E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSJaphet Weeks, a 31-year-old American freelance video journalist, just returned from a weeklong trip to Damascus, where he found a suprising level of quiet and normalcy in a country wracked by civil war.
Japhet Weeks
A spice merchant in Damascus's old city.
Weeks wrote in an email to NBCNews.com on Wednesday:
While fighting continues in the suburbs -- and of course most recently bombs went off in the center today -- I was surprised by how regular Damascenes seem to be trying to get on with their lives. The markets are crowded. Vegetable stands are overflowing with fresh produce. People continue to get married with lavish celebrations. Children are out playing in the streets.
Still, signs of the ongoing conflict are everywhere: military checkpoints are frequent, there is an increased number of displaced and mostly poor families, smoke rises from fire fights between government soldiers and rebels in the capital's suburbs.
Japhet Weeks
Images of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad and his father, Hafez, hang at an unmanned checkpoint in Damascus.
Weeks' images of daily life in Syria's capital are a stark contrast to many tragic images coming out of the northern parts of the country, where fighting is fiercest. In those areas, most journalists sneak into the country in order to work independently, though they often rely on rebel troops or aid groups to help guide or shelter them. Weeks used an official visa as part of a video crew centering their work in Damascus. That city is known to be a regime stronghold, so he was accompanied by a government representative who limited his ability to photograph places where fighting was happening, buildings that were deemed a security risk, as well as government soldiers.
Japhet Weeks
Syrian children in Damascus's Christian quarter.
Most of the citizens encountered by the crew were in favor of President Bashar Assad, though it was hard to discern how much of their commentary was influenced by the government guide's presence. Those residents described the battles as occurring between Syria's army and terrorists sent in by surrounding countries to destabilize Assad, a view touted by state-run television.
Japhet Weeks
Smoke rises from fighting between government soldiers and rebels on the outskirts of Damascus.
Despite working inside this "bubble," Weeks said his use of an iPhone camera (using the Hipstamatic app and the Ben Lowy filter with borders cropped out), and shooting subtly "from the hip," enabled him to capture more candid moments than he can typically film with his much larger video camera on a tripod.
Most days in the capital, Weeks saw large plumes of smoke rising from outlying areas. Despite his proximity to the fighting, Weeks was struck by the lack of a heavy military presence in the capital's center. But that may change as rebels strike closer to the heart of the regime this week and Assad's troops fight back.
Japhet Weeks
A man leans against a car in Damascus.
Weeks said it was hard to come to grips with the dichotomies he was witnessing. After seeing a man who was seemingly relaxed while leaning against a car, he was struck by the fact that in other parts of the country, hundreds of thousands of people have fled fighting. Another example happened the first night in his hotel, where he found an opulent wedding in progress. "I guess she has a right to have her perfect wedding day. It shouldn't really matter that her countrymen are slaughtering each other somewhere else. But at some point it should matter, you know? There should there be more austerity. It all just made me more confused leaving than I was arriving."
Japhet Weeks
A wedding taking place in the lobby of the photographer's hotel. The noisy celebration included traditional singing, women wearing shimmering, sequined miniskirts, and men in suits. For Damascus's wealthy life seems to be going on despite the country's civil war.
Japhet Weeks
A Syrian man walks while texting in Damascus.
Japhet Weeks
Damascus at sunset.
Manu Brabo / AP
A look back at the violence that has overtaken the country
Related content:
Leave a Comment:
THAT'S GOES TO SHOW THAT THESE TERRORISTS THUGS , SAUDIS AD QATARIS ALQIDA THUGS , SUPPORTED BY NATO AND THE US , are trying to destroy Syria and bring destruction to it , just like they did in Libya , shame on our politicians , they are arming and training the thugs that attacked here on 9/11 and in Libya and Afghanistan , but we are helping them to please their Masters the Saudis and Qataris , How come nobody investigating this ,I bet they are spending million to see how Whitney Houston died , and Michael Jackson , and spent million to find out what kind of Cigar Bill Clinton used on Monica , and millions for protection for Sarah Palin . and all kind of silly stuff , but they won't spend a dime to find out , who's really behind killing our innocent people on 9/11 . and our brave troops every where in the world , and why we are supporting Alqaida in some parts of the world , and killing them in others .
Drugs?
If you were right, then all Syrians would be on the side of the government against these "foreign hands"
Yep, really calm in Syria now-a-days.
I wonder why Mr. Assad "moved" the chemical weapons which Mr. Obama drew a "red line in the sand" about moving them. What action will Mr. Obama take ?
Oh no.....ANOTHER International crisis for Mr. Obama is looming. What to do, what to do, what to do. Gosh, "I drew a "red line in the sand" now I have to make a decision. Where is Valerie Jarrett ?"
I appreciate your comments. I am trying to figure out what the truth is. Both sides are wrong and both sides are right. There have been harsh hands applied against civilians by the so called Free Syrian Army and the recognized Army. I can't say at this point that I support a regime change let alone the Free Syrian Army taking over. Much of this is about revenge and power. I fear the "day after" for all Syrians. Can you see a correlation between the Free Syrian Army and the Kosovo Liberation Army? Another similiarity is the message that was delivered to Assad. Milosevic was told that violence would bring in NATO. Of course the KLA then provoked the violence to bring them in. I don't have all of the answers but I see similiarities.
Stuff like this makes you appreciate VOTING !
This rebellion will drag on for years with neither side getting the upper hand. The government will suppress the rebels in one area only to find them re-surge in another. Fighting belligerent insurgents is like playing a game of whack-a-mole. In the end all it leads to is death, killing, and more death.
Wow! I'm ready to vacation there now! Really, I can't wait!
On the Damascus Road. I wonder if it will be anything like the Tobacco Road?
Wrong posting
I see a new business oppurtunity opening up for the candy man at the beginning of the article.
It would be awesome to receive some of his Syrian Candy in the mail just to taste something from a different country as well as having something from a different country to talk about.
I know, that candy looks good!
Syrian Willie Wonka, I was laughing so hard and then........man leaning against car. bahahaha, what a staged photo that was.
Best looking spice and candy shop I've ever seen. Dude needs to be global.
The look on his face almost resembles terror. As those there are people with guns standing behind the camera saying "look calm or else..." I know that's only conjecture, but it was what I first thought when I saw this picture.
Ido, interesting Posting and I think Assad's chemical weapons are Iraq's WMDs, so I will stay
tune.
I agree. I think that store looks cool. Don't think it meets our sanitation requirements though.
LOL look at the guy "leaning" against the car, posing for a picture, hehe.
The best pic in my opinion.
Probably worried the free army is gonna blow it up
I think that's how you lean when bullets are flying or that is one laid back cat.
Patriots! Conservatives!
Do not let the MSM sweep Benghazi Gate under the door!
America diserves answers! John Kerry & 9 Democrats are joining the GOP asking WTF? (my words)
E-Mail Twitter Call Hold the MSM accountible for NOT Holding Obama accountible! and
Thank those Democrats (including John Kerry) for putting COUNTRY B4 the Democrat party!
Put the MSM especially NBC CBS ABC on notice that the American public is not made up of Honey Boo Boos! dammint
Lies, it has nothing to do with 9/11, or a planned attack by a group we have been at war with ... its all about some movie.. yeah a movie... popcorn ?
Syrians just want to live normal, peaceful life. They don;t want war or intervention from foreign powers and mersenaries. Just stop supply"rebels" with weapons,"advisers",militants. Just leave them alone!
Cool candy store in the first picture but what's hanging from the ceiling???
Fish pops ?
Are these just some localized conflicts generated by some specific interest groups?
Or, the area has not been inflected yet.
Hope that all sizes will give time for dialogue. Dialogue, and please do it for saving people/infrastructure.
I can tell by the lack of comments thus far that much of the USA has little interest or to say about Syria's internal conflict. As long as we keep our troops from spilling their blood in this civil war, that's fine with me if we provide the rebels with a few arms and ammo to give them a fighting chance against Assad but they'll probably turn against the west and any non-Arab country that assists them after they bring Assad and his corrupt government down just to be replaced with another one as these countries truly do not comprehend or want democracy.
As for accusing other governments of corruption----we should be the last ones to talk---we have a Congress that is up to it's knees in corruption----oh yes, we call it 'Lobbying'-----sounds better!!---but it still is bribing no matter what you call it!!
I got about half way through this article and thought to myself with the last few weeks of this sites news and their omission of other news I don't really trust this site factually. BBC, Roiters , plenty of others to pick from.
So I won't join the discussion
Please everyone -read http://trust.org/alertnet/news/ancient-souk-burns-as-fighting rages-in-syrias-aleppo/ The Free Syrian Army (consisting of Libya rebel veterans-Egyptian AQ affiliate Jama al-Islamaya who do not obey FSA or co-ordinate their inraids with them (they are still going back and forth to Turkey too) although blaming the other side have destroyed EWorld Heritage Site of ancient market in Old Town (700-1,000 stores destroyed) thre hub of commerce for 2.5 mill. people. LIT on fire. Additionally other World Heritage sites affected- ancient desert city Palmyra- The Crac des Chevaliers Crusaders' Fortress- parts of Old Damascus- BabAntakya Stone Gateway to Aleppo's Old City anscient trade routes. There are ther ultra Islamists (Salafists et al)whose goal from the get-go has been to destroy any and all Heritage Sites/Tourists sites (for Infidels top boot) while waging insurgency war against Syrian g'ment (aided by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps). While it is nice to see normal picrtures- you should also see the pictures of refugees' camps in Turkey and Jordan- the drowned Syriacs/Kurds being smuggled by Turkish fishermen o Greek Islands- and others trying to escape the civil war- and the rat-a-tat goes on.
When a rebel blows himself up in a suicide attack, it just proves that America is not on their side. Suicide as a weapon is repugnant and counter to everything our country believes in. We should tread lightly because we certainly do not want suicide maniacs taking over.
In fact we should be more aggressive in the extermination of this type of thinking. We simply can not live with this philosophy. Anyone that would blow themselves up killing all forms of humans at a train station must be exterminated with the same tenacity of the Daleks.