Current24:51Meet Syrian women demanding a role in the country's future
As Alma Salem crossed the border between Lebanon and Syria, she asked the driver to stop.
She fled the country 13 years ago when the authoritarian government of Bashar al-Assad opposed pro-democracy protests with military force, plunging the country into civil war. The the fall of the Assad regime in December, he enabled her to return home from Montreal, where she had been living, for the first time since the outbreak of the war.
Stepping out of the car, she knelt down and kissed the ground, inhaling its familiar scent.
“I thought I would come back to Syria only buried, you know, straight to this land. But I came to life and I will be able to hold it in my hand,” said Salem, executive director of the Syrian Women's Political Movement Currenthost Matt Galloway.
“I felt like I owned this country. I felt… that all of Syria was mine.”
For Syrians like Salem, the end of the war brought joy and renewed dreams of what the future might look like. Current spoke with Salem and two other Syrian activists about their visions for the country's future and the obstacles that remain to achieve that goal.
Alma Salem
Since his return, Salem says the celebration atmosphere in Syria has been like an “endless party.” It's often loud here, full of the sounds of drums and voices, she added. For the first time, people can express themselves freely without fear that their views may get them in trouble Assad's secret police.
“I believe we have reclaimed public space,” Salem said.
Salem says now is the time for Syrians abroad to return home. Some six million Syrian refugees resettled around the world since 2011 and the transitional government called on approximately 1.5 million people in Lebanon to return earlier this month.
Those who return will be able to take part in building a new Syria from the ground up – something all citizens have fought so hard for and share the victories in, Salem says.
“This is our country now and we deserve a chance,” Salem said.
Salem says it is critical that women play a role in Syria's political structure as its people build a new society after the fall of Assad. But it's also something he worries about.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a rebel group that overthrew the government of i he became the de facto leader of the country in December, have a poor record on women's rights, including reports on blocking women's access to education AND requiring women to be accompanied by a male guardian in public places in the past.
Aisha al-Dibs, new head of the Syrian Women's Affairs Office, he told Al Jazeera that her government was committed to engaging women in social, political and cultural institutions – but caused outrage when she said that women should not “transcend the priorities of their God-given nature” and remember the educational role they play in the family.
According to Salem, these words sparked a wave of anger among Syrian feminists. Despite this, she remains optimistic about people with the authorities listen to women in their country.
Salem organized conference this month, which was attended by approximately 300 politicians, political representatives, journalists and members of civil society groups who shared the views of women involved in Syrian politics.
“You know, it was a good sign for us that they recognized our… statements and demands regarding women's political participation,” Salem said.
Noura Aljizawi
Noura Aljizawi, a Syrian human rights activist who played: a key role in the 2011 uprisingalso escaped to Canada from Syria during the war. She hasn't left Toronto to visit home yet, but plans to go there soon.
This will be her daughter's first visit to this country and meeting Aljizawi's father – a dream their family may never come true.
By the time power changed hands in December, Aljizawi had given up hope that she would ever return home or meet her family in person.
“But now anything is possible. And that dream came true,” she told Galloway.
He says the first step towards rebuilding Syria must be accountability.
WARNING: This video contains descriptions of torture. Omar Alshogre, a former Syrian political prisoner who escaped starvation and torture in Bashar al-Assad's prison system, says the joy he felt watching the regime fall was worth “all the pain, all the suffering, all the fear, all the disappointment, all the betrayal .
Amnesty International estimates that tens of thousands civilians went missing as a result of political protests in 2011. Many of them were thrown into prison tortured, starved or executed. As many as 13,000 people were shot According to Amnesty International, he was imprisoned in the notorious Saydnaya Prison from 2011 to 2016.
After the old regime left, prisons full of prisoners were freed. But Aljizawi says many people are still missing, including several members of her family. People deserve answers to questions about where their missing relatives are, he says.
“The truth must be told and the victims must be listened to,” Aljizawi said.
“The alternative to justice is revenge. And we don't want… victims seeking revenge on the perpetrators.”
Still, Aljizawi says the hardest work has been done – rooting out the authoritarian regime. “After this, nothing is impossible.”
Azza Kondakji
Azza Kondakji was persecuted by the Assad regime for her activist activities. However, she never left the country, instead choosing to stay and help other Syrians during the civil war.
She also wanted to be there and witness the liberation of her country – which she claims she always believed would come. “It was hope that kept me in this country,” Galloway said.
With this moment in the rearview mirror, Kondakji says cleanup and reconstruction will be a huge task as much of the country's infrastructure and basic services have been decimated by years of fighting.
AND 2022 World Bank Analysis estimated total damage nationwide at $8.7–11.4 billion ($12.48–16.35 billion CDN). Kondakji says rebuilding Syria will require other countries to provide economic support and lift Assad-era sanctions.
Kondakji hopes that with some support, the next generation of Syrians will carry the torch in building a peaceful future.
Estimated 2.4 million children According to Kondakji, they are still not attending school in Syria – either their families have been displaced, they can no longer afford to attend class, or their classrooms have been destroyed by fighting, according to Kondakji. Many people suffer from the emotional burden of witnessing war and will need psychosocial support.
Kondakji sees a future where Syrian children can grow up in schools that foster creativity instead of fear, and where dreams of becoming a scientist, artist or world leader can become a reality.
“Syria's next generation can redefine what it means to be Syrian – not through pain, but through pride and hope,” Kondakji said.
“They embody the dream of a nation that can rise to the occasion again, like a phoenix reborn.”