The fall of Damascus and the ouster of Bashar al-Assad by Syrian rebels marks a historic turning point for the Middle East. This wave of change has been described by Firas Maksad, a research associate at the Middle East Institute, as a pivotal moment with profound implications for the region.
According to Maksad, this event has enormous significance not only for the Syrian people, but for all people in the Middle East, whether Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian or of other origins. He emphasizes that the repercussions of what is happening in Syria are not limited to the country’s borders.
It also highlights the oppression that the Syrian regime has carried out for more than fifty years, under the pretext of freedom, unity and socialism. This oppression has affected millions of people in Syria, but also had repercussions for the Lebanese and Palestinians during the Assad regime’s occupation of Lebanon for several years.
While this is a moment of relief for many on a human level, Maksad points out that it can also pose a potential danger to the country’s minority communities, including religious groups such as Alawites, Ismailis, Druze and Christians.
He also raises concerns about radical Islamist elements within the rebellion, particularly Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the main armed group leading the opposition in Syria and which has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and many other countries.
These developments in Syria therefore raise complex issues and raise questions about the future of the country, as well as the stability of the region as a whole. The challenges now facing the various political and community actors in Syria are numerous, and it remains to be seen how these upheavals will shape the future of the nation and its people.