11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

1982HamaMassacre
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheHamamassacre(Arabic:
)occurredin
February1982,whentheSyrianArabArmyandthe
DefenseCompanies,undertheordersofthecountry's
thenpresident,HafezalAssad,besiegedthetownof
Hamafor27daysinordertoquellanuprisingbythe
MuslimBrotherhoodagainstalAssad'sgovernment.[1][2]
Themassacre,carriedoutbytheSyrianArmyunder
commandingGeneralRifaatalAssad,effectivelyended
thecampaignbegunin1976bySunniMuslimgroups,
includingtheMuslimBrotherhood,againstthe
government.
InitialdiplomaticreportsfromWesterncountriesstated
that1,000werekilled.[3][4]Subsequentestimatesvary,
withthelowerestimatesclaimingthatatleast10,000
Syriancitizenswerekilled,[5]whileothersputthe
numberat20,000(RobertFisk),[1]or40,000(Syrian
HumanRightsCommittee).[2][6]About1,000Syrian
soldierswerekilledduringtheoperationandlargeparts
oftheoldcityweredestroyed.Alongsidesucheventsas
BlackSeptemberinJordan,[7]theattackhasbeen
describedasoneof"thesingledeadliestactsbyany
Arabgovernmentagainstitsownpeopleinthemodern
MiddleEast".[8]Thevastmajorityofthevictimswere
civilians.[9]
AccordingtoSyrianmedia,antigovernmentrebels
initiatedthefighting,who"pouncedonourcomrades
whilesleepingintheirhomesandkilledwhomeverthey
couldkillofwomenandchildren,mutilatingthebodies
ofthemartyrsinthestreets,driven,likemaddogs,by
theirblackhatred."Securityforcesthen"rosetoconfront
thesecrimes"and"taughtthemurderersalessonthathas
snuffedouttheirbreath".[10]

Hamamassacre
PartoftheIslamistuprisinginSyria

AsectionofHama,afterthegovernmentattack
Location
Date

2February198228February1982

Target

MuslimBrotherhood

Attacktype Siege
Deaths

2AttackbyinsurgentsinHama
3Attackbygovernmentforces
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

10,00040,000Syriancitizens
(estimatesvary)

Perpetrators HafezalAssad
RifaatalAssad
HikmatalShihabi
ShafiqFayadh
AliHaydar
AliDouba

HamaMassacre

Contents
1Background

Hama,Syria

PartofIslamistuprisinginSyria
Date

2February198228February1982

Location

Hama,SyrianArabRepublic

Result

IslamistinsurgencyinSyria
suppressed,decisiveSyrianArmy
1/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

4Fatalityestimates
5Afterthemassacre
6Seealso
7References
8Bibliography
9Furtherreading

Background
TheBa'athPartyofSyria,whichadvocatedthe
ideologiesofArabnationalismandArabsocialismhad
clashedwiththeMuslimBrotherhood,agroupwitha
conservativeideology,since1940.[11]Thetwogroups
wereopposedinimportantways.TheBa'athpartywas
nominallysecular,nationalistanddominatedbythe
minorityAlawites.TheMuslimBrotherhood,likeother
Islamistgroups,sawnationalismasunIslamicand
religionasinseparablefrompoliticsandgovernment.
MostBa'athpartymemberswerefromhumble,obscure
backgroundsandfavoredradicaleconomicpolicies,
whileSunniMuslimshaddominatedthesouqsand
landedpowerofSyria,andtendedtoviewgovernment
interventionintheeconomyasthreatening.[12]Notall
Sunninotablesbelievedinfundamentalism,buteven
thosewhodidnotoftensawtheBrotherhoodasauseful
toolagainsttheBa'ath.[13]

victory

Belligerents
DefenseCompanies
Muslim
SyrianArabArmy BrotherhoodinSyria
3rdArmouredDivision
10thArmoured
Division
14thSpecialForces
Division
MilitaryIntelligence
GeneralIntelligence
Directorate
AirForceIntelligence

Commandersandleaders
HafezalAssad
RifaatalAssad
HikmatalShihabi
ShafiqFayadh
AliHaydar
AliDouba
MohammedalKhouli

`Adnan`Uqla

Strength
DefenseCompanies:3
Brigades(12,000
soldiers)
SyrianArabArmy:4
Brigades(15,000
soldiers)
Total:About30,000
soldiers

Lessthan2000armed
volunteers

ThetownofHamainparticularwasa"strongholdof
landedconservatismandoftheMuslimBrothers,"and
"hadlongbeenaredoubtableopponentoftheBa'athist
state."[11]Thefirstfullscaleclashbetweenthetwo
occurredshortlyafterthe1963coup,inwhichthe
Ba'athpartyfirstgainedpowerinSyria.InApril1964
Casualtiesandlosses
riotsbrokeoutinHama,whereMusliminsurgentsput
Lessthan500ininitial
Allinsurgentskilled,
up"roadblocks,stockpiledfoodandweapons,ransacked fighting
between10,000to30,000
wineshops."AfteranIsmailiBa'athmilitiamanwas
civilianskilled
killed,riotsintensifiedandrebelsattacked"every
vestige"oftheBa'athpartyinHama.Tankswere
broughtintocrushtherebellionand70membersoftheMuslimBrotherhooddied,withmanyothers
woundedorcaptured,andstillmoredisappearingunderground.
AftertheclashesinHama,thesituationperiodicallyeruptedintoclashesbetweenthegovernmentand
variousIslamicsections.HoweveramoreseriouschallengeoccurredaftertheSyrianinvasionofLebanon
in1976.From1976to1982,SunniIslamistsfoughttheBa'athPartycontrolledgovernmentofSyriain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

2/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

whathasbeencalleda"longcampaignofterror".[13]In1979theBrotherhoodundertookguerrillaactivities
inmultiplecitieswithinthecountrytargetingmilitaryofficersandgovernmentofficials.Theresulting
governmentrepressionincludedabusivetactics,torture,massarrests,andanumberofmassacres.InJuly
1980,theratificationofLawNo.49mademembershipintheMuslimBrotherhoodacapitaloffense.[14]
Throughoutthefirstyearsofthe1980stheMuslimBrotherhoodandvariousotherIslamistfactionsstaged
hitandrunandbombattacksagainstthegovernment
anditsofficials,includinganearlysuccessfulattempt
toassassinatepresidentHafezalAssadon26June
1980,duringanofficialstatereceptionforthe
presidentofMali.Whenamachinegunsalvomissed
him,alAssadallegedlyrantokickahandgrenade
aside,andhisbodyguard(whosurvivedandwaslater
promotedtoamuchhigherposition)smotheredthe
explosionofanotherone.Survivingwithonlylight
injuries,alAssad'srevengewasswiftandmerciless:
onlyhourslateralargenumberofimprisonedIslamists
(reportsmorethan1200)wereexecutedintheircellsin
TadmorPrison(nearPalmyra),byunitsloyaltothe
president'sbrotherRifaatalAssad.

AttackbyinsurgentsinHama
TheeventsoftheHamamassacrebeganat2amon3
February1982.Anarmyunitsearchingtheoldcity
"stumbledonthehideoutofthelocalguerilla
commander,`UmarJawwad,"(akaAbuBakr)and
wereambushed.Otherinsurgentcellswerealertedby
SectionofHamabeforethegovernmentattack
radioand"rooftopsniperskilledperhapsascore"of
Syriansoldiers.Reinforcementswererushedtobesiege
AbuBakrwhothen"gavetheorderforageneraluprising"inHama.Mosqueloudspeakersusedforthecall
toprayercalledforjihadagainsttheBa'ath,andhundredsofIslamicinsurgentsrosetoattackthehomesof
governmentofficialsandBaathPartyleaders,overrunpolicepostsandransackarmories.Bydaybreakof
themorningof3Februarysome70leadingBa'athistshadbeenkilledandtheIslamistinsurgentsandother
oppositionactivistsproclaimedHamaa"liberatedcity",urgingSyrianstoriseupagainstthe"infidel".[15]

Attackbygovernmentforces
AccordingtoauthorPatrickSeale,"everypartyworker,everyparatroopersenttoHamaknewthatthistime
Islamicmilitancyhadtobetornoutofthecity,whateverthecost..."Themilitarywasmobilized,and
presidentHafezalAssadsentRifaat'sspecialforces(theDefensecompanies),elitearmyunitsand
Mukhabaratagentstothecity.Beforetheattack,theSyriangovernmentcalledforthecity'ssurrenderand
warnedthatanyoneremaininginthecitywouldbeconsideredarebel.Besiegedby12,000troops,the
fightinginHamalastedforthreeweeksthefirstweek"inregainingcontrolofthetown,"andthelasttwo
"inhuntingdowntheinsurgents."[15]RobertFisk,inhisbookPitytheNation,describedhowcivilianswere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

3/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

fleeingHamawhiletanksandtroopsweremovingtowardsthecity'soutskirtstostartthesiege.Hecites
reportsofhighnumbersofdeathsandshortagesoffoodandwaterfromfleeingciviliansandfrom
soldiers.[16]
AccordingtoAmnestyInternational,theSyrianmilitarybombedtheoldcitycenterfromtheairtofacilitate
theentryofinfantryandtanksthroughthenarrowstreetsbuildingsweredemolishedbytanksduringthe
firstfourdaysoffighting.Largepartsoftheoldcityweredestroyed.Therearealsounsubstantiatedreports
ofuseofhydrogencyanidebythegovernmentforces.[17]Afterencounteringfierceresistance,Rifaat's
forcesringedthecitywithartilleryandshelleditfor
threeweeks.
Aftertheinitialattacks,militaryandinternalsecurity
personnelweredispatchedtocombthroughtherubble
forsurvivingmembersoftheMuslimBrotherhoodand
theirsympathizers.[18]Tortureandmassexecutionsof
suspectedrebelsympathizersensued,killingmany
thousandsoverseveralweeks.Rifaat,suspectingthat
rebelswerestillhidingintunnelsundertheoldcity,
haddieselfuelpumpedintothemandsetablazeand
stationedT72tanksatthetunnelentrancestoshell
peopletryingtoescapefromthetunnels.[19]

Fatalityestimates

HafezalAssad(right),presidentofSyria.His
brotherRifaatalAssad(left)supposedlysupervised
theoperation

Initialdiplomaticreportsfromwesterngovernmentsin
1982hadbelievedthat1000werekilledinthefighting.[3][4]Subsequentestimatesofcasualtiesvaryfrom
7,000to40,000peoplekilled,includingabout1,000soldiers.RobertFisk,whowasinHamashortlyafter
themassacre,originallyestimatedfatalitiesat10,000,buthassincedoubledtheestimateto20,000.[1][20][21]
Thepresident'sbrotherRifaatreportedlyboastedofkilling38,000people.[22]AmnestyInternational
initiallyestimatedthedeathtollwasbetween10,000and25,000,thevastmajoritycivilians.[8]
ReportsbytheSyrianHumanRightsCommitteeestimate"over25,000"[23]orbetween30,000to40,000
peoplewerekilled.[6]TheSyrianMuslimBrotherhoodalsosuggestsafigureofapproximately40,000
victims.
Twentyyearslater,SyrianjournalistSubhiHadidi,wrotethat"underthecommandofGeneralAliHaydar,
besiegedthecityfor27days,bombardingitwithheavyartilleryandtank[fire],beforeinvadingitand
killing30,000or40,000ofthecity'scitizensinadditiontothe15,000missingwhohavenotbeenfound
tothisday,andthe100,000expelled."[2]

Afterthemassacre
AftertheHamauprising,theIslamistinsurrectionwasbroken,andtheBrotherhoodhassinceoperatedin
exilewhileotherfactionssurrenderedorslippedintohiding.GovernmentattitudesinSyriahardened
considerablyduringtheuprising,andAssadwouldrelymoreonrepressivethanonpoliticaltacticsforthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

4/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

remainderofhisrule,althoughaneconomicliberalizationbeganinthe1990s.[24]
Afterthemassacre,thealreadyevidentdisarrayintheinsurgents'ranksincreased,andtherebelfactions
experiencedacrimoniousinternalsplits.Particularlydamagingtotheircausewasthedeterrenteffectofthe
massacre,aswellastherealizationthatnoSunniuprisingshadoccurredintherestofthecountryinsupport
oftheHamarebels.Mostmembersoftherebelgroupsfledthecountryorremainedinexile,mainlyin
JordanandIraq,whileotherswouldmaketheirwaytotheUnitedStates,theUnitedKingdomand
Germany.[25]TheMuslimBrotherhoodthelargestoppositiongroupsplitintotwofactions,aftergiving
uponarmedstruggle.One,moremoderateandrecognizedbytheinternationalMuslimBrotherhood,
eventuallyheadquartereditselfintheUKwhereitremains,whileanotherforseveralyearsretaineda
militarystructureinIraq,withbackingfromthegovernment,beforerejoiningtheLondonbased
mainstream.
TheHamamassacreisoftenraisedinindictmentoftheAssadgovernment'spoorhumanrights
record.[14][26]WithinSyria,mentionofthemassacrehasbeenstrictlysuppressed,althoughthegeneral
contoursoftheeventsandvariouspartisanversions,onallsidesarewellknownthroughoutthecountry.
Whenthemassacreispubliclyreferenced,itisonlyasthe"events"or"incident"atHama.
IranianSupremeLeaderAyatollahKhomeiniofferedonlymildcondemnationofthemassacre,outofa
desiretomaintaintheIslamicRepublic'salliancewithSyria.[27]

Seealso
2004AlQamishliriots
20112012SiegeofHama
Counterinsurgency
HistoryofSyria,BaathPartyruleunderHafezalAssad
ListofmassacresinSyria
ListofmodernconflictsintheMiddleEast
TheHamamassacreisnottobeconfusedwiththeSiegeofHoms.

References
1. ^abcFisk2010
2. ^abcMEMRI2002
3. ^ab"Syria:BloodyChallengetoAssad"(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921108,00.html).
Time.8March1982.
4. ^abByJOHNKIFNER,SpecialtotheNewYorkTimes(12February1982)."SyrianTroopsAreSaidTo
BattleRebelsEncircledInCentralCity"(http://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/12/world/syriantroopsaresaidto
battlerebelsencircledincentralcity.html).TheNewYorkTimes(Hama(Syria)Syria).Retrieved20January
2012.
5. ^NewYorkTimes2011March26
6. ^abSyrianHumanRightsCommittee,2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

5/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

6. ^abSyrianHumanRightsCommittee,2005

7. ^TheMediaFreedomorResponsibility:TheWarinLebanon,1982:ACaseStudy,JulianJ.Landau,(NY
1984),page67
8. ^abWright2008:243244
9. ^Fisk,Robert.1990.PitytheNation.London:Touchstone,ISBN0671747703.
10. ^[TheNewYorkTimes.24Feb1982.SyriaOffersPictureofHamaRevolt]
11. ^abSeale1989:93
12. ^Seale1989:37,93,148,171
13. ^abSeale1989:335337
14. ^abHumanRightsWatch1996
15. ^abSeale1989:332333
16. ^Fisk1990:18586
17. ^Reportsofcyanidegasbeingused(http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/d0/1260.aspx),SHRC
18. ^BenjaminandSimon2002:86
19. ^Melman,Yosi(19May2011)."Tanksfinallygettheirthanks"(http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/2.294/tanks
finallygettheirthanks1.362670).Haaretz.Retrieved7June2012.
20. ^Fisk1990:186
21. ^Fisk2007
22. ^FromBeiruttoJerusalem,pp.76105
23. ^SyrianHumanRightsCommittee,2006.
24. ^USDept.ofState,countryprofile
25. ^http://www.globalpolitician.com/
26. ^HumanRightsWatch,2010
27. ^Milani,Mohsen(Fall2013)."WhyTehranWon'tAbandonAssad(ism)".TheWashingtonQuarterly36(4):
80.doi:10.1080/0163660x.2013.861715(http://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F0163660x.2013.861715).

Bibliography
Benkorich,Nora16Feb.2012,Trenteansaprs,retoursurlatragdiedeHama
(http://www.laviedesidees.fr/Trenteansapresretoursurla.html)
Benjamin,DanielStevenSimon.2002.TheAgeofSacredTerror.RandomHouse.
Fisk,Robert.1990.PitytheNation.London:Touchstone,ISBN0671747703.
Fisk,Robert.2007February10.ConspiracyofsilenceintheArabworld
(http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article2255669.ece).TheIndependent(UK).
Fisk,Robert.2010September16.RobertFisk:Freedom,democracyandhumanrightsinSyria.
(RibalalAssadgivesourwriterarareinsightintothedynastythathasshapedmodernSyria)
(http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robertfiskfreedomdemocracyand
humanrightsinsyria2080463.html).TheIndependent(UK).
Friedman,Thomas.1998.FromBeiruttoJerusalem,London:HarperCollinsPublishers,ISBN000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

6/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

6530702.Chapter4:"HamaRules".
GlobalPolitician.com.2006May23.TheSyrianMuslimBrotherhood
(http://www.globalpolitician.com/21790syriaislamism).
"Hama"(http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/syria/hama.htm).GlobalSecurity.org.Retrieved
14November2009.
HumanRightsWatch.1996.Syria'sTadmorPrison:DissentStillHostagetoaLegacyofTerror
(http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,HRW,COUNTRYREP,SYR,4562d8cf2,3ae6a7dbc,0.html).
HumanRightsWatch.2010July16.Awasteddecade.V.Legacyofenforceddisappearances
(http://www.hrw.org/en/node/91580/section/7).ReportonhumanrightsinSyria.
MEMRI(January2002)."BasharAssadTeachesVisitingMembersofU.S.CongressHowtoFight
Terrorism"(http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/590.htm).MiddleEastMediaResearch
Institute.Retrieved12August2010.
NewYorkTimes(26March2011)."ChaosinSyriaandJordanAlarmsU.S."
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/world/middleeast/27diplomacy.html).TheNewYorkTimes.
Seale,Patrick.1989.Asad,theStrugglefortheMiddleEast.UniversityofCaliforniaPress.
Fisk,Robert.1989.PitytheNation.London:Touchstone,ISBN0671747703.
SyrianHumanRightsCommittee.2006MassacreofHama(February1982)Genocideandacrime
againstHumanity(http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/d5/2535.aspx).
SyrianHumanRightsCommittee.2005(Arabic)TheMassacreofHama:LawEnforcementRequires
Accountability(http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/d3/53.aspx).
UnitedStatesofAmerica.DepartmentofState,BureauofPublicAffairs.Backgroundnote:Syria.
(http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm)
Wright,Robin.2008.DreamsandShadows:theFutureoftheMiddleEast.Penguin.

Furtherreading
KathrinNinaWiedl:TheHamaMassacrereasons,supportersoftherebellion,consequences.
Mnchen2007,ISBN9783638710343.
TheEconomist(16November2000)IsSyriareallychanging?,London:'SyriasIslamistmovement
hasrecentlyshownsignsofcomingbacktolife,nearly20yearsafter30,000peoplewerebrutally
massacredinHamain1982'TheEconomist
Routledge(10January2000)Summaryofthe10January2002,RoundtableonMilitantIslamic
FundamentalismintheTwentyFirstCentury,Volume24,Number3/1June2002:Pages:187205
JackDonnelly(1988)HumanRightsattheUnitedNations195585:TheQuestionofBias,
InternationalStudiesQuarterly,Vol.32,No.3(Sep.,1988),pp.275303
MoreDetailedAccountoftheactualHamaMassacreandKillings
(http://www.shrc.org/data/aspx/20NEWSEN.aspx)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

7/8

11/26/2014

1982HamaMassacreWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

NSArchive(http://nsarchive.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/thesyrianiranianrelationshipdowegetit
nowdidweever/)
Fisk,Robert.1997January19.ALANDINTHESHADOWOFDEATH
(http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/alandintheshadowofdeath1283939.html).The
Independent(UK)(paragraphrecollectinginsurgencyandreaction).
Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1982_Hama_Massacre&oldid=622796956"
Categories: Conflictsin1982 1982inSyria Hama Massmurderin1982 MassacresinSyria
PoliticalrepressioninSyria
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon25August2014at21:15.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmay
apply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Hama_Massacre

8/8