2011 uprising

The city of Daraa was the starting point of the 2011 uprising against the regime lead by Bashar Al-Assad. It all started when 15 children from the same family (Al-Abazeed) were arrested in early March 2011 for writing an anti regime slogan on the wall of their school. The children's ages ranged between 9 and 15 years. After attempts to negotiate the release of the children were rejected by the local government, a few hundred protesters gathered in front of Oumari Mosque on March 15, 2011 calling for reforms and end of corruption. Soon after the gathering increased in size and it is reported that over 3000 people protested on the first day. This protest was faced with Syrian security forces opening fire on the protesters killing 4 people.

Since then, the city of Daraa and the surrounding villages have had daily protests. Which lead to several waves of major crack downs on the city which started on March 23 with invading the Oumari mosque which was being used as a field hospital for the injured during the protests. In early April, the Syrian Army's fourth fleet lead by Maher Al-Assad (Bashar's younger brother) surrounded the area of Oumari mosque shelling neighborhoods with heavy artillery.

It is reported that over 500 civilians have been killed in Daraa since the start of the uprising.

Further reading

• T.E. Lawrence, (various editions) Seven Pillars of Wisdom
  Seven Pillars of Wisdom
  Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British soldier T. E. Lawrence , while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918....
  
  , Chapter LXXX
• J.G. Schumacher,(1886) Across the Jordan, pp. 1–148;

External links

• Official Site of Daraa Governorate
• s:Encyclopaedia Biblica/Ecclesiasticus-Eglon (king)#EDREI