Syria’s Women Prisoners, Drawn by an Artist Who Was One

I love the remarks below that connect these prisoners to what WE are doing today at our borders -- and in Israel and other places of the world. Our present government and its Grand Old Party is capable, I believe, of all that we see in the prisons of Syria -- they would not shrink from this terror if it meant they could stay in power.

The stories behind each of Azza Abo Rebieh's pieces of art only further enhance the intensity and meaning of her creations. Though many stories provided were unique and stood out in their own way, one story stood out to me above the rest. That story was "The Crushed Bird" and this story stood out to me for a few reasons. The first reason being, that due to previous knowledge of the security in the prison (specifically that Azza Abo Rebieh is an artist) they allowed her to create a piece while detained. The Second reason this story stood out was because of the prompt for her drawing and the execution and interpretation of the prompt. Hate is such an open ended idea and the image in a person's head regarding hate can be very personal and unique. Her image in particular was very striking due to the fact that, at face value you can see hatred but, if you look a little further into it and interpret the imagery for yourself the meaning can be enhanced and the overall picture will become much darker. Finally, I believe that the most shocking thing regarding this story is the reaction of the interrogator. The fact that he asked for a drawing of hatred and knowing this he seemingly believed that he is the embodiment of hatred for this woman is chilling. Not only that, he specifically said that he will destroy the woman and the other inmates. I believe that this reaction coming from the man is one of the creepiest things I have ever heard in terms of a reaction to an art piece.

Hats off to this brave woman and the brave women she draws.

This is why art, perhaps only art, gives me hope and the desire to kerp on living and loving life.

For every person depicted in Miss Azza's drawings, there are hundreds more that remain faceless or missing. Miss Azza has brought the plight of these women to the fore.

I was holding back my tears when I was reading this article. The arts pieces are really powerful. Sometimes you read the news about horrible things happen in the war torn countries and you become numb. You forgot that these people are just like us with dreams and families and hobbies and talents. I know this is really useless sentence for some people but my prayer and thoughts to these poor women.

Our whining, self-pitying Trump throwing kids in cages and dehumanizing their parents is part of the same twisted mentality that later just can kill you for a dictator's political needs or for no reason at all. "Civilization" is paper thin and we have to work to keep it from being destroyed- in ourselves as well as our governments.

Art that comes from pain is always the best for its intensity. Thank Allah Ms. Abo Rebieh was not the dove finally released to death at the hands of the evil.

This story proves press is not the enemy of the people!

The powerful and simple drawings by Azza Abo Rebieh of fellow female inmates in Syria’s notorious detention system are a modern version of Francisco Goya’s drawings “Los caprichos” drawn in 1797 and 1798 during the Napoleon’s occupation of Spain. Goya’s drawings of the horrors of war apply to Syria today.

Ms. Azza Abo Reibeh, thank you for paying such close attention to beautiful humanity right around you, in horrific circumstances. You are the true war hero. Every woman depicted in your portraits deserves a better life. And the people who have created such an unspeakable disaster in Syria, what do they deserve?

Thank you for writing this very moving piece and thank you to Azza Abo Rebieh for making real the lives of her fellow inmates. Too often we forget about the "regular" people who are affected by the "headline events" which we read about. The Iranian support of Hezbollah and the support they and Russia give to Assad have real and tragic consequences. These pictures were haunting and unforgettable.

"Like grace marching into our lives, unbidden. Sometimes recognized, more often hidden..." Joyce Carol Oates Wild Bamboo, Late August

Thank you, Azza Abo Rebieh. Artists do change the world. Your Courage and Art is powerful testimony and reaches us.

Ms. Abo Reibeh’s work is compelling, beautiful and profound. I very much hope that she will be able to pursue her work. She should be granted a MacArthur Fellowship for her originality and potential and issued a US visa.

Achingly poignant. And having the back stories only intensifies that. We, the human race, are capable of such unimaginable cruelty to our own species. Do the guards not recognize their mothers, their sisters, their wives, their daughters?

Seeing only commercial artists in big museums is getting tiresome anyway, a welcome addition.

Incredible. Incredible art. Incredible courage. Incredible compassion. Thank you Abo Rebieh. You have opened my eyes and my heart.

These are really good. Out of an outrageous vicious war.

Dear Azza Abo Rebieh, I hope that every mark that you made on a piece of paper was able to provide some relief from the nightmare that was your "studio". Going into your studio always takes great courage and you had to face this challenge in a way I cannot even imagine. You are my hero! To the rest of you go out and buy a piece of artwork from an artist. Artists need your support more than ever. Best wishes.

Incredible powerful and heart-breaking works of art. Haunting...

Anna Akhmatova's Requiem comes to mind, a section quoted below - INSTEAD OF A PREFACE During the frightening years of the Yezhov terror, I spent seventeen months waiting in prison queues in Leningrad. One day, somehow, someone 'picked me out'. On that occasion there was a woman standing behind me, her lips blue with cold, who, of course, had never in her life heard my name. Jolted out of the torpor characteristic of all of us, she said into my ear (everyone whispered there) - 'Could one ever describe this?' And I answered - 'I can.' It was then that something like a smile slid across what had previously been just a face. [The 1st of April in the year 1957. Leningrad]

Hauntingly beautiful art. Hauntingly terrifying reality for these and the thousands of other prisoners. My heart aches.

Amazing. These pencil and paper drawings convey more truth about the Syrian war than any number of long-reads or digital images. Yes, truth is still alive! Thank you.

Will the suffering of the Syrian people (women, children, and men) ever end? The world continues to watch as hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians continue to be tortured and slaughtered simply because they wanted to live a life with dignity, freedom, and respect. We should all feel collective shame for turning our backs on them. “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” — Elie Wiesel

The woman's courage and perserverance is beyond anything we in western democracies can imagine. Her tormentors however know and understand well what they are doing: the imposition of terror. Allies of those tormentors include not just the Syrian regime, but the Iranian theocracy and Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin has another ally in the White House. And many more in the party formerly known as Republicans.

What an amazing article - she shows so clearly how dehumanizing others is a really important part of the insanity of a system off the rails. The guard who told her he was happy to be portrayed as a character crushing a bird was chilling. Amazing too that Goya's drawings and etchings reached across centuries to Ms Rebieh and she is turn reached the women in prison and us as well. Dictators hate artists for a reason. She is incredibly brave- something so rare right now.

a beautiful form of witness for such a tragic situation- thank you for publishing this story.

Perhaps the libertarian Cato Institute, now funding Rand Paul's bizarre and obsequious pilgrimage to Putin's Moscow lair, can have Senator Paul take some of these sketches along on his next trip. It would be a start to prove that Cato, and Rand, do stand for human liberty, even for women, and even in Syria. It would be a counterpoint from Cato's and Paul's normal vapid grandstanding and self promotion.

ASSAD's murderous assaults on his own people, aided by Russia, Iran and the US under Obama who drew the red line, but then failed to enforce it, which further emboldened Assad who then saw our c-in-c as a weakling, a "petite nature" easily taken advantage of, 1 wonders of what utility is the United Nations, the West since we have remained, "les bras croises" for 8 years while the slaughter of innocents goes on. At what point does the world say enough is enough, and topple Assad, by fair means or foul?Artist who is the subject of the article is a brave woman and talented, and she too must wonder at the lack of concern of Western nations for the sanctity of life and the human rights of those living in embattled , rebel held areas!Neither Obama nor Trump nor the UN has done anything to bring this dreadful chapter in history to a close, and would we be any worse off if there were no UN, and countries were forced to settle accounts among themselves? A boondoggle costing hundreds of millions of Euros yearly!

This is a great story on so many levels. Bringing the horror of the war in Syria to the front page of the Times where it should be, putting in in the capable hands of this woman artist who is indeed a direct descendant of Goya, perhaps knocking Trump out of our thoughts for just a nanno second being only a few. The Times is to be commended I think.

Just when you think your gut’s survived its worst wrenching, Ms. Rabeih’s drawings give yet another excruciating squeeze. What is most striking is the taunting request by the guards that she draw…”dance for me”…and then, instead of showing some glimmer of humanity, the guards express a sickening pride that they are the all-powerful tormentors. Pre-Trump, even in the Bush era, I was hopeful that when the NYT would highlight such atrocities the world and our government would feel shamed into taking some action on behalf of the victims. I have no such hope with our current administration. When I look at the mesmerizing, horrifying drawing, “Still Singing”, I wonder where we fit into that scene. I also wonder how long until the captive and crushed bird's song is silenced.

We can't expect the current American regime to do much about their counterparts in Syria. Trump is in bed with Putin who is in bed with Assad, and that's the end of that. Whatever Mueller discovers about Trump's conspiracy with Kremlin agents or Trump's attempts to obstruct justice, the GOP won't vote to impeach Trump. And the US electorate is so apathetic and spineless not enough American voters will turn out in November to remove GOP majorities in either the House or the Senate. But Obama had the chance to do something about Assad and failed. Just as Obama failed to stick up for pregnant girls who wanted to take the morning after pill, failed to stick up for gay marriage, failed to shut Guantanamo as he had promised during his campaign, failed to strengthen protections for whistleblowers and leakers. Baby Bush followed by Obama, followed by the choice of Trump or Clinton. And now you have Trump, the worst POTUS in the history of America. But face it – your last first rate president was Roosevelt. None of those who followed have been much cop. America has been in decline for almost three quarters of a century.

Azza Abo Rehieh reporting and bearing witness in Syria - showing once again the importance of art. Thank you for reporting this. Thank you .

It is time for Iran, Hezbollah and Russia to leave Syria. These actors have played major role in problems you read about in this article along with the man they support Assad.

Ms. Abo Rebieh enriches the world.

A crushing testimony to read through. What a horrific thing to do to these women. Absolutely gut wrenching. Disgustingly evil people priding themselves in destroying ordinary people as though in the palms of their hands. Every actor involved in the Syrian tragedy who condones these acts is not a human being. This lady and her art should continue to be supported.

So this is how people "disappear." I hope these women will "reappear" one day. And there will be another article in the New York Times with real photos of the women after they were released and found their families and new safe homes. They will have to live with the nightmares from the past, but they will have the present and the future to live for. ... Maybe Ms. Abo Rebieh's drawings will help that happen.

Unfortunately, this is the price of uninvited regime change schemes - the innocent always pay a very heavy price. Of course, so did Americans, whose billions of tax dollars were shifted to al-Qaeda affiliates commissioned to do the dirty work. We should all be ashamed. Because of us and our allies, the worst were drawn from all over the world to wreck Syria and these people's lives. As horrible as it has been for them, I'm sure they're thankful they're not living under ISIS rule, and if not, they should be.

I'm been reading about the barbarism of the Syrian civil war for years but Azza's story and her moving, expert, and gut wrenching drawings really hit me in the gut regarding the needless pain and suffering of the Syrian people compliments of the Assad regime. I'll never understand man's inhumanity against men, women and children.

What a courageous Beautiful soul. Her art is truly great as is her heart.

powerful art and thank you for writing of it.

I am ashamed to admit it, but living within the Trump cacophony makes me forget how many people really suffer around the world. The Syria horror has seemingly gone on forever. Just another reason Americans simply must vote -- we need to focus our attention on real problems instead of "fake news" coming from the White House.

Glorious, beautiful, painful work - words could not better express the many layers of suffering and betrayal humans heap upon one another. Thank you.