Zain Salam Assaad on Post-Assad Syria

Current Democracy Fellow Zain Salam Assaad outlines the changing landscape in Syria in articles published in German newsletter Die Zeit and in analyse &kritik (ak). Zain themselves left Syria to Germany in 2016, and therefore address this momentous time not just professionally but personally.

In the article published in ak, titled “Assad, Nach-Assad und die vollendete Ewigkeit” (Assad, post-Assad and the eternity that is complete) Assaad writes that after over fifty years of dictatorship marked by oppression, surveillance, and torture, many Syrians are both hopeful and uncertain about what comes next. The departure of Assad does not signal the end of the Syrian crisis; instead, it opens a new chapter filled with complex power struggles and external interventions. Assaad emphasizes the need for international support to help rebuild Syria, respect the complex realities of its population, and ensure that peace does not come at the cost of further marginalization or violence. Read the full article in German here.

In Die Zeit, Assaad along with co-contributors Felicitas Wilke, Helena Ott, and Simone Gaul, profiles six Syrians who fled the regime to Germany. The article delves into the difficult questions of return, the hope for a renewed Syria, and the grief over what has been irrevocably lost.

Both articles highlight the uncertain but hopeful future of Syria. As the country faces internal divisions and external interference, Syrians must navigate a path toward peace and justice. The personal stories and perspectives of individuals remain crucial in understanding not only the past but also the way forward.