Abdul Baset al-Sarout explained

Abdul Baset al-Sarout
Birth Date:1 January 1992
Birth Place:Homs, Syria
Death Place:Reyhanlı, Hatay, Turkey
Allegiance: Syrian opposition
Branch:
Serviceyears:2011–2019
Unit:
Battles:
Module:
Embed:yes
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthyears1:?–2011
Youthclubs1:Al-Karamah
Caps1:132
Nationalyears1:2007–2008
Nationalyears2:2009–2010
Nationalteam1:Syria U17
Nationalteam2:Syria U202007-2010 = Syria national team

Abdul Baset al-Sarout (Arabic: عبد الباسط الساروت; 1 January 1992 – 8 June 2019) was a Syrian association football goalkeeper and prominent rebel figure during the Syrian Civil War. He represented his country at both the U17 and U20 levels.[3]

Biography

Abdul Baset was born to a Bedouin family in Al-Bayadah, Homs.[4] Prior to the Syrian revolution, he was a soccer goalkeeper for both Al-Karamah SC and the Syrian national team.[5] When the uprising started, he led demonstrations in his hometown of Homs, where for a period of time he hosted the actress Fadwa Soliman, with whom he held rallies demanding the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as other general demands of the Syrian uprising. As violence erupted between pro and antigovernmental groups, all four of his brothers were killed by Syrian security forces. His uncle, Mohiey Edden al-Sarout, was killed in November 2011 in Homs.[6] He became well known for his chants during anti-government demonstrations. Initially, his speeches and chants were mostly nationalist in nature, but in line with the rising influence of Islamism among Syrian rebel groups, they gradually adopted more overtly religious and sectarian undertones.[7] During the Siege of Homs from 2011 to 2014, he became a Syrian rebel commander.[8]

Arab-speaking media networks like Al Jazeera and Al Araby described him as a "well known icon in the Syrian uprising",[9] as well as by the epithet "Keeper of the Revolution", a wordplay on him being an ex-goalkeeper.[10] [11] After the disintegration of the Free Syrian Army, he became a commander in the rebel group Jaysh al-Izza.[12] [13]

Sarout survived at least three assassination attempts during his time as a rebel commander. During one attempt, 50 fighters from his unit, the Bayada Martyrs' Brigade, were killed.[1] He was featured in the 2013 war documentary The Return to Homs.[14]

In 2014, he was among the rebels evacuated from Homs to the rebel-held Idlib Governorate by the Syrian government, following the surrender deal that ended the Siege of Homs.[15] [16]

In November 2015, Sarout and the Bayada Martyrs' Brigade came into conflict with the Al-Nusra Front. The Al-Nusra forces attacked Sarout and his fighters over a claim that Sarout had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[17] Sarout denied the claim, but admitted he had considered joining ISIL, as he started viewing the jihadist group as the only force capable of fighting the Syrian Government.[18] He stated that he gave up on joining the group after realizing that it was primarily concerned with setting up a caliphate, rather than fighting the government. He added that while he didn't join the militant group, he would also refuse to fight against it.[19]

On 29 May 2017, Sarout was arrested by Tahrir al-Sham after being accused of participating in an anti-HTS protest in Maarat al-Nu'man.[20] He was released on 24 June and charges against him were dropped.[21]

Death

He died on 8 June 2019, during the 2019 Northwestern Syria offensive, after engaging in combat with the Syrian Army at Tal Malah village.[22] [23] According to a Jayish al-Izza spokesperson, as well as the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, he died in a Turkish hospital in Reyhanlı, Hatay from wounds sustained two days prior,[24] when he was struck by Syrian Army artillery, after his unit clashed with the army in northern Hama.[25] [26] He was taken a day later to the village of Al-Dana in rebel-held northwestern Syria, to be buried with one of his deceased brothers.

Controversy

At a 2012 opposition rally, Al-Sarout chanted, "We are all Jihadists, Homs has made its decision, we will exterminate the Alawites, and the Shiites have to go".[27]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Document: rebel commander robs 2.3 Million $ allocated to break Homs Siege. Zaman al-Wasl. 16 June 2014.
  2. Web site: الساروت أوصى بـ"المهاجر" خليفةً له .. لماذا ومن هو !؟. Step News Agency. ar. 23 June 2019.
  3. Web site: Football in times of crisis: Syrian game continues on as inspiration, propaganda, shadow. Ahmed. Rizvi. 20 July 2015. 27 September 2022. thenationalnews.com. The National News Sport. https://web.archive.org/web/20210522123205/https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football-in-times-of-crisis-syrian-game-continues-on-as-inspiration-propaganda-shadow-1.16805. 22 May 2021.
  4. Web site: الساروت.. وأول عام على الفجيعة... عدنان عبد الرزاق* . www.zamanalwsl.net . 7 February 2022 . ar.
  5. Web site: 9 Jun 2022 . ar:"حارس الثورة السورية".. ثلاثة أعوام على رحيل عبد الباسط الساروت . "Keeper of the Syrian Revolution" .. Third Death Anniversary of Abdul Baset Sarout . 27 Jun 2022 . . ar.
  6. Web site: Abdul Baset Al-Sarout - Songs of the Syrian Revolution. . 9 June 2019. 24 August 2016.
  7. News: Syrian Soccer Star, Symbol of Revolt, Dies After Battle. 8 June 2019. The New York Times. 9 June 2019. 0362-4331.
  8. Web site: London 2012 Olympics: Syrian goalkeeper takes a stand in Homs as national side aim for Olympics. https://web.archive.org/web/20120315055023/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/jmagnay1/100024280/london-2012-olympics-syrian-goalkeeper-makes-a-stand-in-homs-as-national-side-aim-for-olympics/. dead. 15 March 2012. Telegraph. 15 March 2012. 13 March 2012.
  9. Web site: Abdul Baset Al Sarout Live Blog. AlJazeera.net. 15 March 2012. 2012.
  10. Web site: 2019 . ar:رحيل عبد الباسط الساروت "حارس الثورة السورية" . Departure of Abul Baset Al Sarout, The Keeper of the Syrian Revolution . 9 June 2019 . .
  11. Web site: Syria reacts to Arab League suspension – Sunday 13 November 2011. Guardian. 16 March 2012. 13 November 2011.
  12. Web site: Former Syrian National Team member turned rebel commander reportedly dead after Hama battle. News Desk. 8 June 2019. AMN – Al-Masdar News المصدر نيوز. 8 June 2019. 8 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190608142959/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/former-syrian-national-team-member-turned-rebel-commander-reportedly-dead-after-hama-battle/. dead.
  13. Web site: Syrian football goalie who became rebel icon dies in battle. www.egyptindependent.com. 8 June 2019 . 8 June 2019.
  14. Web site: The Return To Homs. Proaction/Ventana Films. 16 August 2015. 20 November 2013.
  15. News: Star soccer player turned rebel icon dies in Syria fighting. 8 June 2019. Reuters. 8 June 2019.
  16. Web site: Syrian footballer, singer and rebel Abd al-Basset al-Sarout killed in northern Syria. Middle East Eye. 8 June 2019.
  17. Web site: Nusra turns guns on rebels in effort to capture 'only corridor' into blockaded north Homs. Syria Direct. 4 November 2015. 9 November 2015. 25 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125020907/https://syriadirect.org/news/nusra-turns-guns-on-rebels-in-effort-to-capture-%E2%80%98only-corridor%E2%80%99-into-blockaded-north-homs. dead.
  18. News: Syrian 'rebel icon' dies after clashes. 8 June 2019. 9 June 2019.
  19. Web site: Syrian rebel leader's death spurs debate about his legacy. Bulos. Nabih. Los Angeles Times. 11 June 2019 . 11 June 2019.
  20. Web site: Front victory arrest Abdul Baset Al-Sarout on charges of incitement. Al Etihad Press. 30 May 2017. 30 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170603231234/http://aletihadpress.com/2017/05/30/%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B7-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%87. 3 June 2017. dead.
  21. Web site: "Edit Sham" acquits Abdel Basset Alsarut. Enab Baladi. 24 June 2017.
  22. Web site: 'Revolution Icon' Abdul Basset al-Sarout died of wounds sustained in Hama battles: commander. 8 June 2019. Zaman Al Wasl. 8 June 2019.
  23. News: Syrian footballer and 'singer of revolution' killed in conflict. 8 June 2019. The Guardian. 8 June 2019. 0261-3077.
  24. Web site: Syrian goalie-turned rebel icon dies in Turkey. Ahval. 9 June 2019.
  25. Web site: The death of Abdul Basit al Sarout on Jun 8, due to wounds sustained in a shelling by Syrian regime on a front in Hama. xmarn. 8 June 2019. Syrian Network for Human Rights. 8 June 2019. 8 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190608124837/http://sn4hr.org/sites/news/2019/06/08/death-abdul-basit-al-sarout-jun-8-due-wounds-sustained-shelling-syrian-regime-front-hama/. dead.
  26. Web site: Syrian goalkeeper who became rebel icon dies in Hama battle. www.aljazeera.com. 8 June 2019.
  27. Web site: Testekin . Fehim . 2019-06-12 . The Syrian funeral that divided Turkey - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East . 2023-12-29 . www.al-monitor.com . en.

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