Fourteen years ago, I was three years old, drawing cartoon characters in my sketchbook. It was when “The Amazing World Of Gumball” first premiered, Adele’s “21” album debuted and the first season of Disney’s “Austin & Ally” aired. It is also how long Syrian people have been suffering through a civil war.
As someone who is half Syrian, as well as a Syrian refugee, I always check the news when it mentions Syria. Every time I pick up my phone or watch Al Jazeera on the TV and see any updates on Syria, it always includes violent ways that people are being treated. In December, I discovered that Bashar Al Assad, the dictator of Syria, fled Syria. I was instantly relieved to know that the dictatorship had ended; there was a chance that Syrian people would not have to continue to suffer.
However, the end of the Syrian civil war conflict leaves many questions to the rest of the world about the future of the country: Who will be the new ruler? Will it go back to being a tourist site? What will the government now look like? How will Syria reconstruct everything that’s been destroyed?
Assad’s family rule has been in place for over 50 years in Syria, beginning with Hafez Al Assad and passed down to his son, Bashar Al Assad. Under Bashar Al Assad’s rule, freedom of speech simply did not exist. The Syrian government tortured elementary school students who spoke up against them, and tensions rose which led to the war. In 2011, the Syrian civil war began.
The conflict caused 14 million displacements, marking Syria as the nation with the most global displacements. Additionally, Syrian refugees have sought asylum in approximately 130 different countries. Dec. 8, 2024, marks the date when Syrian rebels seized the capital city of Syria, Damascus. With this confiscation, they ended the 50-year ruling of the Assad family. It also marks the date for the end of the Syrian civil war.
Bashar Al Assad fled to Russia, where Vladmir Putin granted him asylum. But that leaves us with the question of who will take charge and control the Syrian government. With some of the major rebel groups being Islam extremists, there is a chance that they are to take over the Syrian government.
If Islam extremists rule over Syria, the nation’s future might look similar to Afghanistan’s current situation, with controversial and problematic policies. For example, women cannot exit their homes unless they are with a male family member.
I hope that Syria will once again be known for its beauty, and not for its bloodshed. Prior to the civil war, there were approximately 8.5 million tourists visiting Syria in 2010 for its beautiful historical sites, including the Arch of Triumph, the Arch of Palmyra and the Crac des Chevaliers—all of which are now destroyed as a direct result from the war.
Additionally, Israel has started to enter Syrian territory after Assad’s fleement to Russia. They entered the buffer zone of Syria which raises questions about their plan on occupying Syria. According to Democracy Now, Israel struck Syria a week after Assad lost his power. While the motives of Israel for Syria’s land is not clear yet, one thing we do know for sure is that they do not think of Syria as an allied country. I don’t think Israel should be in Syrian territory—they should not get involved with the country.
Syria doesn’t have Assad’s harsh rule anymore. We should honor the deaths of the innocent people who have died due to the war. These deaths included children, which just shows how cruel Assad’s military force is. According to The New York Times, there were about 620,000 deaths from the Syrian civil war. It is saddening to think about what the Syrian people have witnessed and had to experience.
Not only were there deaths, but there were also about 100,000 people imprisoned. A majority of them were in prison for speaking up against Assad. In the prisons, there were disturbing torture methods used on the prisoners, some of which include rape and beatings. After being released on Dec. 8, some of the prisoners asked what year it was, showing how these men, women and children lost their sense of time in the prisons. Taking away someone’s sense of time is undeniably dehumanizing.
It is heartbreaking to know that my country is considered free and no others have cared to help. It is upsetting to know that a lot of the surrounding Middle Eastern countries turned a blind eye throughout the civil war. It’s tragic to know that it will never feel the same as it used to. Syrian civilians lost their lives all because a dictator couldn’t stand the fact that his people wanted democracy. I am a firm believer in peace, and I do not want Syria to turn into a country where it’s led by those who may threaten peace. However, I am also a believer of democracy. While I am scared for the future of my country, I find it relieving that Assad is not ruling Syria anymore.
While it’s not clear what’s next for Syria, we can hope for peace. The Syrian people have been suffering through this civil war for 14 years. We should let people celebrate the hope for democracy and the end of the dictatorship. Freedom of speech is something that didn’t exist in Syria while Assad was in power, and finally having the right to discuss Assad without the threat of imprisionment is a hopeful start for democracy.