Mu'awiya Siyasna

Mu'awiya Siyasna
معاوية صياصنة
Born	1997 (age 26–27) Daraa, Ba'athist Syria
Occupation	Revolutionary
Movement	Sunni Islamism
Military career
Allegiance	Free Syrian Army
Years of service	2013
Battles / wars	Syrian civil war Daraa Governorate campaign

Mu'awiya Siyasna (born 1997), also spelled Muawiyah Syasna or Mouawiya Syasneh and other variants, is a Syrian revolutionary, widely recognized for his role in the events that sparked the Syrian civil war. In March 2011, Siyasna and his friends spray-painted anti-government graffiti on the walls of their school at the age of 14.

This act of defiance is often seen as a pivotal moment in the onset of widespread protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, which ultimately escalated into a devastating civil war. During the war, Siyasna joined the Free Syrian Army and fought the Ba'athist forces. In 2024, Siyasna accompanied the Southern Operations room in the fall of the Assad regime.

Background

Mu'awiya Siyasna was born and raised in the southern Syrian city of Daraa, later referred to as the "cradle of the Syrian revolution." Growing up in a conservative Sunni Muslim family in a community plagued by unemployment and limited opportunities for youth, Siyasna experienced the challenges of life under Assad's authoritarian rule. The arrival of security chief Atef Najib in Daraa, worsened conditions and intensified public dissatisfaction.

The Graffiti Incident

In February 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring protests in Egypt and Tunisia, Siyasna and his friends spray-painted the words Ijak al-Dur Ya Daktur ("It's your turn, Doctor"!), referring to Assad, who had trained as an ophthalmologist before becoming Syria's leader. Their act of defiance against Assad's regime was met with a swift and violent reaction. They were detained for 26 days by Syrian secret police Mukhabarat, where they were reportedly tortured and mistreated. "The electric shock treatment was the worst," Siyasna recounted, adding, "They took me to the bathroom and it was really wet, and they would turn on the shower. They ran the current through the water and onto my back. I felt the shock wherever the water went." Their eventual release only fueled further anger among the people of Daraa. Fearing for the boys' safety after a month in police custody, thousands of people took to the streets demanding their release. When the government violently suppressed these demonstrations, the unrest spread nationwide, marking the beginning of the Syrian Civil War.

Role in the Syrian Civil War

The graffiti incident acted as a catalyst for the Syrian uprising. Though Siyasna had not intended to ignite a nationwide movement, his actions highlighted the deep resentment toward Assad’s oppressive regime. The protests in Daraa served as a foundation for a broader rebellion, eventually evolving into armed conflict.

Siyasna later joined the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and participated in battles against regime forces. After his father, a retired architectural engineer, was killed in 2013 by a rocket while going to the mosque, Siyasna decided to take up arms. "I never thought about shooting anyone before that, but he was my whole life, and I wanted to fight for him," he said.

Legacy

Mu'awiya Siyasna's actions remain a symbol of resistance and a turning point in modern Syrian history. Despite the devastating war that followed, Siyasna and his friends are proud of their role in challenging Assad's regime. He continues to live in Daraa in his partially damaged childhood home with his widowed mother and siblings. The Syrian uprising and subsequent civil war, which began with Mu'awiya graffiti, ultimately ensured the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2024. Siyasna followed the Southern Operations room and, after the fall of Damascus, visited the capital for the first time in his life.