bad adventure in deir-ez-zor

I just want to tell the bad adventure that me and my friends had in Deir-ez-Zor, and underline that it is the only place in Sirya where I didn't feel safe...and where we lived a very scareful hour.

I wouldn't say don't' go there, but just to be careful, above all for women.
We were 2 girls and 2 boys and we've been assaulted by one hundred men, more or less, touching us everywhere (the girls, I mean, as if they had never seen a woman in their lives), asking for kisses, and they absolutely didn't care about our male friends trying to protect us and to put them away from us.
We were scared also for our bags, since they tryed to open them, and above all to fall into the river, since we were on the bridge and we couldn't keep walking, or return back.
they simply were too many to manage for us 4.
Finally we arrived to the other side of the bridge and here a man come, like to help us, but he tryed, with all the guys, to take me and my friend and to push us near the river, where there was a boat.
We were too scared also because there were people passing near us and nobody tryed to help us, I remeber a family with a man, a woman and two children and they just walked away.
At this point 2 or 3 motorcycles with policemen arrived and told us to run to the bridge until the other side.
We started running and then they shoot (in the air).
Two policemen followed us until the other side of the bridge and there they put us in a taxi which took us to the station.
The policemen apoligized, they were really gentle...if they weren't arrived at that moment I don't know what would happen......I don't know if they would have raped us like this, in the middle of the day (it was 12) but they were too many and too excited

I just want to say to women who want to visit this city:
1) take a guide (syrian)
2) don't go there alone
3) cover your head with an hijab or something similar
4) don't go to the bridge!

In fact you were almost certainly being watched over by undercover police, as they follow any and all foreigners that visit Deir al-Zur, and have done so for the past 2 years. They probably witnessed what was happening, but didn't act until they could call sufficient backup to deal with that number of people (and they don't usually carry guns, either).

I agree with you, though, Deir al-Zur is not the place for foreign women to visit alone, especially areas that are somewhat isolated such as around the suspension bridge. Hopefully the people involved with this incident will be dealt with, and I imagine they will be. The security agencies in Syria take incidents involving foreigners very seriously.

My husband and I were in Deir-ez-Zor recently and didn't have any bad experiences, although I will say we did have a couple dodgy ones in the desert between Damascus and Deir-ez-Zor (we are travelling by bicycle). I too think a little extra caution is not a bad idea and women should definitely not be overly friendly with men, even if it's completely innocent on your part. I have discovered that even a simple smile can kick off things you'd never imagine. Definitely a learning experience!

Interesting, there must be more to this than you've said. How were you all dressed?

We need to aware of cultural norms when in moslem countries.

Dress can play a big part in unpleasantries. Western dress can seem very provocative. As #2 mentions, a smile from a woman is a come on in many cultures, not just moslem. Similarly a man innocently giving a friendly smile to a woman could cause problems.

we were dressed very normally, it's winter and the weather is very cold, so we had long coats, big dark scarfs, and wool trousers,large.
i don't think that it happened for our way of dressing, just because of the eid al-kabir, maybe many people from the countryside come there for the holydays...i don't know.
anyway, it was just a suggestiion for women planning to go there, i repeat that i always feel safe in sirya and that it was the only time we had such a problem

Yeah, it was almost certainly because of Eid. For some reason holidays in Syria bring the most awful, obnoxious groups young men into the city streets, and they often seem to be looking for trouble. They probably weren't from Deir al-Zur, but from the countryside.

I was in Deir-ez-zor right befor the big Eid and I had a great time there, my impression was; people in that city are very friendly and peaceful, I am sorry for the bad experience you had there but I think what thegrayrace said was the only explaination since I noticed a bad relation between people of the city and people who come from the country.

I have to say, I find your recollection of events shameful.

First, how can 100 men even fit on the suspension bridge? Or push you into a boat on the river when there is a guardrail and no boat can even get close. Maybe something like this happened but why exaggerate your story to make you sound like a victim?

Second, the secret police did see everything and we actually heard the story through a friend who lives there. Not at all what you described. We heard the girls were trying to 'play tricks' (flirt) with some local boys and when they made advances your companions 'acted aggressively' (stood up to protect you). At this point, which set of men backs down and loses face? No one, so the situation gets worse and deteriorates to the point that the police need to step in and rescue you from a situation you created.

Next time be more aware of your location and do not act as if you are in Canada.

100 men could very easily fit on the Deir al Zur suspension bridge rsiminkas, don't know if you've seen it.

It is only wide enough for two camels to pass by each other. If 100 men were grouped together, there would be no space for anyone to move. My point was more that 100 seemed like such a perfectly round and exaggerated number. We heard more like 25 men were there.

I visited Deir-ez-zur last month, well, let me say the birdge is too small for 100 person.
I think what rsiminkas said was correct in every consideration.

I am absolutely sure that those fellows were not of Syrian origin but Iraqi refugees who just hate the very look of Western people after all the things done by the so-called "international community " to their native land.

Apart from this story, is it safe to go alone? I mean, if there are people from the countryside or Irak, could it happen again? is it often? i´m planning to go there, I´m a man, and i´d like to know if there´s a train from there to Alepo.
Sorry about your bad experience.

I am sorry for the bad experience you had there ..by the way I am syrian from Deir Ezzor city .. actually the city as all ppl notic is very peace but the ppl in couintries and villages still have no respect and reception to other ppl and thier cultures .. Sorry again to reflect this view about deir ezzor >> and welcome anytime to Deir ezzor.. city .. not countries .. ;)

very peace but the ppl in couintries and villages still have no respect and reception to other ppl and thier cultures blog commenting service