Syria is a republic ruled by authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad. Located in the Middle East–a shatterbelt region consisting of countries in West Asia and Northern Africa–where tensions are boiling among different countries. In the midst of this conflict, there has been a civil war in Syria since 2011 and other countries have played a major role in it, namely the United States, Russia, Turkey, and Iran. While Russia and Iran try to keep the power with Syria’s authoritarian leader, the United States tries to get Kurdish-led Democratic forces in power. Opposing both, though, Turkey backs up the insurgent groups–a group that uses warfare tactics to fight a government–which consists of most of the people that are rebelling.
Many Syrian citizens oppose Bashar al-Assad’s rule because of the corruption within the government. As a part of the Arab Spring protests, people who are pro-democracy in Syria revolted against the government’s poor management of the effects from the drought in 2006-2011–with nearly 1.3 million people affected–and the economic disparities and inequality across Syria. Specifically, 15 teenage boys spray-painted on a high school wall in Dara’a, which led to their arrest, torture, and thousands of citizens calling for their release. This further strained the relationship between the government and people, causing what’s now known as the ongoing Syrian Civil War.
As briefly mentioned, many oppose the Syrian government because it does not benefit the people–after all, it isn’t a democracy. This sparks the debate that citizens aren’t the main priority of the Syrian government; instead, their main priority is gaining authority and they will not look out for their citizens best interest to get what they want. Most notably, women were treated horribly in prison: people who were detained weren’t given a chance to go to court or plead innocent. Moreover, guards were constantly killing people in different detention centers and the conditions in these places threatened the well-being of those incriminated. Despite Syria passing a law that criminalizes torture, it still remains prevalent in detention facilities that are operated by the Syrian national government.
This gender equality expands further than prisons, though. Over 4 million people that need nutritional assistance in Syria are women and girls, mainly due to the disadvantage between men and women-dominated households. Women-headed households are twice as likely to not be able to provide basic needs and things for health than male-dominated households. This clearly exemplifies the gender gap throughout Syria and also sheds light on one of the biggest reasons for rebel groups in Syria: gender inequality.
It is crucial to also recognize the refugee crisis and displacement of over 12 million people in Syria. As a result of the influx of immigrants to different countries, certain leaders have started to deport people back to war-torn Syria. Namely, Turkey is deporting thousands of people to northern Syria and Lebanon announced the return of 15,000 refugees. These citizens had to flee their country because of life-death situations from the government and their human rights violations. Some of these heinous crimes include torture and inhumane treatment of citizens, enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, unlawful interference with privacy, and the list goes on.
Now, the overthrow of Syria is seen as an opportunity for citizens to rebuild. President of the United States Joe Biden noted that this is an important chance for people in Syria, “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria.”
The group of these rebels are known as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and many people in and outside of the country are optimistic that they will rebuild it for the people. Specifically, women are optimistic about gaining more opportunities after being long-oppressed in the Assad regime. Through their mistreatment under the old Syrian government, they learned resilience and to persevere. Women in Syria will ensure that they will have rights and move together to bridge the gender gap. Some are unsure of HTS’s strive to break these gaps, though, because they haven’t formally renounced their connection to al-Qaeda. Many are hopeful, though, because their leader severed ties with the terrorist organization in 2017 before the rebrand of the group to HTS. Despite their disband from al-Qaeda, the United States, United Kingdom, and the United Nations still deem HTS a terrorist organization. This demonstrates the different views on HTS, but as a whole many believe that the split of the Assad republic will be used for the good of Syria.
Leaders from around the world are talking about an opportunity for citizens to come together and shape Syria for the better. Most notably, Joe Biden deemed this a “moment of historic opportunity” for the Syrian people and a “fundamental act of justice.” Opposingly, Russia is distraught by the fall of the Assad republic because of the increased likelihood that they will have smaller influence throughout the Middle East. This diplomatic relationship started during the Cold War when the Soviet Union gained interest in the Middle East and their political ties increased because of Syria’s growing interest in the Communist Party. This was an entry point for the Soviet government to have access to the Arab world as well as having a port on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea for export. This relationship blossomed, and Russia supported the Syrian government in the Syrian Civil War. This can be seen in how Russia is tightly aligned with Bashar al-Assad, sending the Syrian army lots of weaponry and equipment to fight against rebel groups. This extends past a military alliance, seen by Assad and his family fleeing to Russia whether they were granted asylum. Since Putin welcomed the family with open arms, questions arise on what the relationship between Russia and Syria will be like under the HTS. The relationships between Turkey and Syria look promising, though, mainly attributed to the help they gave the HTS. Turkey’s aid was crucial for the victory of the rebels.
The future of diplomatic relationships between Syria and other countries are unclear, but many are hopeful for the rebuilding of Syria and their alliances.
Written by Michael Shohat
