Syria - Reflections on a Revolution

Nearly a month after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, I continue closely following developments in my homeland, hoping and praying that this is truly the dawn of a new beginning, a time of hope, opportunity and peace.

To look backward a little bit, two days after Thanksgiving 2024, we started hearing the news about the rebels quickly moving through Syrian cities. I thought to myself, is this going to end well or will it turn into another escalation? My family and I were excited.

The week continued with different news and expectations from political analysts on what will happen next. Deep inside, I was praying and manifesting to make this attempt a successful one. On December 8, after a beautiful evening attending The Nutcracker performance at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts with my family, we went back home. My mother’s cousin called me and she was yelling in joy: “Nada! Syria is freed! Assad is gone!” I was thrilled and filled with joy, asking myself, shall I believe it? We started watching the TV, all channels were broadcasting the news… Syria was free, Assad escaped and Syrians were liberated. We watched the Syrian political prisoners being released. Joy and the feeling of freedom rushed through my veins.

On the day I was born, I learned to be quiet and accept the surroundings I lived in. Many times, I felt my parents were overprotective and never understood why. I was born in Syria, a country ruled by the dictator Hafez Al Assad. As a child I was happy, loved my family. My parents, who were Muslims who never talked about religious differences among the Syrian people but always lived in harmony with all religious groups and all people. My childhood as a Muslim child going to a Christian school was calm and filled with beautiful memories with my grandmother, my aunts and my cousins. I spent my childhood painting, drawing, making toys and spending vacations and holidays with my family. A perfect childhood in a perfect country, but with a monstrous government.

A few years later I understood why my parents were overprotective. As a teenage girl, then a young woman, I witnessed events that led me to understand our government. Photos of Hafez Al Assad were everywhere, an ominous reminder to Syrian civilians that he is watching us – in school, at college, in the theater or in the movie theater. I heard stories about distant relatives who disappeared for years in prison for no obvious reason. Hafez Al Assad died in 2000 and his son replaced him as president. He seemed to be a well-educated and civilized person, a young man in his 30s with a degree in optometry. Bashar Al Assad promised the Syrian people prosperity and the ability to have an open border country. Things changed after two years as Bashar Al Assad returned to his father’s brutal and oppressive methods.

The struggle for freedom among the Syrian people, particularly against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, became a complex and deeply impactful conflict. Since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution  in 2011, citizens have sought to overthrow an oppressive and corrupt government. The movement began with peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms, but was met with violent assaults from government forces. This quickly escalated into a violent conflict involving various factions, including government forces and rebel groups. In 2011, I was working in Damascus, and my children went to school. We witnessed snipers on the rooftops waiting to shoot peaceful protesters who were marching in the streets. We witnessed the dignity protests where many shops closed to protest the brutal acts of the government and activists were throwing flyers and CDs in the streets and into people’s gardens and balconies. We also witnessed the barricades with armed soldiers who searched each car that went by it to see if there were any rebels or arms.

In 2012, Bassel Chehadah, a Syrian graduate  film student on a Fulbright scholarship at Syracuse University left school and traveled home to film the protests and the brutal attacks of the Assad regime against civilians in Homs. He was killed. When I started graduate school at Syracuse University in 2016, I organized an event in his memory at Point of Contact Gallery in Syracuse. At the event we screened  his film, at the end of which he was shot, and died while he was filming.

The USA government and the world continued to call it a civil war instead of a revolution. The Syrian people wanted freedom from a regime that was designed by a Nazi officer who lived in Syria and helped create prisons like Sednaya, the Human Slaughter House. The prison – described by Amnesty International as an "architectural instrument of torture" – carried out the brutal torture of Syrians suspected of opposing the regime of Bashar al-Assad.The  Assad Government used the country’s resources to torture and imprison people for any reason, either protesting or criticizing the government.

The revolution turned into a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions, both internally and externally, creating a massive humanitarian and refugee crisis. The international community has been divided in its response, with some countries supporting the opposition and others like Iran and Russia, backing the Assad regime. Many countries used Syria as a battleground or to pursue their own economic and political interests.

Since coming to the USA in 2013, I have been advocating for the Syrian people, through my art, my activism and my work with Syrian non profit organizations. I had several opportunities to go to DC and advocate for Syrian freedom, meeting with Senators, Congressmen and other politicians to help free the Syrian people from a tyrant, a monster who was killing his own people.

On December 9, 2024, Syria and the Syrian people were freed from Bashar Al Assad and his thugs. After liberation, the new government and the humanitarian teams like the white helmets found mass graves with hundreds of thousands of corpses. While the government was killing its own people, it was also taking over factories and mansions and turning them into drugs, captagon labs and facilities. Assad’s government abused its power and turned the country into a large prison. In light of recent events, the US can help the new Syrian government and provide support to the Syrian people and help to stabilize the region. Easing the sanctions could alleviate the suffering of ordinary Syrians, allowing them to access basic necessities, rebuild their lives and foster economic recovery.

Syria is now drawing and designing its own future, with lots of possibilities and opportunities. Ultimately, finding a balanced approach that addresses humanitarian needs while promoting political accountability and stability is crucial for the future of Syria. Dialogue and comprehensive strategies involving regional and international partners will be necessary to support the aspirations of the Syrian people.

After living in the USA for 11 years and advocating for my birth country, I realized that freedom and prosperity is possible as long as it is well planned and coordinated. The aftermath of the Assad regime necessitates a focus on justice and accountability for war crimes and human rights abuses. The geopolitical landscape in the region is complex but with agreement with neighboring countries, regional stability can be created.

Now that some sanctions have been temporatily lifted, mechanisms are needed to ensure that funds and resources are used for the benefit of the Syrian people and not misappropriated by potential new leadership.

After a month of the freedom of Syria, my goal is to  continue advocating for peaceful actions on social media and talk to my friends and family. We are all praying together that the end of the Assad nightmare will be the start of a new hopeful and peaceful Syria. I hope that one day I will be able to visit home, my parents graves and my childhood house. And maybe be part of rebuilding Syria.

—Nada Odeh

Nada is a friend of Syracuse Cultural Workers, a visual artist, activist, humanitarian and modern-day poet. Nada is a curator and art educator. She was awarded the Jusoor scholarship of 100 Syrian Women, 10,000 lives to attend Syracuse University .She is the founder of QUARTSX, ARABESQUES and Nada’s Picassos " Learn more about Nada at www.nadaodeh.com.