Why is 'ya hef' important for the Syrian revolution?

What is it about?

When the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, protestors stood up to their politicians through songs and slogans. The expression 'ya hef', roughly translated as 'what a shame', belongs to this repertoire of revolutionary discourse. The article sheds light on the multi-layered meanings of 'ya hef', taking into consideration its explicit and implicit references. To provide the reader with a rounded experience of the term, the article also investigates a revolutionary song and its various counter-iterations produced by pro-Asad members.

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Photo by mohammad samir on Unsplash

Photo by mohammad samir on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This article captures one of the many powerful voices of the Arab spring protests and embarks on a journey to unravel the underlying meanings of the revolutionary slogan and song ‘ya hef’. This article is important because it translates the resilience of the Syrian people against state-sanctioned violence, and it explains how this phrase constitutes a narrative of national recovery. It shows how the slogan ‘ya hef’ in its song form taps into moral values by accusing pro-Asad forces of brotherly betrayal. It also elicits a strong response from the protestors’ because the song frames contemporary massacres in Syria within past state-sponsored atrocities. This paper may interest Arabists, sociolinguists, and political analysts, as well as anyone who has a general interest in the Arab spring protests.

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