The end of fear in Syria | Syria’s War

Damascus and Aleppo, Syria – Until the fall of the Assad regime, the word “dollar” was banned in public. Instead, people used anything green – my favorite variant was molokhiya, the green leaf eaten in soup in Arab countries.
I heard this story many times from Syrians as I wrote from Aleppo and Damascus in the days after the regime was overthrown. Under the previous regime, walls had ears and could be heard by anyone on the street corner or on the other end of the telephone line.
The wrong phrase or word — “dollar,” for example — could land you in one of Assad’s notorious prisons.
Now, with the Assad family in exile, a sudden freedom has exploded that was not possible during the past five and a half decades of dynastic rule.
The Syrians I met understood how fragile and fleeting this freedom of expression is – and many told me that a few days of experiencing it were enough to never want to go back.
“Previously, you obtained your rights through communications and bribery,” said Yamen Sheikh Makhaniq, 21, as he stood outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus during the first Friday prayer after the collapse of the regime.
“Now, God willing, because of this liberation, I have hope,” the law student added, a smile on his face as worshipers passed by.
![Fighters on a tank in Aleppo. [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2E9A2387-1735560495.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
Although I have covered Syria extensively since I started in 2011, and have spoken to many Syrians in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, the United States, France and elsewhere, I have never covered events from Syria itself.
Walking under the pomegranate and lemon trees in the streets of Old Damascus and looking at the deserted squares brought life to my mind, and many of the stories I heard from Syrians about what was taken from them in exile came to mind.
It was surreal, something I never would have imagined even a couple of weeks ago. I began to imagine an alternate reality in which my wife and I would take day trips from Beirut to Damascus to visit friends or enjoy historic neighborhoods, or even drive through Syria to Iraq, Jordan, or Türkiye.
No more one man rule
Syria is free and open, and in this renewed nation there is great hope. The fighters I interviewed in Aleppo had done just that They were exiled as children and returned as liberatorsHe expressed his overwhelming happiness at being able to stand once again in the footsteps of the city’s historic castle.
But with the new freedom, there are fears and pitfalls. After all, no Syrian in the country under the age of 60 will know what life is like under a repressive, authoritarian authority.
On Friday, December 20, I pushed through the packed crowd at the Aleppo Citadel with Youssef Ahmed, an accounting professor at the University of Aleppo.
Ahmed was happy that the old regime had fallen, but he was worried about repeating old mistakes.
He told me that the most important thing is not to put any individual above the state.

He said the cult of personality surrounding Assad should never be repeated with new leadership. Until now, the image of the Commander-in-Chief of the new administration, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has been limited to an occasional car with his picture in the rear window.
A toxic personality cult is an essential part of Assad’s legacy, as is a brutal police state Thousands disappearedled to Millions of displaced peopleAnd strictly monitor any expression, including the word “dollar.”
While US dollars (and Turkish lira) are now accepted in institutions across the country, there remain fears of losing freedom of expression and other hard-won rights.
In Saadallah al-Jabri Square in downtown Aleppo, families pushed strollers among street vendors selling green, white and black Syrian flags. Many were jubilant and spoke of the need for a democratic Syria that represents all its sects and ethnic groups.
“I’m telling you, Syria will be fine.”
An elderly couple came to the square with their adult son to check out the atmosphere. They told me they were happy to get rid of the system.
“For 13 years, he sat in his chair and did nothing,” they told me.
However, as Christians, they worry about their vulnerability as minorities. For this reason, they did not want me to share their names or for my colleague Ali Haj Suleiman to take their photos.
They told me that the new administration, run by Ahmad al-Sharaa of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, has taken only positive steps so far.
Their son, a hairdresser, said: “We want to get rid of the idea of sectarianism that was implanted 15 years ago.”
In a bar in the city, people joked about armed fighters shooting up the bar. The bar owner said a few people, dressed modestly, came to ask if the bar served alcohol, adding that he was not at all sure if they were coming for a drink or for less friendly reasons.
![Father Hanna Jalouf was living under Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2E9A2412-1735560518.jpeg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
Father Hanna Jallouf, the apostolic vicar in Aleppo and the leading religious figure in the Roman Catholic Church in Syria, is also concerned.
I found Jallof’s history interesting because he lived under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s rule in Idlib and was even kidnapped by Jabhat al-Nusra in 2014 for five days.
The Al-Nusra Front was Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, but it separated from it in 2016 and reconstituted itself under the name Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham.
Jalouf said he understood the fear among his followers and other minorities, but he had received assurances that Christian religious symbols would not be harmed.
He also has a personal experience with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as he lived in Idlib when Al-Sharaa was heading the administration there, and he also met the leader of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham.
“The man was honest above all else and wanted the best for his country,” Jallof said.
He added: “He is doing something for Syria… I lived with them and know them, and indeed, if they implement what was said, I tell you, Syria will be fine.” And not just Syria, but the entire region.”
The international media has paid great attention to minority issues, especially Christians.
I recently read an interview with Syrian intellectual Yassin Haj Saleh who criticized the West for focusing on minorities while the Assad regime killed hundreds of thousands of people.
I share his skepticism about the West’s stated concern about minority rights in Syria, especially after so much indifference over the past 14 months in Gaza.
![Worshipers in church in Aleppo. [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2E9A2319-1735560535.jpeg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
The concerns of minorities are real and should not be ignored, but I also hope that the focus on a specific minority does not overshadow or ignore the broader struggle for universal rights that thousands of Syrians across sects and regions are demanding.
For many, the conditions of fear imposed by the Assad regime have ended. The freedom that Syrians have gained is precious and fragile. Many expressed gratitude or amazement at the fact that they could speak openly to journalists.
For this newfound freedom to remain, Syrians are well aware that they will need to strengthen it through the efforts of many brave people. ActivistsJournalists, members of civil society and ordinary citizens – regardless of their sect or race.
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2024-12-30 13:06:00