What will become of Syria?

The Assad regime has been overthrown: this news shook the world in December 2024. Since then, a new government has come to power in Syria and many sanctions have been lifted. However, the new leadership's terrorist past has sparked mistrust. The initial euphoria has faded, at least since the brutal massacres of minorities – and yet hope for a new beginning remains

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When the Assad regime collapsed in December 2024, there were high hopes that Syria could finally be free. Today, less than a year later, the country's future is hanging in the balance. Violence against minorities, such as the fighting between Bedouins and Druze in the province of Suweida, is on the rise again. In his essay for this issue, Syrian intellectual and dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh writes: “The combination of tyranny and sectarianism almost inevitably leads to extreme, often even genocidal violence.” Is the situation hopeless? Will Syria once again descend into a civil war that will divide the country — or will it succeed in having a new start after decades of dictatorship?

The answers to these questions are complex and contradictory. As always, we do not answer them but have invite Syrian authors and commentators to have their say. For the first time, KULTURAUSTAUSCH is collaborating with the online magazine Qantara.de to find out what is really going on.

In an interview, political scientist Rahaf Aldoughli voices hope for a genuine national dialogue that guarantees political participation for minorities as well. Past injustices must be rectified and those responsible must be brought to justice. Writer and feminist Sarah Hunaidi also calls for the principle of participation to be placed “above our fears.” If this does not happen, “Assad – even in his absence – will have won.”

Sociologist Mohammed Bamyeh believes this is possible, but also warns: “Without a common narrative, the bitterness will live on.” For this reason, journalist Kristin Helberg visited Kafranbel, a former stronghold of the Syrian resistance, for this edition. She writes that it is essential to remember the history of the revolution so that its ideals can guide the current transformation. The issue includes an interview with Feras Fayyad, a documentary filmmaker who has been nominated for several Oscars. He describes his unimaginable torment in the torture chambers of the Assad regime, speaks up for those who are so often forgotten: “Remember. Give the dead a face. Tell their stories. That is now our great task.”