ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the latest assertion of the idea of dignity speaks to the political aspirations of the Syrian people and goes beyond the enforced binary confines of secularism versus Islamism or assumed inevitable sectarian divides. It aims to shed light on the dynamic, diverse and contingent nature of actions in that revolutionary moment, but also can enable the people to trace the conceptual history of the idea in the Arab and Syrian context. The chapter discusses specific meanings and uses of dignity in the contemporary Syrian context. It argues for a political interpretation of the idea of dignity in Syria's revolution. The chapter introduces some instances of the utterances and use of dignity in the beginning of Syria's 2011 Uprising and the subsequent arming of the revolution. It argues that there was a commonality which can be seen among the nonviolent activists and the fighters: they were all struggling and demanding dignity in their different ways.
