Even now, in the middle of the night in a small apartment in Milan, he (my father) wakes screaming, staring into the darkness—searching for the light of a saviour and for an official apology that will likely never come. By Shady Hamadi www.newarab.com/opinion/syri...

Even now, in the middle of the night in a small apartment in Milan, he (my father) wakes screaming, staring into the darkness—searching for the light of a saviour and for an official apology that will likely never come. By Shady Hamadi www.newarab.com/opinion/syri...

“All children’s lives have equal value,” we say, with confidence. But having for years witnessed my people buried under the weight of global silence, let’s face it: That sentence only applies if the children are the right color, from the right wars, dying in ways the news can romanticize. 1/5

The Assad regime will only have truly fallen when those in power take decisive steps to crush the Assadist tendencies many Syrians have adopted through decades of ruthless rule. 1/3

Anyone who claims that dozens of Bedouin women and children were slaughtered should present a shred of evidence, which they won’t, because it’s a blatant lie fabricated to distort the truth and conceal the real crime. When such lies are used to shift blame onto the victims…

Assad's Henchmen: For years they sold us pride & sacrifice, swore they’d die for Syria, nothing could shake their courage. But when the walls closed in, the heroes of their own myths dropped the flag and ran like mice, proving their loyalty ended where danger began. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/w...

Should I be proud as a Syrian that my country is one of two on earth that recognize Putin's illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, alongside North Korea? Al-Sharaa seems to think so, otherwise he would have taken Syria off that shameful list Assad put us on.

While many view Al-Sharaa's visit to Moscow as a necessary step for Syria’s security, the concessions Damascus will have to make are hard to swallow, a few:

Lose a single note from a melody, and the harmony falls apart. To my Druze brothers and sisters, drown out the noise of those who hate, listen to those of us who know that Syria without you is unrecognizable. We need you.

Zelenskyy, a leader at war, uses the podium to plead not just for Ukraine, but for Syria too. I hope Al-Sharaa doesn’t return the favor with an overdose of pragmatism with Moscow. Russia might no longer murder our children, but it still murders Ukraine’s.

Prominent Egyptian-British human rights defender Alaa Abdel Fattah was released from prison after years behind bars and reunited with his family in an emotional celebration following a long-awaited pardon by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

I don't know a single person, Syrian or not, friend or foe, who doesn't call Al-Sharaa a pragmatist. it's almost a nickname with folks who couldn't even define the word calling him one. After this interview, look out for those who will no longer see him as one. That's how you spot a bootlicker

🧵 You would think the "Sharia First" camp would characterize Al-Sharaa the same way they describe the Arab leaders here.

Let me be clear about my threshold on Syria: Even if Al-Sharaa governs flawlessly, if the caveat is that he rules for life, I'll oppose him ferociously. I know there are Syrians who accept the trade-off, unbothered by the failed stone-age concept of eternal rule. That’s their issue, not mine.

I still cannot understand how voices who once exposed Assad's crimes, were able to turn a blind eye to the Alawite and Druze massacres. Some have quietly shifted since, but have yet to admit that as the massacres unfolded, they inflicted irreparable damage by resorting to Assad's denial tactics.

🧵 In a recent televised interview, Al-Sharaa revealed part of a deal that was struck with Russia in the days leading up to the fall of the Assad regime. This could be part of an act of treason, here's why:

All this talk about Manaf Tlas as some sort of alternative to Al-Sharaa is deeply discouraging. I can’t understand why Syrians remain so fixated on strongman leadership, as if the fate of the country should rest on either of these men alone. 1/4

Not one convincing argument has been made for Al-Sharaa appointing relatives to guard billions and dominate key institutions, a state that relies on family rule to remain intact isn't a state at all, it's a reincarnation of the very system which Syrians literally just got rid of.

Wonderful news: Elizabeth Tsurkov who was kidnapped in Iraq by the Kataib Hezbollah militia in 2023 has finally been freed from captivity. Elizabeth remained 900 days stripped of the very freedom she spent her adult life advocating for. Tonight I sleep with a smile on my face.

Our upmost priority in Syria should be to breakaway from victimhood, before it becomes a breeding ground for new forms of societal oppression. Traumatised Syrians, many of whom have lost everything, are in desperate need of care, understanding and attentiveness.

Many Syrians are accusing those with an alternative political vision for Syria of simply being too lazy to form political parties and make their case to Syrians. Let's clear this one up: IT IS ILLEGAL TO FORM A POLITICAL PARTY IN SYRIA Anyone who contends this statement is ignorant or full of s**t

Syria urgently needs political parties to represent its broad political spectrum. By blocking them, Al-Sharaa creates a void that confines Syrians to identity politics. The longer we linger here, the likelier any future parties will be built solely along religious/ethnic lines. A disaster.

We're entitled to know Al-Sharaa’s net worth as a reference point to compare with his wealth moving forward, you know, to ensure he doesn't milk the Syrian people the way Assad did. Setting aside the $70k Baghdady gave him in 2011, if he is now a billionaire, we'd like to know.

1) The era of state corruption in Syria is supposedly over, and it’s time Al-Sharaa declares his personal wealth. He must also disclose gifts received while serving as head of state, and any assets he obtained belonging to Assad/former regime, since they in fact belong to the country and its people.

MOST SYRIANS WANT A SECULAR DEMOCRACY: 57% support separating religion from politics 61% for democracy 8% for an islamic state Let that sink in. And remember, Al-Sharaa and his entire government, won't even utter the word 'democracy', let alone deliver. Link: www.dohainstitute.org/ar/News/Page...

I’m Syrian, so of course I’ve seen plenty of cult-like leader worship in my time. Hafez, Bashar and now Al-Sharaa. The real tragedy is when those who once likened such people to sheep, end up becoming the sheep themselves.

If anyone is serious about Syria representing all its citizens, then removing 'Arab' from The Syrian Arab Republic is essential. It would show a true commitment to unity & the inclusion of all Syrians. Not doing so only highlights an existing appetite for division & exclusion. This is a no brainer

With social media replacing the town square, who said people don’t go to the zoo anymore? Here you have a considerable chunk of Europe lined up to watch a buffoon perform.

On what twisted basis is it acceptable that these two parasites sit in government? We’ve barely broken free from a 54-year family dynasty, and Al-Sharaa has the audacity to script us into another? If installing his brothers to consolidate power isn’t disqualifying, nothing is.

Those trying to downplay Syrian state-forces murdering innocent civilians do nothing but encourage the next atrocity. So if the goal is to protect the state's image, it's a very short-sighted one. Not to mention the culture of denial it creates, reminiscent of the Assad regime.

Footage has just emerged from Suwayda's National hospital, dated July 16, showing Syrian State General Security executing one of the medical staff. The state's claim that its forces were acting as stabilizing forces upon entry to the city will not age well in light of this.

While it's Al-Sharaa's hollow dialogue conference that led us here, the AANES attempt to fill the void with pluralism & democracy is overshadowed by this absurd notion that clerics somehow speak for Syrians, further exacerbating sectarian divide. Civil society must dominate ALL national dialogue.

Syria risks rapidly spiraling into an endless civil war, that is most likely to severely divide the country. If the goal is to prevent that, Al-Sharaa must set aside the whataboutism rhetoric, take responsibility for his failures and change course. 🧵 (1) Bare with me:

Only a fool would argue that Al-Sharaa's government is operating within the framework of a transitional entity. What Syrians should be discussing is how to prevent him and his yes-men from laying the groundwork for a single party, decades-long autocracy.

Any Syrian who is serious about inclusive state-building, should demand a genuine national debate begin immediately, not another photo-op for Al-Sharaa to project legitimacy, but a comprehensive dialogue that truly reflects Syria's full political spectrum.

A conference held in Northeastern Syria has sparked outrage among pro-government Syrians, who accuse the participating Druze, Alawites, and Kurdish Syrian groups of attempting to divide the country. However, while many may agree, such criticism falls on deaf ears, and here's why: 1/6

Al-Sharaa’s $14B in MOUs are non-binding, long-term proposals with no timelines, because no actual deals have been signed. Forget how this is being sold to Syrians: MOUs are not “signed deals.” And to top it off, the two companies shown in the images are shell entities (basically fake).

Prior to the Suwayda events, the majority of Druze-Syrians disliked Al-Hijri, were optimistic of the state, and fierce advocates for a united Syria. Following the massacres, and the disgusting attempt to whitewash them, that majority feels betrayed. And the truth is, they were.

Defending the most vulnerable isn't a position you take, it's a principle you uphold. But not all Syrians who agree with that statement are singing the same tune, divided by the misconception that those who were most vulnerable under Assad are still the most vulnerable now.

No sensible human being denies massacres of civilians were committed in Suwayda. Regardless of who was behind them, only a fool claims that Hijri’s forces and their affiliates are the only ones fighting back when civilians are being targeted,... 1/3

The inclusion of more women in Syria’s governance and leadership, must go beyond tokenism or meeting quotas. Their presence will bring balance and restraint, create spaces that are calmer, more thoughtful, and less driven by ego or impulse. It's an advantage not a burden.

Only a minority of Syrians identify with secularism, yet the vast majority live as self-hating secularists.

Asides from who killed Raed Fares, even Assad didn’t stand to gain nearly as much from his assassination as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. 1/4

It's unfortunate that this moment is being portrayed as some sort of victory for Syrians. Russia, like Iran, orchestrated a war against Syrians, obliterated our cities and murdered our children. Anything short of an official apology and substantial reparations, as a precondition, is treason.

I see many people sharing testimony of either Bedouin or Druze women recalling atrocities, but rarely both. I'm not saying they should share either, in fact, let's be frank: testimony must never be treated as fact. My question is: why endorse one if you're not willing to endorse the other?

1 - I find it extremely difficult to differentiate between the harm inflicted on children, whether in Gaza, Syria, or anywhere else in the world. And in order to drive my point more thoroughly, yes of course that includes Israel. I say this because today, in Syria, a dilemma seems to be unfolding..

1/🧵A damming report on Syrian state's involvement: "Syria’s government, including the Defense Ministry & president’s office, did not respond to a detailed summary of the findings of the report or questions from Reuters about the role of gov. forces in the massacres." www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Most Syrians have nothing to do with the massacres in the coastal region, neither with the crimes nor with the attempts to distort them. Some speak out cautiously, fearing for the country’s stability; and while caution born of good intention may be defensible, silence is complicity.

Abandoning the innocent civilians massacred in the coastal region is a clear betrayal of values, sold for the illusion of victory.

In the current Syrian climate, choosing integrity over allegiance is widely unpopular, not because it’s wrong, but because it challenges those once driven by principle to face the denial of having traded values for victory.