What are the residents of Damascus and Syria afraid of? An American report speaks
Somaya Aynaya used to spend her weekends and summer nights on Mount Qasioun, which overlooks Damascus, joined by other Syrians drinking coffee, smoking hookahs, and eating grilled corn on nearby grills.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the army under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad closed the mountain to civilians, according to what the New York Post reported in a new report.
Suddenly, instead of families and friends shooting fireworks into the sky, soldiers were firing tanks and artillery into areas controlled by armed factions below.
On New Year’s Eve, weeks after a coalition of armed factions overthrew the Syrian regime, Aynaya, 56, and her family returned to Mount Qasioun with snacks and scarves to protect against the winter cold.
Speaking to the New York Post, Ainaya, an Arabic literature graduate and mother of four, said as she stood along a ridge and pointed out many of Damascus’s landmarks: “Thank God, we are back now — we feel like we can breathe again.”
In turn, her son, Muhammad Qatfani (21 years old), a dentistry student, said: “We feel that the city has returned to us.”
Across Damascus, as in much of the country, Syrians are reclaiming, and in some cases returning to, spaces and freedoms that were prohibited for years under the Assad regime.
But with the new sense of freedom comes some fear about the future, and whether over time new authorities may impose new restrictions and limits.
Many Syrians watch every decision as a harbinger of how the new officials will rule.
Last week, Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said it could take two to three years to draft a new constitution and up to four years to hold elections, alarming Syrians who fear they may have replaced one authoritarian leader with another.
Currently, there is also a level of chaos under the interim government, which is quick to prioritize some state-building measures over others.
With many economic restrictions and regulations removed, men and boys sell smuggled gas on street corners. Residents said traffic in the city is congested, with only a few police officers patrolling and double parking lots common.
Anxiety and joy
Yamen Al-Sabak, a youth group leader, said of his country under the Assad regime: “We could not see the city, or Damascus, or any city, in all its details… and we stopped going to public places – because we felt that it was not for us, but for the regime.” “.
On a recent gray and rainy day, hundreds of people gathered in the building that was the headquarters of the ruling Baath Party, to listen to Syrian actress and activist Yara Sabry, as she spoke about the thousands of detained and missing prisoners in the country.
Weeks ago, she was in exile because of her activism. Now, the Syrian flag in its new colors hung above the podium on which she was speaking. Above the entrance to the building, the old Syrian flag and the Baath Party flag were partially painted over.
Event organizer Salma Heneidi said that the choice of place was deliberate, and added: “We consider this a victory… This was a place where we could not carry out any activities, and now we are not only holding activities, but important activities that expose the previous regime.”
Also, an event was recently held in the building to discuss writing a new Syrian constitution.
During the Assad era, even simply saying the word “dollar” could land someone in prison. Foreign currency exchanges, which were banned for years under the previous regime, seem to be popping up everywhere. Men walk through the markets shouting: “Casher!” ATM! A teller.”
Across the street, the shelves of a convenience store look very different than they did just a few weeks ago, when store owners had to smuggle in foreign brands and hide them from most customers. (24)
