Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar (song)

"Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar" (Arabic: إرحل يا بشار, romanized: Yalla Irhal ya Bashar, lit. 'Leave, O Bashar') is a protest song and chant sung by protesters and demonstrators during the early phases of the Syrian revolution. The chant encapsulated the widespread anger and demands for freedom, dignity, and justice against the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. The song was composed by Syrian opposition activist Abdul Rahman Farhood.^[1] However, the writing credit of the song was frequently misattributed to Ibrahim Qashoush,^[2]

Protesters chant "Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar" during an evening demonstration in Hama's Assi Square.

Consequently, he left a meanigful impact on Syrian society and the world’s perception of the conflict.^[3] The peaceful protesters demanded, through this phrase – and other similar ones – that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had led the republic since the presidential referendum in 2000 until his downfall, to step down.^[2]

Origins

Demonstration in Homs, Syria against the Assad regime.

The slogan "Erhal ya Bashar" originated during the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011. Rahmani wrote the song after having joined the demonstrations on June 10th.^[2] Demonstrators in cities such as Daraa, Homs, and Hama began chanting it to demand the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime was widely accused of authoritarianism, corruption, and human rights abuses. The chant gained momentum as protests spread across the country, and it became a unifying call for Syrians from diverse backgrounds.

The chant’s popularity was amplified by its simplicity and directness, which allowed it to resonate across Syria’s linguistic and cultural divides. It was often accompanied by other slogans calling for freedom (الحُرّيّة), dignity (الكرامة), and the downfall of the regime (الشَّعْبٟ يُرِيدُ إسْقَاطَ الْنِظَامْ).^[3]

Composition

Further information: Ibrahim Qashoush and Abdel Rahman Farhood

Protesters parade the flag of Syria and shout Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam in the Assi Square of Hama during the siege in July 2011.

In a magazine article released in the United Kingdom in 2016, Abdel Rahman Farhood confessed his identity as the real author and singer of the protest song attributed to Ibrahim Qashoush. ^[2] Qashoush was from the city of Hama, and worked as a security guard at the local fire station. He became known for allegedly leading demonstrations calling for the overthrow of the regime and was often credited as the writer of the song. ^[4] On Friday, July 1, 2011, during what protesters called "Leave Friday" (جمعة ارحل) in Hama Governorate, The chant finally made it's debut as approximately half a million demonstrators gathered in Assi Square, demanding the fall of the regime.^[5][6]

Lyrics

Lyrics to the song "Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar":

يا بشّار ويا مندسّ
وتضرب أنت وحزب البعث
"وروح وصلّح حرف الـ"س
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
يا بشّار ويا جبان
ودّي جنودك عالجولان
الشّعب السّوري مَبينهان
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
يا ماهر ويا جبان
ويا عميل الأمريكان
الشّعب السّوري مبينهان
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
يا بشّار ويا كذّاب
وتضرب أنت وهالخطاب
الحرّية صارت على الباب
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
يا بشّار ومالك منّا
خود ماهر وإرحل عنّا
وهاي شرعيّتك سقطت عنّا
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
ويا بشّار وكفّي تدور
ودمّك بحماة مهدور
وخطأك مالو مغفور
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار
...
ويا بشّار وطز فيك
وطز باللي بيحيّيك
ومالي قادر طلّع فيك
ويلا إرحل يا بشّار

Translation:

Oh Bashar, you’re just a spy,
You and Ba'ath can’t pacify.
Go fix your “S” before you lie,
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Bashar, you’re such a coward,
Send your troops where they're empowered—
To Golan Heights, not on us showered!
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Maher, you’re just as weak,
An agent for the U.S. clique.
Our Syrian pride, you cannot tweak,
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Bashar, deceit’s your art,
Your speeches rot, they lack a heart.
But freedom's here, so now depart—
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Bashar, you’re not our kin,
Take Maher too, and pack him in.
Your false rule’s done; it’s all chagrin,
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Bashar, your crimes still roar,
Your hands are stained with Hama’s gore.
Forgiveness? None—it’s war no more.
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!
...
Oh Bashar, we’ve had enough,
Your praise is hollow, fake, and bluff.
I can’t stand you; your time is up—
It’s time to leave now, Bashar, bye!

Response

Killing of Ibrahim Qashoush

Security forces cracked down on demonstrators with live ammunition, arrests, and torture. Ibrahim Qashoush became a target due to the popularity of the song and his alleged connection to it. On July 3, 2011, Qashoush was abducted by pro-regime forces. His mutilated body was later found in the Orontes River in Hama, with his vocal cords having been removed.

Qashoush’s murder shocked Syrians and the international community, turning him into a symbol of the sacrifices made by those who went against the Assad regime.^[3]

"God, Syria, and Bashar!"

Sometime after Qashoush's death, Syrian pop artist Rami Kazour released a song titled "God, Syria, and Bashar!" that praised Assad's regime and used a nearly identical melody to Yalla Erhal Ya Bashar. It has became an internet meme in the years since, especially in the aftermath of the fall of the Ba'athist regime.^[7]

See also

• Syria portal
• Music portal

• Abdul Rahman Farhood
• Ibrahim Qashoush
• Rami Kazour
• God, Syria, and Bashar! (song)
• Syrian revolution
• Syrian civil war
• Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam