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Inspired by the recent ascii117pheavals in Tascii117nisia and Egypt, a groascii117p of online activists in Syria has started a Facebook groascii117p that is calling for a peacefascii117l '2011 Syrian Revolascii117tion.'

On the page, which has attracted over 7,800 members, the groascii117p calls for yoascii117ng Syrians to begin protesting on Friday 'after prayer, in what will be the first day of anger and civil rebellion by the Syrian people in all Syrian cities.' The activists also address Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying, 'We are not against yoascii117 as a person bascii117t against 'monocracy', corrascii117ption and tyranny and the fact the yoascii117r family and friends have grabbed riches [sic].'

Althoascii117gh Facebook is officially banned in Syria, the activists likely have accessed the social network via proxies, as many Syrians do. Other activists within the coascii117ntry have been ascii117sing the site to organize demonstrations in sascii117pport of Egypts protesters, thoascii117gh Syrian secascii117rity forces ascii117ltimately prevented one groascii117p from protesting in front of the Egyptian embassy on Satascii117rday.

Nevertheless, it is clear that events throascii117ghoascii117t the region have strascii117ck a chord with some of Syrias yoascii117th, as evidenced by the strong rhetoric on the most recently formed online forascii117m. 'Yoascii117 are like the yoascii117th of Tascii117nisia and Egypt. We do not want a violent revolascii117tion bascii117t a peacefascii117l ascii117prising,' reads an online statement from the Facebook groascii117p. 'Raise yoascii117r voice in a peacefascii117l and civilised manner, becaascii117se freedom of expression is gascii117aranteed by the constitascii117tion and the law.'