Music returns to Idlib’s airwaves as Islamists lose their grip

FOR the millions of terrified civilians living in the last opposition-held pocket of Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s latest bombardment has brought nothing but misery.

But as the bombs rained down on Idlib with increasing frequency in recent weeks, there has been a silver lining of sorts – the return of music.

As Assad’s forces push to take back one of the last remaining slices of Syria they do not control, Islamists no longer have time to demand radio shows remove music from the airwaves, in line

with strict religious law. Between the thud of air strikes and cracks of gunfire radios are now able to play tunes for the first time in five years.

“Because of the bombardment and displacement, terror groups are losing power over people,” said Abdulwareth al-Bakour, executive director of Radio Fresh, a radio station in Idlib.

“They are still a threat, but civilians hate them even more and blame them for what’s happening.”

More moderate rebels displaced from cities like Aleppo have been penned inside the province alongside jihadists. Despite a supposed ceasefire,

Syrian regime and Russian air strikes have stepped up in recent weeks – displacing about half a million people and killing 300 since December.

Mr Bakour has been running Radio Fresh under dire conditions for the province’s three million people.

At its height, the station would broadcast anti-regime satire, entertainment programmes and reports from around the country. In current reduced circumstances, it focuses on news and broadcasting warnings of air strikes.

As Islamists gained power, the station was banned from broadcasting women’s voices and playing music.

Songs were replaced with sound effects and the voices of female journalists were digitally altered to sound male. But in the recent dire conditions the rules seem to have been relaxed.

“In June, after the bombing and displacement increased, we played revolutionary songs,” Mr Bakour said. They feared workers would be targeted as a result, or Radio Fresh would be shut down. But it was not commented on, so they started playing music again.

“They are either listening but ignoring it because they’ve lost power. Or they’re not listening because they’re too busy fighting,” said Mr Bakour.

Working on the station has been fraught with risk. In November 2018, two of Radio Fresh’s founding members, Raed Fares and Hamoud Junaid, were assassinated while in December the station was targeted with barrel bombs, which destroyed equipment. It is now working out of secret locations.

Mr Bakour’s remaining hopes lie with the rebels’ backer, Turkey. “We still have hope that Turkey is responding to the regime attacks,” he said.

Clashes between Assad forces and Turkish troops, this week have been the most significant conflict between the two countries in the nine-year war.