probably similar to an electric vaporiser, but which will contain the melted substance, which becomes liquid when heated.
I think there are many such products available to buy online.
@sean weir: It’s hilarious eh? Design to terrify boomers and the good sky fearing Irish, lol. This is all old old, largely inconsequential news. Even the commenter above is mystified by “dab rig”
The country is riddled with Drugs & is the gateway to Europe from Drug Lords. Drug gangs in control of many communities now & communities suffering from Crimes connected to Drugs, all thanks to our ineffective Minister for Justice, Helen Mc Entee, who has overseen the collapse of Law & Order, a failed Justice system, dysfunctional Garda Siochana & overcrowded Prisons, too busy bringing in the harshest Hate Crime legislation in Europe, which became law last night. Govt will now use these Hate Laws to silence all free speech & criticism of their open door Immigration policies. We had a senior Garda figure state inaccuracies on National Television this week around vetting of Immigrants. Eurodac data base does not cover Criminality in Africa or the Middle East !
Them dogs look like they’re on butane honey oil.
@Bills n Stuff: well they’d have to be. That’s how they are trained.
I am sure it’s great for your lungs
Zero tolerance
@James Leahy: ooof we’d love a bit of zero tolerance eh? Walking into peoples living rooms and forcing them to live like us… cannot wait
@Thesaltyurchin: who mentioned walking into people’s living rooms.Zero tolerance on our roads ie drug and drink driving.
@James Leahy: We already prosecute drivers who are completely sober for having trace amounts of non psychoactive THC metabolites in their system. How zero tolerance would you like it to get ?
Jeepers! look at us gather ‘the news’, with no shoes, in the pouring rain. How do we even manage, lol.
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Source: Mohamad Almasamleh" title="">
Source: Mohamad Almasamleh" title="">
Source: Mohamad Almasamleh" title="">
Source: Mohamad Almasamleh" title="">
Source: Mohamad Almasamleh" title="">
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