As Syria gets accustomed to its new rulers, minorities share their feelings of hope, fear, and despair
It took Syrian rebels – led by the notorious Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, designated as a terror organization by many countries across the globe – several weeks to take over Syria, ending the 24-year-long rule of Bashar Assad.
Hayat Tahrir Al Sham has been known for years for its fundamentalist Islamic ideas and the atrocities it has committed. In 2018, the State Department even added it to its list of terror organizations, promising a bounty of $10 million to whoever helps to capture the group’s head. Now, as the West mulls the option of removing HTS from that list, minorities are concerned about what’s to come.
As soon as the news of Damascus’ fall came early Sunday morning, thousands took to the streets of the Syrian capital – and other cities across Syria – to celebrate what they called “the fall of the brutal regime.”
But for many others the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government was a sign of concern, and RT managed to get hold of three Syrians – each from a different location – to gauge their perspective on the fall of the previous order and what the future might now hold for them and the region. These are their accounts.
For security reasons their real names will not be disclosed.
Maria, resident of Damascus, belongs to the once ruling Alawite minority:
I was asleep and was awakened by the chaos that emanated from the street. I heard people running, driving, walking, talking, and panicking. People were afraid of getting executed. I was in complete shock. My initial urge was to pack my bags and leave but then I realized it was way too late.
I didn’t even have time to analyze my feelings. I didn’t understand whether I was sad, upset, or whether I felt betrayed [by the President, who reportedly fled to Russia – ed.]. All I was thinking about was my family and how to save them. So my first decision was that we needed to change our whereabouts in Damascus. Our next step was that we left Syria for Lebanon, which is where my family is now.
Over there, they are safe, away from these criminals. But I could not stay in Lebanon. I went back to Damascus shortly after because I needed to help my people – you cannot imagine the fear many of them had in their eyes, that feeling that you might be executed.
Now the situation in Damascus seems to be calm. However, many executions without fair trials have already taken place in such areas as Homs and Hama, and we fear what is yet to come.
I am an Alawite, and for our minority – as well as others – it will be tough to live in Syria now that the rebels have taken over. I am afraid of the chaos that might soon come. Of course it is too early to tell what’s going to happen next, and much will depend on international agreements and the will of the Syrian people. But we do expect the continuation of conflicts, simply because these rebels are divided and that will only add to the instability. And this is why I have thoughts of immigrating and leaving this mess behind.
Nancy, whose family is still in Latakia, belongs to a mixed family of Christians, Sunnis and Alawites:
When Aleppo fell in early December, I sensed that the unpredictable could now arrive. Then Hama fell, and the world was introduced through a CNN interview to Abu Mohammed Al Jolani, who brought back his original name of Ahmed Al Sharaa, in an American attempt to rebrand him and prepare the world for the new “moderate” leader of Syria.
When I watched that interview, I knew that the fall of Damascus was imminent, it was just a question of when.
On that Sunday morning I was at home, in Europe – far from the turmoil of Syria, and when the news came I could not but feel sad, lost, lonely, and betrayed by the fact that Assad shamefully fled the country without a word to all those who believed in the Syrian state and its secularity, not to mention the millions who gave their blood and sacrificed their children to keep it intact.
Syrian minorities and secular people believed in the system, in the president, in the army. They were not religious but that was their doctrine, and all of that has suddenly vanished like the fall of some god, it was big. It wasn’t about Assad any more. All of a sudden it was about questioning the essentials, the past and the future, what to do now, where to go and who to believe.
The West was celebrating the fall of Assad, claiming rebels liberated Syria from a political dictator but the truth was that they only replaced him with a religious one. Is Syria better now than it was before? Through my daily contacts with family, relatives and friends, I know that the situation on the ground is far from being stable. Rebels and their affiliates are burning courts and documents. They set immigration and passport centers and police stations ablaze, and they open prisons and let dangerous criminals, including ISIS terrorists, roam freely.
There are a few attempts at facilitating and improving people’s lives but they are merely promises for the time being. Syria is still experiencing a lack of electricity and fuel exactly like before, little fresh produce is available in shops, and theft is everywhere, though the new rulers did warn thieves that they would be prosecuted if they don’t stop their activity.
And there are more red flags: rebels burnt the tomb of Bashar’s father, killed a few Alawites near Hama, and entered Christian areas and started asking women why they were not covering their hair. This is only the beginning.
For the time being, those “fighters” are trying to calm the external world that is watching “the liberation” of Syria. For now, they are not using violence but this is only to gain recognition by the international community. It will not continue for long.
I am afraid that the future of Syria will go down the path of Balkanization. Another option is that we will see in Syria what we have been witnessing in Libya and Afghanistan with only one difference, that the militants of ISIS in Syria are much more fanatic and better equipped than the mujahideen of Afghanistan.
I also expect a big wave of immigration from Syria when orders and visas are allowed, I envision revenge and battles between these extremist factions when Al Jolani tries to dismantle HTS, and what’s worse – I do believe there will be a division of Syria.
In fact, the split has already started. One day prior to the invasion, President Erdogan of Turkey said that “we are in a big geopolitical shift, borders will change and Turkey needs to be ready to move.” The next step for them would be to create a buffer zone. The Kurds – with the backing of Trump – will want to take a slice for themselves too. The south will be taken by Israel – a process that has already kicked off so the division is unavoidable.
For many this scenario is problematic to say the least and this is why people will want to leave as soon as the situation allows.
Osama, resident of Qamishli, belongs to the Kurdish minority:
I will never forget that moment I heard the news of Bashar Assad’s rule coming to an end. At that time, I was preparing to attend a workshop with a UN agency in Amman.
But things started to escalate quickly, and the rule of Assad was collapsing. I immediately canceled my travel plans to Jordan. It took only three more days to witness Assad’s downfall by the morning of December 8, which I now consider Syria’s national day.
Back then, I felt a profound sense of hope, believing that the nightmare was finally over. I thought peace was on its way, bringing a new era for the Syrian people. I genuinely felt that it was only a matter of time before I could visit Damascus again.
At the same time, I felt a mix of emotions, as a Syrian Kurd who experienced oppression under the Syrian government before. On the one hand, there was relief that the regime had fallen; on the other hand, my concern was growing. Radical militias began fighting against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Manbij and Kobane, and a wave of hatred against the Kurds and the SDF started to spread, fueled by certain individuals on social media.
It’s disheartening that people don’t recognize the pivotal role of the Syrian Kurds, who were the first to rise against Assad back in 2004. I want to share this message: it’s time to rebuild Syria together. Kurds are an integral part of the Syrian community, and after all the tragedies we’ve endured, it’s deeply unfair to oppress us further. We can live together in harmony in Syria. Additionally, I believe it’s time for the international community to acknowledge the Kurds for their sacrifices, especially in saving the world from ISIS. Now is the time to show loyalty and recognition to this ethnic group before it’s too late.
My biggest fear is that we might enter another nightmare of conflict. Specifically, I worry about fighting breaking out between the SDF and HTS, or a possible Turkish attack on the region. However, I believe there’s still a chance to resolve issues with HTS and include the Kurds in a transitional government. Cooperation and dialogue are crucial to avoiding further tragedy.
I know there are talks about a possible split of Syria but I don’t agree with these scenarios. I believe there’s a better path forward, one involving a deal between the SDF and HTS. The international coalition and Arab countries can play a critical role in facilitating such an agreement. This path would pave the way for unity and progress, rather than fragmentation or chaos.
I have never wanted to leave Syria, and I still don’t. Like many other Syrians who chose to stay, I’ve endured significant difficulties but remained committed to my homeland. I’ve already made the decision to stay here, and I hope I won’t regret it.