Lena is an Armenian Syrian singer, composer and musician. Described as a Syrian ambassador spreading the jasmine voice of Damascus, she has performed in Germany, England, Sweden, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Russia, as well as her home country of Syria.
She sings mainly in Arabic and Armenian, but also in Syriac, English, French and Italian.
Lena graduated from Damascus University in...
As a teacher, I have always asked myself what sets us apart from other professions. Is it possible to 'leave' our work at work and not to bring it into our private lives? How not to get involved and treat it just as 'work'? To tell you the truth, it’s not possible!
No matter how much we try, we DO...
What makes you proud to be Syrian?
Sometimes I feel shame when I see the crimes that some Syrians are doing in the name of God, but when I remember how Syria used to be and how the Syrian people are facing this crisis and how they build hope and life from the ashes I feel so proud to be...
Not to be Ignored
Below is a transcript of an interview conducted at the end of 2010, when there was no thought of conflict in Syria, and the issues of the day for educated young women related to their ‘liberation’. The questions chosen were a response to the times since Ms Ayaan Hirsi Ali had recently visited Australia, where she...
What makes you proud to be Syrian?
I feel proud to be Syrian because I believe we have a special stable identity however much we shift from one place to another. Our identity is represented by the way we interact, engage, behave and move towards a vision. It does not relate to the material things we have. From a vision...
To be very honest, the so-called “Arab Spring” fooled a majority of Syrians! Many of them recognized sooner or later that the media deceived them and that what has been happening wasn’t really initiated by the people, but rather orchestrated by foreign powers, while others still believe in the “Arab Spring” even now!
What makes me proud to be Syrian...
Syria is a secular country. Can you explain what this means to a non-Syrian?
If anyone visited Syria, they could see with their own eyes the freedom of belief, the different nationalities, the respect for everyone and the equality of men and women in all fields of life.
What does the concept of personal freedom mean to you?
Personal freedom means respecting...
What makes you proud to be Syrian?
I am proud that Syria still exists on the political map of the world.
Syria is a secular country. Can you explain what this means to a non-Syrian?
For me, secularism means living together in the same land, speaking the same language while having different beliefs and religions. Our beliefs are a private matter, and...
Have you experienced anything since the start of the crisis you would like to recount?
The sound of gunfire and rockets prevented us from sleeping
Before the beginning of the Syrian crisis and the war, my family, which consists of four persons, lived peacefully in our lovely city Homs. But with the beginning of the war, we were affected by a...
What makes you proud to be Syrian?
For me, being Syrian is an honor in itself. Syria is a traditional society with a long cultural history and Syrians have a taste for traditional arts and craft. We have contributed much to Arabic Literature and have a proud tradition of oral and written poetry. There is much else that makes me proud, such...
