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| The View From Syria as a Cease-Fire Takes Effect | The View From Syria as a Cease-Fire Takes Effect |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIRUT, Lebanon — The timing of the cease-fire in Syria, which took effect at sundown on Monday, is fraught with symbolism. | |
| It coincides with Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, which commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God. The tale is central to Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths — and a recurring literary metaphor in many cultures for society’s sacrifice of the young in the wars of their elders. | |
| Observant Muslims sacrifice sheep for the holiday, often in public, and many Syrians on Monday expressed mixed feelings at seeing animal blood run down gutters in times of human slaughter. Over the weekend, the Syrian government’s Russian-backed air war killed nearly 100 people, rebel shells fell on several government-held areas, and insurgents in the south declared a new offensive. | Observant Muslims sacrifice sheep for the holiday, often in public, and many Syrians on Monday expressed mixed feelings at seeing animal blood run down gutters in times of human slaughter. Over the weekend, the Syrian government’s Russian-backed air war killed nearly 100 people, rebel shells fell on several government-held areas, and insurgents in the south declared a new offensive. |
| It is unclear how committed the Syrian combatants are to a complicated, multistage plan that was negotiated over their heads. | It is unclear how committed the Syrian combatants are to a complicated, multistage plan that was negotiated over their heads. |
| Here are the terms of the deal, negotiated by the United States and Russia: All attacks will stop — except for attacks on the Islamic State and groups linked to Al Qaeda. But the public does not know what Russia and the United States have defined as those groups’ territory, and mistrust runs deep. | |
| If relative calm lasts for seven days, the United States is to begin coordinating with Russia to target Islamic State and Qaeda forces. In return, Russia is to make sure Syrian government warplanes do not fly over opposition areas. | If relative calm lasts for seven days, the United States is to begin coordinating with Russia to target Islamic State and Qaeda forces. In return, Russia is to make sure Syrian government warplanes do not fly over opposition areas. |
| Here, in the coming days, we will track the experiences and observations of people in many parts of Syria as the truce changes, or fails to change, their lives. | Here, in the coming days, we will track the experiences and observations of people in many parts of Syria as the truce changes, or fails to change, their lives. |
| MOADHAMIYEH (Rebel-held territory) — This suburb less than two miles from downtown Damascus has been through the worst of the war: years of siege and starvation, with on-and-off truces with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. It was one of the areas hit with chemical weapons in August 2013. Now, tense negotiations are underway for a surrender under which rebels and civilians would choose either to go government-held areas or be bused to insurgent-held areas in the north. | MOADHAMIYEH (Rebel-held territory) — This suburb less than two miles from downtown Damascus has been through the worst of the war: years of siege and starvation, with on-and-off truces with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. It was one of the areas hit with chemical weapons in August 2013. Now, tense negotiations are underway for a surrender under which rebels and civilians would choose either to go government-held areas or be bused to insurgent-held areas in the north. |
| Dani Qappani, 28, graduated from Damascus University with a degree in English literature in 2011, the first year of the revolt. He became an antigovernment media activist, posting videos like this one. | Dani Qappani, 28, graduated from Damascus University with a degree in English literature in 2011, the first year of the revolt. He became an antigovernment media activist, posting videos like this one. |
| Mr. Qappani writes poems and posts them along with his news and political updates on Facebook. He is worried about divisions in the town, between those who want to accept reconciliation with the government and others, like him, who do not. Moadhamiyeh has not been bombed in a few months, but the threat is always there. Here’s how he described the situation in an online chat: | Mr. Qappani writes poems and posts them along with his news and political updates on Facebook. He is worried about divisions in the town, between those who want to accept reconciliation with the government and others, like him, who do not. Moadhamiyeh has not been bombed in a few months, but the threat is always there. Here’s how he described the situation in an online chat: |
| He marked the holiday, tersely, with this Facebook post: | He marked the holiday, tersely, with this Facebook post: |
| And he described his expectations for the cease-fire in a chat: | And he described his expectations for the cease-fire in a chat: |
| DAMASCUS (Government-held territory) — In the capital, life is relatively normal – relatively. Occasional rebel shelling from the suburbs has dwindled as the government makes advances and evacuates pockets of fighters who are holding out. Bars and restaurants are open, but there is great economic strain. Checkpoints dot the city, and many men have fled, fearing army conscription. | DAMASCUS (Government-held territory) — In the capital, life is relatively normal – relatively. Occasional rebel shelling from the suburbs has dwindled as the government makes advances and evacuates pockets of fighters who are holding out. Bars and restaurants are open, but there is great economic strain. Checkpoints dot the city, and many men have fled, fearing army conscription. |
| Khaled Khalifa, 52, is an author well known for his novel “In Praise of Hatred,” about the Muslim Brotherhood uprising in 1982 and the government’s crackdown. In the dark hours of Monday morning, he posted on his public Facebook page about his plans for Eid. | Khaled Khalifa, 52, is an author well known for his novel “In Praise of Hatred,” about the Muslim Brotherhood uprising in 1982 and the government’s crackdown. In the dark hours of Monday morning, he posted on his public Facebook page about his plans for Eid. |
| He chatted online about his plans for Eid with the Beirut bureau of The New York Times a short while later: | He chatted online about his plans for Eid with the Beirut bureau of The New York Times a short while later: |
| BINNISH, Idlib Province (Rebel-held territory) — This northern province was the second to fall out of the government’s control, in early 2015. It is controlled by groups ranging from the Levant Conquest Front, until recently called the Nusra Front and officially affiliated with Al Qaeda, to larger Islamist groups and United States-vetted rebel groups. Idlib has suffered some of the most intense bombing in the government’s Russian-backed air war. Over the weekend, scores of people were killed in an airstrike on a marketplace in the provincial capital. | BINNISH, Idlib Province (Rebel-held territory) — This northern province was the second to fall out of the government’s control, in early 2015. It is controlled by groups ranging from the Levant Conquest Front, until recently called the Nusra Front and officially affiliated with Al Qaeda, to larger Islamist groups and United States-vetted rebel groups. Idlib has suffered some of the most intense bombing in the government’s Russian-backed air war. Over the weekend, scores of people were killed in an airstrike on a marketplace in the provincial capital. |
| Muhammed Najdat Kaddour went there to film the aftermath and interview survivors. He is a 31-year-old with a degree in economics who joined the protests early on, also becoming an antigovernment media activist. In a phone interview on Monday, he described a local Eid celebration (he sent photos, below), his own pessimism about the cease-fire and his distrust of President Assad and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia: | Muhammed Najdat Kaddour went there to film the aftermath and interview survivors. He is a 31-year-old with a degree in economics who joined the protests early on, also becoming an antigovernment media activist. In a phone interview on Monday, he described a local Eid celebration (he sent photos, below), his own pessimism about the cease-fire and his distrust of President Assad and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia: |