Twenty year old Syrian activist, Hadeel Kouki, was arrested before the Arab Spring began for passing out flyers that conveyed pro-democracy sentiments. Upon being released from prison, she fled to Egypt where she was brutally beaten. She left Egypt to testify at the United Nations and has been supporting the Syrian revolution from abroad.

During CyberDissident’s recent conference call, moderated by Ahed Al Hendi, Kouki discussed the role of minorities in the revolution. While she maintains that many minorities are active participants in the revolution, she realizes that such participation is not without risks. As a member of the Christian minority, she says that the regime is much harder on minority demonstrators, “because they know that if we participate in the revolution a lot, the world will realize that the revolution is not Islamic and they will support us more.”

Kouki also expressed her opinions about military intervention in Syria. She hopes for a peaceful resolution because of the destruction that intervention would bring. “It will hurt Syria a lot and destroy [everything]. It will become just like a civil war,” she explained.

Despite the violence of the regime, she is certain that “no one will stop unless the regime steps down and our country is liberated.  We will have our liberated Syria one day.”