Arkady, who works in a rehabilitation facility, and her husband, Feraz, fled Syria in 2013 with their one-year-old son. After learning of the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, she said, “I felt like I was in a dream, so I said, if I’m in a dream, don’t wake me up.” Rehabilitation Arkady Hide caption
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Rehab Arkady
When the Syrian rebels took control of Damascus, Arkady, who works at a rehabilitation facility, couldn’t believe it. In her lifetime, she never dreamed that Syria’s dictatorship would collapse. That’s why she fled her hometown more than 10 years ago.
But on Saturday night, Arkady said his phone was flooded with messages from friends in Syria, all with the same startling words: “We are free now.” At that moment, Arkady finally began to believe it.
“I felt like I was in a dream, so I said if I’m in a dream, please don’t wake me up,” she said.
Many Syrians at home and abroad were overcome with shock and joy upon hearing the news that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country, ending more than 50 years of brutal rule by him and his family. There is.
In interviews with NPR, some Syrians living in the United States say they are finally willing to speak to the press or publish their full names because they are no longer worried that their families back home will be punished if they speak out. He said he no longer felt any resistance.
Much remains unknown about how the Islamic rebels, who currently have most of the control of the country, will govern in the future. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that led the attack to topple Assad, previously had ties to al-Qaeda, but in recent years has publicly denied international terrorism and sought to present a more moderate profile. are. Leaders currently face myriad challenges in trying to bring the country together.
Still, refugees in the United States told NPR they feel hopeful and excited for the first time in years about the possibility of returning to Syria, while remaining cautiously optimistic as Syria’s future continues to take shape. Some people expressed similar views.
“I thought this was the end of the story, but it wasn’t.”
Arkady, who works in a rehabilitation facility, and her husband, Feraz, fled Syria in 2013 with their one-year-old son. They saw nearby homes reduced to rubble as a result of the bloody civil war that erupted in 2011, and spent countless nights sheltering in their basements.
When they said goodbye to their loved ones, they thought it was forever. “I never dreamed of going back because of the suffering we have seen,” Feras said. “I thought this was the end of the story, but it wasn’t.”
Currently, Rehab and Fela have built a new life in the United States and live in New York City. While the Rehabilitation Department works as a case manager for the nonprofit Syrian Community Network, Feras, who was a doctor in Syria, is currently pursuing a training program to continue her career as a doctor. The couple said they no longer considered themselves refugees and were relieved to call Syria home again.
“When we left the country, we felt like we no longer had dignity,” the rehab facility said. “When I got my citizenship here (in the United States), I felt my dignity returned. And in Syria, I now fully have my dignity back.”
The rehabilitation facility and Feras said they look forward to the release of all prisoners held under Assad’s tyrannical regime, including Syria’s notorious Saidnaya prison, known for its hidden cells.
Their son, who left Syria as a baby, asked for years if he would ever return to his homeland, to which Rihab replied “never.” But now, Mr. Rehab reassures his son that it will happen and talks about all the things he is looking forward to. “It’s not easy to forget,” she said. “The people there, our friends, our lives there.”
“All the martyrs and those who died… I want them to come back alive and just tell them that we are free now.”
In Chicago, when news of Assad’s resignation broke, Samira Alhamwi immediately called her parents in Syria.
“I called them on the first day and they jumped for joy,” she said.
Alhamwi left Syria in 2011 as it became increasingly difficult to find medicine and food for her baby. At the time, Alhamwi said his father was also arbitrarily arrested as part of the regime’s crackdown on the region where the Syrian revolution began. Alhamwi fled the country before his father was released.
Samira Alhamwi teaches citizenship classes at the Syrian Community Network in Chicago. She said her parents in Syria “jumped for joy” when they heard about Assad’s ouster. Samira Alhamwi Hide Caption
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Samira Alhamwi
For the first time in years, Alhamwi feels a renewed sense of hope for his homeland. She is confident that the Syrian people will be able to rebuild safely. But she also feels a deep sadness for those who lost their lives during the civil war and while fleeing Syria.
“I want them to come back alive and let us know that we are free now,” she said.
“The Syrian people are tired. They don’t want more people to be killed. They don’t want war.”
In Albany, Syrian refugees with the nonprofit New York for Syrian Refugees told NPR they have been praying for peace and stability in their homeland in recent days.
Although they are confident in the resilience of the Syrian people, they are also concerned about forces outside Syria.
Since Assad left office, Israeli forces have been active in Syria, entering the demilitarized zone and carrying out hundreds of airstrikes aimed at destroying Syria’s military. Meanwhile, some fighting continues in northern Syria between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and Turkish-backed rebels.
“The Syrian people are tired. We don’t want any more people to be killed. We don’t want a war,” said Lubna al-Sharifi, who left Syria in 2013 to protect her newborn son and now lives in Albany. I don’t want it. I want peace.”
Most of her family fled Syria to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, but Sharifi recently started talking with them about reuniting in Syria once the country stabilizes and the airports reopen.
As for Turaya Ibrahim, she said she was initially happy to see Assad gone, but was still waiting for signs of stability in Syria. Turaya left her home in 2013 after it was bombed. Her entire family, including her parents and siblings, still lives in Aleppo. A part of her still wishes she could immigrate to the United States, especially given the ongoing fighting in northern Syria.
“Syrians want to live in peace and love, but the world does not forgive them,” said Mohammed al-Shaneif, who fled Syria in 2012 at the age of 11.
He said he still vividly remembers the food he ate in Damascus and the smell of jasmine flowers. After immigrating to the United States, I tried growing it myself, but it didn’t last long. He looks forward to them coming home.
