After more than a decade of war and half a century of oppressive rule under Bashar al-Assad and his father, the Syrians have a new ruler and a new future. Michael Sapphi I traveled around the country and talked to people about the burgeoning hope and joy, but there was also fear at how vulnerable this peace could be.
Driving with his family from Lebanon to Damascus, he heard about the painful sacrifices that the war had inflicted on them. But they also told him how optimistic they are for this historical moment.
In Damascus he discovered that normal life had creeped up, but global jihadists still kept checkpoints. He then spoke to aid workers who said his British citizenship could soon be revoked and become a new Syrian citizen.
But outside the city, Michael discovers that Assad's religious sect, the Alawites, already face bloody retaliation. But while many are worried about what the new former jihadist government will do, as one civil society activist told him, “We didn't have the space to move before the government collapsed. Everything was really dark. Now we have a lot to do in our country and I see the space to move.”
