Syria, Liberation, and the Road Ahead

The fall of the Syrian government this past weekend was a momentous event that will have historical reverberations. The end of Bashar Al-Assad’s rule means many things for many people. For the countless Syrians who have languished in Assad’s dungeons and torture centers, the activists and revolutionaries who suffered under the oppression of the secret police, the workers and unions who have lost their livelihoods to neoliberal reforms, and for millions of others in the region and across the world, this represents a moment of hope and opportunity. At the same time, it is in many ways also a time that necessitates concern and vigilance.

Few would defend the brittle, repressive, and extractive government under Assad. Yet the collapse of the Syrian state has also long been in the interests of the US and Israel, evidenced by Israel's invasion into Syrian territory and its brutal missile strikes across the country before, during, and after Assad's removal from power. The Syrian people, who have already suffered so much, must now contend with right-wing militants, imperialist interventionists, and the insatiable colonialism of a genocidal Israeli state, which has in a matter of days stolen more Syrian land than the entirety of Gaza. The road ahead for the Syrian people will not be easy. But with the fall of Assad, it is at least theirs to undertake.

Much remains unknown in this uncertain time, but there are core principles around which we must remain clear as a movement:

• The Syrian people, like all other people, have the right to live in freedom, dignity, and prosperity, free from authoritarianism, violence, sectarianism, and oppression.
• Those of us living and struggling here must do what we can to give the Syrian people the space and independence they need to chart its own course free of imperialist meddling. US intervention can only serve to undermine the Syrian people’s democratic aspirations. Sanctions must be lifted immediately.
• The geopolitical implications of the fall of Assad are multifaceted and complex, and will not be fully clear for years to come. In the meantime we must not let our community be divided. There is space for both joy and fear. Elation and trepidation are both warranted in this moment. Both must be treated with respect and consideration.
• No matter what comes next, we must maintain our unity of purpose, our shared commitment to the liberation of all peoples, and an unwavering clarity in our mandate to stop the genocide in Gaza and for the freedom of the Palestinian people. The Syrian people’s commitment to Palestinian liberation is absolute, and we too must do all we can with the tools we are given to stop the US war machine and its impact on Syria and on all our peoples, everywhere.

Change is not only possible, but also inevitable; all oppressive systems crumble in time.

Let us continue to fight for a different world where all people can live with dignity and freedom from Syria to Palestine, and here on Turtle Island.