No matter what happens now in Syria, the fall of the Bashar al-Assad is a great victory for Syria and for humanity. The liberation of Syrian cities from one of the worst tyrants in recent history, the liberation of prisoners held in Assad’s torture chambers, the geopolitical defeat for Russia, Iran and their allies; — all this is a source for joy.
This would not have been possible without Russian and Iranian imperial hubris, which led Russia to its war against Ukraine (with Iran’s support) and Iran’s war against Israel (without Russia interceding). Now, Russia is weakened, Hamas almost defeated, Hezbollah severely weakened, Iran embarrassed (and hopefully, eventually, also defeated), and the curse that has lasted over the region can be lifted.
Turkey has played a major role in liberating Syria, partly fueled by their concerns over Kurdish interests, and by the pressure put upon it by so many Syrian refugees. Turkey has also supported Ukraine’s right to its guaranteed territories and has been standing up against Russia more. No matter how frustrating Erdoğan’s politics may have been recently, here, he deserves the victory.
Of course, now we’ll have to see what happens. Can the rebels create a functioning democratic and just state? Can the curse of violence be broken? What happens to the Kurds, the Alawites, the Christians, the delicate balance on which the country was built?
Under its leader Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a (known also as Abu Mohammad al-Julani), Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham has succeeded by appealing to moderation, by uniting those who have been desiring to topple Assad and his regime. Let us hope that his path of moderation will lead to a better future.
Last but not least, Syria represents one of the oldest sites of human civilization. Damascus (Damašq) is more than 11’000 years old, Aleppo (Khalpe / Beroea) more than 10’000, Homs (Emesa) more than 4000. It is one of the biggest human tragedies, in my view, that many of the centers of human civilizational and urban development have suffered so much throughout history, and have not been allowed to prosper as much as they would deserve due to their legacy and the debt all of humanity owes to them. This is even more true for ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq), the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine), but also the sites of ancient America. History can be cruel, because humans can be cruel.
Now, one of the most cruel rulers in history seems defeated. Let us hope that the future will be more kind to the people of Syria, and that this helps create a greater peace in the entire region. There has been too much suffering, too much war, too much destruction of human lives, human achievements, and human potential.
But for now, for today, there can be joy, and there can be hope, always hope.
Erratic Attempts 