Maliki Mardinalli

I'd covered the Syrian war and we had been in the same towns in Idlib province.

Maliki later jokes that 10 years ago they may have kidnapped me.

It's a different country to report in now.

I watch the room.

The older one sits behind a desk, does most of the talking.

Eventually, another brings in a piece of paper and beckons the venue owner to come to him.

The owner is nervous and doesn't hesitate to sign it.

Maliki explained to me what was going on afterwards.

Maliki had miscalculated.

He figured that because Mahadeh is a Christian town, the Sheikh and the local Hama government wouldn't have reach here.

But instead, the local politicians in Mahadeh are telling them if they want to do tonight's show in Mahadeh, they need to get permission from the Sheikh and the other bureaucrats in Hama, the ones they started a battle with yesterday, the ones now threatening a libel case.

What was it they made the owner sign?

Has this ever happened before to you?

No.

When you arrived in Mahardeh, you were like, we're free now, no one can stop us.

So how do you feel now?

Their only path tonight is persistence.

If they can get permission from the Hammer officials Abu Aziz just insulted, they can still go on in Mahardeh.

It's 3.15 p.m.

The show is at 7.