On the first anniversary of the death of Abdul Qadir al-Saleh, commander of Al Tawhid Brigade, the Syrian Coalition said that “Saleh made of his body a bridge for the future generations to cross towards freedom and justice, inspired by his bravery and sacrifice. On this day, we bow with full respect to Saleh and his comrades who sacrificed their lives so that other Syrians can live: Colonel Mustafa Shadod, Abu Furat and Hassan and Yasser Al Aboud and Abu Yazan Al-Shami, who joined the train of the fallen heroes of the peaceful movement. Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, said that the sacrifices made by Saleh and other rebels commanders are as great as the ones made by the peaceful protestors who were faced with Assad’s criminal thugs on the first day of the revolution. In commemoration of this day, March 18, 2014 we in the Syrian Coalition proclaim it the Fallen Heroes Day, and reaffirm our determination not to deviate from the demands of the Syrian people.” Hariri also said that “since the first day of the Syrian Revolution, the Assad regime pursued the policy of the elimination of the voices that advocates moderation, coexistence and that rejects extremism, fully aware that these voices will serve as the rallying cry that will unify all Syrians against tyranny and dictatorship. Also we cannot but pay tribute to Colonel Mustafa Shaddoud, who emerged from among Assad’s troops, laid down his weapon, and headed directly to the FSA fighters and addressed them in words that still resonate in the ears of whoever heard them: I am your brother, I am a Syrian just like you, let’s stop killing each other. But the Assad regime and the sectarian militias fighting alongside its side found it hard to accept these words because they threaten its very existence which is based on sowing division and discord among the Syrian people. Few days after this conversation held between Shaddoud and the FSA fighters, Assad’s criminal thugs silenced this voice once and for all, sending a clear message to whoever might get out of the line drawn by Assad. We are quite certain that Shaddoud is one of thousands of pro-Assad soldiers who paid with their lives for dissociating themselves from Assad’s vicious campaign against the Syrian people. Assad is still blind to the fact that what is happening in Syria is a popular uprising against injustice and tyranny, and still under the illusion that he can crush the revolution with force of arms.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
