Syrian Hanze students just hope for a lasting peace

Last month, the Assad regime fell in Syria. Alongside much joy there is fear for the future. How do Syrian students look back on the revolution in their country?

‘Congratulations, you got some of your freedom back!’ Zaid Farg (21), a student of Built Environment, called his best friend in Syria immediately after the fall of the Assad regime. ‘I followed the offensive of HTS day and night, from the early beginning,’ he says. The advance by the rebels of HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which means Committee for the Liberation of the Levant) ended with the capture of the capital Damascus, after which dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country. Immediately after Assad’s departure, Zaid wanted to speak to his family and friends. ‘Most of them had stayed behind in the Homs region. They felt immensely relieved, but at the same time they were afraid for the future.’

‘Assad has fled, we are free!’ Reem could not believe it, she cried out with joy

Reem Wahhoud (32), a student of Nutrition and Dietetics, received a WhatsApp from her sister from Syria in the middle of the night. Assad has fled, we are free! it read. Reem couldn’t believe it, she cried out with joy. ‘My husband woke up and together we ran downstairs to turn on the TV.’ All night they watched their partying compatriots and phoned family in Syria. Not entirely carefree, by the way. ‘My brother was in the army, he had to defend the capital of Damascus. We were afraid he would be killed.’

For Syria and its people, 7 December 2024 is a historic day. Damascus was no longer in the hands of Bashar al-Assad, whose family ruled Syria with an iron fist for over 50 years. Assad’s flight to Russia announced the end of the civil war that had raged since 2011.

Zaid is from Al-Mouzeina, which is in an area where many Christians live

The rebel uprising began in northern Syria and within a week they had reached Zaid’s native region. ‘I lived in the mountain village of Al-Mouzeina, west of the city of Homs,’ says Zaid. ‘The area is mostly inhabited by Christians, which is a minority in Syria. My family was afraid that HTS would be violent.’
Reem’s family also feared the rebels. ‘My family lives in the Tartus region where many Assad supporters live. We were afraid HTS would retaliate.’ But violence at a large and organised scale did not happen, although the situation is still very unpredictable.

Syria must become a country for all, not one where one group oppresses other groups

Meanwhile, a transitional government has been appointed to govern Syria until new elections are held. Zaid hopes the government will not make the same mistakes that characterise the country’s history. ‘Syria must become a country for all minorities and religions. Not one group ruling and oppressing the others. It is important to separate religion and state, otherwise there will be another war.’
Reem agrees. She also hopes that all refugees can return to Syria. ‘My grandparents live in a refugee camp in Lebanon. They would like to go back, but they have no papers and no money.’

Because so many people have left, there are also too few teachers, doctors and professionals

Little is now left of the Syria of old. Reem: ‘Almost all the houses have been destroyed and there is a shortage of food, water and medicine. Because so many people have left, there are also too few teachers, doctors and professionals.’

The country will have to be rebuilt and they could use the help of everyone, man and women. Zaid hopes this will improve the position of women in Syria. ‘The government will have to give women more freedom and protect them from things like forced marriage.’

Whether those hopes will materialise? Zaid is not entirely sure about that. ‘The current government appointed Maysaa Sabrine as president of the Syrian Central Bank. The first woman in this position, so that is positive. But Sabrine also made strange statements in the past about curbing the role of women. ‘I always talk about human rights, because men and women are equal and so they have the same rights.’

Reem hesitates: ‘I started from scratch in the Netherlands, now my husband works, my children go to school here and I have almost completed my education’

The future will have to tell. For himself, Zaid sees no future in Syria. ‘I don’t want to return to the same community where I grew up. Every 10 or 20 years, I want to move, because you learn so much within a new community. You shouldn’t stay within your own bubble for too long.’
One thing is clear to Zaid, he will become an architect, just like his father. ‘My father set up his own furniture company in the Netherlands. In Syria, he was an interior designer. During the summer holidays, I went to work with him and that’s how the passion for architecture was born.’

Reem is unsure about her future. ‘I started from scratch in the Netherlands. Now my husband works, my children go to school here and I have almost completed my education.’ Still, she also feels the strong urge to be meaningful to her country. ‘In Syria, the study of dietetics does not exist. They think a dietician only helps people lose weight.’
Reem fantasises about opening her practice: ‘I can really be meaningful over there and share my knowledge and experience.’ Whether it remains an idea, time will tell: ‘I can’t really imagine a new Syria yet. Above all, I hope there will never be another war.’

Photo: Mel Morales