Read the article in German. See more pictures.
The Syrians in Austria asked the government in a letter delivered by the President of the Syrian community and Association, Dr. Ala-Eldine Hallak, 
to the office of Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, to expel the Syrian ambassador from Austria, to freeze the current economic relations with Syrian regime and the immediate halt of the printing of Syrian money, which is done by the Austrian National Bank under an agreement with the Syrian regime, about 8 million Lirah (2 million US Dollars), the third tranche of which is supposed to be shipped to Syrian in middle of August 2011.
According to reports by the Austrian commercial media, the National Bank has said that it will reconsider its agreement with Syria in view of the humanitarian situation in that country.
Austrian Syrian Community Demands Expulsion of Ambassador
The letter was handed to personnel of the Chancellery during a protest demo held on Friday August 5 2011 at Ballhausplatz before of the Hofburg, residency of Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Mr. Faymann.
The Syrians also accused the Ambassador of spying on them and photographing the Syrian community demos and sending these pictures to Syria in order to put pressure on relatives and family members.
I was told today 6 August evening by Dr. Hallak, that the Office of the Chancellor called him to say that a decision had been taken that the outstanding part of the money printed by the Austrian National Bank will not be delivered to Syria. The Syrian Community in Austria plans to thank the government in a statement they will release tomorrow. (Click on the pictures to see them bigger).
It should be added that several abusive messages about my coverage of the Syrian demos here in Vienna have landed in my Inbox, in which the writer remains unknown. He protests against my reports about the Syrians peace demos in Austria, he accuses me of being engaged and paid for by “foreign interests”, like the Syrian opposition, who are in the words of this anonymous writer all paid in order to lead a conspiracy against the Republic of Syria.
The writer has used different IP numbers for each his abusive messages. All addresses
[91.115.49.14]; [178.190.92.236], [188.22.96.116]; [178.191.229.161]; belong to blocks owned by Austria Telekom (Highway), but the last abuse message sent to me on August 4 2011 originated from an IP number (161.5.131.43) which is registered to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Vienna International Centre.
This and the contents of the messages, as well as answers to questions which I sent to this anonymous person let me suspect that the sender of these abusive messages is a diplomat or an employee of Syrian government in Vienna. I will submit the messages which I received to the people in charge at the IAEA, because I understand that using their infrastructure for political harassment is not tolerated there.
The full test of the letter to the Federal Chancellor follows below.
Wien, am August 5, August 2011
Sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler Werner Faymann,
Wie Sie wissen, herrscht in Syrien seit Monaten ein Quasi-Kriegszustand.
Friedliche Demonstranten werden erschossen, auch Flugzeuge, Panzer und Heckenschützen werden dabei eingesetzt. Städte und Ortschaften werden bombardiert, tausende Menschen wurden festgenommen und in Gefängnisse gesteckt. Stromnetze und Telefonleitungen werden unterbrochen, um alle Verbindungen zum Ausland zu unterbinden. Sämtlichen Journalisten wurden die Einreise verboten. Vergangenen Freitag wurden allein in Hama über 100 Tote gezählt. Nicht zu reden von den vielen in Damaskus, Daraa, Homs, Dair Ez-Zor, Banias, etc. Und seitdem geht es in selben Tempo weiter.
Die Hände des diktatorischen Assad-Regimes, das seit über 40 Jahren in
Syrien regiert, sind mit Blut besudelt. Im Jahr 1982 starben in Hama alleine über 10.000 Menschen, Gefängnisse wurden gestürmt und allein in Tadmor wurden 1200 Gefangene ermordet. Dreizeit gibt es über 12.000 politische Häftlinge in den syrischen Gefängnissen. Über 100.000 Menschen dürfen seit Jahrzehnten nicht in ihre Heimat einreisen. Die 40-jährige Geschichte des Regimes ist grausig und für die Syrer ein Albtraum.
Der „Arabische Frühling“ hat nun auch Syrien erreicht und die Menschen wollen sich nicht länger con der dort regierenden Einheits-Baathpärtei bevormunden und unterdrücken lassen. Ihre Forderungen sind einfach: Freiheit, Menschenwürde, Mehrparteiensystem, frei Wahlen, Gewaltentrennung, mit einem Wort: Demokratie.
Die österreichische Regierung hat leider bis jetzt nicht viel gegen das
Morden in Syrien unternommen. Der syrische Botschafter befindet sich nach wie vor in Wien und läßt sämtliche Protestaktionen der Syrischen Gemeinde in Österreich bespitzeln, Fotos werden gemacht und nach Syrien gesandt, um dort Verwandte und Familienangehörige unter Druck zu setzen. Und, wie inzwischen sogar vom ORF berichtet, wurde und wird in Österreich auch syrisches Geld gedruckt, um demnächst nach Syrien verbracht zu werden, denn infolge der desolaten Wirtschatslage braucht das Regime Geld, um seine Leute zu bezahlen, allen voran die paramilitärische „Shabiha- Einheit“, die auf Menschen eine regelrechte Jagd veranstaltet.
Wir als österreichische Staatsbürger syrischer Abstammung
bitten Sie daher,
(a) den syrischen Botschafter zur „persona non grata“ zu erklären und aus Österreich auszuweisen.(b) die Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zum derzeitigen syrischen Regime total einzufrieren und den Druck von syrischer Währung und deren Transport nach Syrien sofort zu unterbinden, und
(c) alle in Ihrer Macht stehenden Mittel einzusetzen, um dem Morden in Syrien Einhalt zu gebieten und der Bevölkerung bei ihren Bemühungen zu einer Demokratie behilflich zu sein.Hochachtungsvoll
Für die Syrische Gemeinde in Österreich
MR. Dr. Ala-Eldine Hallak
Syrische Gemeinde begrüßt Lieferstopp für Banknoten
ZUR SOFORTIGEN VERÖFFENTLICHUNG
Kontakt für Rückfragen:
Dr. Ala-Edine HALLAK
-Text der Presseaussendung-
Die syrische Gemeinde in Österreich begrüßt die Presseberichte zum Banknoten-Lieferstopp an das syrische Regime.
Das Regime leidet unter massiven wirtschaftlichen Schwierigkeiten, und ohne Bargeld kann man Terrormilizen nicht entlohnen. In unseren Augen ist dieser Lieferstopp ein wichtiger Beitrag zum Schutz der syrischen Zivilbevölkerung
Allen beteiligten österreichischen Regierungsstellen gebührt für diese Massnahme großer Dank. Die syrische Gemeinde in Österreich ist stolz auf die moralisch korrekte Vorgangsweise der Republik.
Ebensoviel Dank gebührt all jenen Medien, die das Leid der syrischen Zivilbevölkerung in den Vordergrund rücken und somit auf das Problem aufmerksam machen.
-EOF-
Possibly related posts (automatically generated):
- Syria and Golan Heights Discussed At UN Meeting United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Austria to attend the Paris Pact Ministerial Conference, an event to mark...
- Demands For Expulsion Of Syrian Ambassador From Austria المطالبة في طرد السفير السوري من النمسا Vienna – Friday – June 1 2012 – Dozens of members of...
- Austria Donates EUR 750.000 to Palestinian Health Program 30 August 2012 – East Jerusalem – UNRWA – Kawther Salam The Austrian government has made a donation this year...
Before I begin let me tell you that I am not supporter of Assad. Stating that I always try to look at the whole affair from the distance, just to see whole forest instead of single tree. My main question is basic one, who profits? It is given that it is not Syria itself, I see it basically as an attempt by one tribe to get a leg up on another. Add to the mix ‘help” from outsiders that aim for destruction of the country and eventual control of it in case they succeed. In final conclusion, if the rebels win they will impose as brutal regime as Assad does, BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE NO CHOICE!
Let me clarify my statement. All government, I mean ALL, are representatives of ruling class. This is especially evident in multinational like (Russia) or multi tribal countries like Arab countries. The oppressiveness of those governments is function of problems they encounter defending status quo. Since all major tribes in Middle East have the same structure, they encounter the same problem. If we look at it we have the mix religious,tribal,economic problems on top of artificial borders. This creates active volcano always ready to erupt given a chance. This, by definition, DEMANDS dictatorial rulers in order to keep countries whole. If not, we end up with so called Lebanonisation in each of them or worse. The only exception from that rule was Libya, but this is precisely why it was attacked by NATO.
From that point of view I cannot support rebels as at THIS point of time they work to the advantage of the outsiders at the cost of the country they live in. If they succeed I fully expect that they will be totally subordinated to the wants of US and Israel, in spite of their “good intentions” .
For whatever reason I am not able to post under your newest article. I am disappointed somewhat by the lack of our response to my post above. Nevertheless, since I have found an article that to great extent confirms my views let bring fews quote here;
“Turkey’s military will protect the arms caches on their passage to Syrian rebels,” Press TV reports, citing the Israeli intelligence front, Debka. “Syrian rebels have been receiving training inside Turkey to use the weapons for two weeks.”
“Israeli intelligence, through Debka, confirms Turkish involvement in the effort to overthrow the Syrian government. Debka’s “military sources disclose that for the past two weeks, at least, Syrian protest leaders and army deserters have been training in the use of the new weapons with Turkish military officers at makeshift installations in Turkish bases near the Syrian border.NATO and the U.S. are also discussing organizing a “campaign to enlist thousands of Muslim volunteers in Middle East countries and the Muslim world to fight alongside the Syrian rebels. The Turkish army would house these volunteers, train them and secure their passage into Syria.”
”Baer’s assessment was backed up by Alastair Crooke, a former MI6 officer and high-level EU advisor who runs an NGO in Beirut. “Syrians want change. But whether Westerners believe it or not, most people in Damascus, in Aleppo, the middle classes, the merchant classes and the [sectarian] minorities believe Assad is the only person who can bring in reforms,” he said. “They fear two things above all else – civil war and Western intervention … They would like to avoid the example of Libya because it would lead them into civil war.”
here is link to to the article I have quoted:
http://www.infowars.com/u-s-and-nato-arming-syrian-opposition-plan-military-strike/
Mrs Kawther, in the light of the above I cannot support “rebels”. I see them as nothing else but tools of the imperialist forces aiming for destruction of Syria. Also, I seriously doubt your contention that Assad is an Israeli collaborator. All his actions including his close relationship with Iran are in strict contradiction of that statement. Again, I am not fan of Assad but nevertheless, I hope he prevails because if he does not, the consequences for all Syrian people will be dire.
I would appreciate your comment on my post.