And what is Aleppo?
Let’s stop shaming Gary Johnson—and thank him for his humanitarian contribution.
U.S. presidential candidate Gary Johnson shocked the world Thursday morning with a monumental gaffe that is likely to follow him throughout his career. Asked by “Morning Joe” host Mike Barnicle what he would do about Aleppo, the former New Mexico governor and Libertarian Party candidate replied, “And what is Aleppo?”
Indeed.
Aside from an embarrassing display of an apparent lack of foreign affairs knowledge (in a statement Johnson said he “blanked” and insisted foibles were bound to come up), Johnson’s response not only drew criticism but also answers from around the world to his infamous question.
That alone made it all worth it.
The conflict in Syria has been going on for more than five years, so long that people are accustomed to war images: bombardments, dilapidated buildings, fighters and their weapons, crowds of refugees and countless victims. The public has become desensitized. Yet the war rages on. And the suffering of millions of people continues.
So it was about time that someone brought the topic back into focus, albeit in such an outrageous way. We’ll see how long it lasts.
It was only less than a month ago that the photo of Syrian toddler Omran Daqneesh, his face covered with dust and blood, went viral, turning the Aleppine boy into the symbol of the Syrian conflict. But as incensed as people were by the image, it seems the little boy and what he represents—a conflict that has been going on for far too long—have faded.
So what is Aleppo?
Aleppo is many things.
Aleppo is the city in northern Syria that serves as the capital of the most populous Syrian Governorate of the same name. It’s believed to be among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Its location, some 60 miles from the Mediterranean coast and the Euphrates River, was at the crossroads of major commercial trade routes since the second millennium BC.
Aleppo is Italian for the city’s Arab name, Halab (the city’s trade treaties with Venetians dating back to the 14th century made Italian among the main languages spoken there for centuries). While the name is said to be of ancient Semitic origin, Aleppines have their own version. According to an old belief, it is said that the city earned its name back when Abraham resided on the hill — where the citadel stands — and distributed milk to the villagers, to which they cried, “Abraham halab!” or “Abraham has milked!” (Milked, “halab,” and milk, “halib,” share the same root).
Aleppo is where the world-famous Aleppo soap, renowned for its beneficial effect on skin, has been produced for ages with nothing more than olive oil from the area’s plentiful olive groves, laurel oil purchased from the nearby villages and soda. Some believe it to be the very first soap ever made.
To history buffs, Aleppo is an ancient city that was mentioned in tablets found in the ancient city of Ebla in northern Syria, an important center in the third millennium BC. In the tablets, Aleppo is referred to as a city of great religious importance and the site of the temple of the storm god Hadad. The old city of Aleppo is also a UNESCO World Heritage (and part of the World Heritage in Danger list since 2013) for its diverse mixture of buildings that reflect the rich and diverse cultures that have inhabited the city (Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Mongols, Mamluks, etc.). Its citadel — a medieval fort that was once a base for resistance against crusader advances — towers above the markets and mosques of the old walled city. This citadel that stood the test of time since the 12th century is now damaged, parts of its walls destroyed by rockets.
But to Aleppines, Aleppo is simply the place they call home, once synonymous with love and family.
Today, Aleppo is the epicenter of an epic battle that has seen too many rocket strikes, barrel bombs, chemical weapons attacks, destruction and death. It’s a critical city that’s been under siege or near-siege for four years, the outcome of which many experts believe will dictate the ensuing course of the war. The conflict in Aleppo has displaced tens of thousands of people, while those who stayed behind find themselves under the control of the Syrian regime or the various groups that represent the opposition (ISIS is not a major player there — yet). There’s little food, water, medicine and far too little help.
Now that Aleppo is in the news again, let’s not recede back into our daily lives to a place where we find ourselves clueless and careless. What is Aleppo? It’s a wake up call — don’t forget it.
