It's finally happened. After 13 years of struggle, the Syrian people emerge victorious. What started as military operations in the north quickly escalated into country-wide revolt, built on decades of resentment, organising and, counter-revolutionary violence. Prisons liberated, Assad fled, and for the first time, in over a decade, Syrians are celebrating. They know, more than any of us, the work that comes now, but for now, let's celebrate with them.
This episode is dedicated to Omar Aziz, to Razan Zaitouneh, to Alan Kurdi, to all the brave fighters who were martyred by this regime, to all the ordinary men and women who dared to dream, to the organisers of the councils that sustained their communities through years of siege, to those who perished in refuge under the crushing weight of exile, to all the revolutionaries who are no longer with us: this moment is for you.
May this inspire all of us to dare to dream, to understand that sacrifice may well pay off, that the long struggle towards justice is but that: a long struggle. The people wanted the overthrowal of the regime, the people overthrew the regime. May we experience such joy in Lebanon, may the Palestinians experience such joy. May all oppressed peoples across the globe be victorious in their struggle against their oppressors. Oppression leads to resistance which oppression can never crush.
I have so many thoughts and feelings, so I share with you this episode. It of course is not expansive. Three main things I forgot to discuss:
The Israeli opportunism in this moment, bombing areas in southern Syria and seizing new territories.
Sednayel prison as a place not just of disappearance but wholesale massacres.
Accepting Syrian agency the way we do with Palestinians. Are you reading Syrian poetry? Listening to Syrian music? Engaging with Syrian twitter or insta? Centring Syrian voices? Are you accepting and trusting that Syrians understand their situation better than anyone else? If not, you may be falling for narratives that ultimately hurt Syrians and contributing to their erasure.
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But for now Syrians celebrate. Let's celebrate with them.
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