Syrians took to the streets, markets and mosques on Friday celebrating the recent ouster of Bashar al-Assad and attending the first Friday prayers since his ouster on Sunday.
CBC senior international correspondent Margaret Evans, producer Jason Ho and reporter David Iacolucci spoke to people in Damascus outside the Umayyad Mosque, which was built in the early 700s and is the city's most more in the city, and the nearby Al-Hamidiyah market about their hopes and fears for the future.
Islam Marouf, 38
(Jason Ho/CBC)
Marouf is a journalist from Al Hasakah, in the northeast of the country.
He said Syria faces many challenges, including food and oil shortages, uncertainty over Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who led the rebel advance that toppled Assad, and concern that a united Syria may not stand. with its various ethnic and religious groups.
“There is fear from the future,” Marouf said. “We are celebrating a new situation in Syria, but everyone is afraid, especially the artisans.”
He said that when the rebels saw the release of members of the army without exact retaliation and to keep some of the original promises that Golani made, he was reassured, even though he is from an area where Golani's group, Hayat Tahrir al, is not well known. -Sham (HTS). .
“Now, we have peace here in Damascus, that's good. Yes (forgiveness). So far everything is good.”
But, he said, it will take a lot to keep that peace and keep Syria intact.
“The people must work hard to build Syria.”
Jude, 27
(Jason Ho/CBC)
Joud, who did not want to give her last name, studied finance and hopes that in a post-Assad Syria, she will be able to find work in her field, earn a higher salary and start a family. When CBC spoke to her, she was enjoying the simple pleasure of being able to move freely around town.
“I'm happy today,” she told Margaret Evans through an interpreter. “When I left the house today, I can walk and go wherever I want… I'm so happy that I can go anywhere. No one watching over me.”
Joud said she is not worried that a new Islamic government could ban women.
“It won't affect me as a woman or anyone else,” she said. “We're going to live the way we live now, and there won't be rules – no more rules – on us, I hope.”
Inas al-Hanash, 25
(Jason Ho/CBC)
Hanash was out celebrating with her children, and like many of those on the streets of Damascus on Friday, she flashed a hopeful peace sign as she posed for a photo as other children milled around nearby. on hand She said she is looking forward to economic stability and that she had things in stores to buy with her money.
“The Syrian lira (pound) will be much better, God willing. It's not like it was before. Even if you had money, you couldn't buy anything.”
Hanash said that she also hopes that a new government will mean that basic services, such as electricity, will be maintained.
“The economic situation will be much better, and we will live in peace and safety,” she said.
Abu Ahmad, 22
(Jason Ho/CBC)
Ahmad said he is a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the advance that defeated the Assad regime. Originally from Idlib, Ahmad said he fought with the rebels as they made their way to Damascus and is now helping to maintain security in the capital.
“There are a lot of people who still support the regime, and a lot of thieves in the city,” he said. “We hope that once we do all this (secure the city), that we return home. “
Many inside and outside of Syria are waiting to see what will happen to those who supported the regime and had an active hand in the brutal tactics it used to maintain power.
Ahmad said that holding people accountable for their actions under the past system is an essential part of the transition.
“If we let supporters of the regime who have blood on their hands go free, we would be betraying our martyrs,” he said. “If there is someone in the army who has been forced, he can go back home and we won't do anything to him. As for people with blood on their hands, we will be responsible for them.”
Raed al-Saleh, 42
(Jason Ho/CBC)
Saleh heads the group known as the White Helmets, the first responders whose mission has changed dramatically in recent days from helping civilians survive violence and instability. a long and deadly civil war to rebuild the country.
One of the first tasks was to help with research Saidnayathe notorious military prison outside Damascus, looking for underground cells and trying to make sure every corner of the prison was cleaned.
“This was one of the most important missions for us,” said Saleh. “We were working hard to get all the prisoners out.”
Now, they will turn to discovering some of the mass graves where the victims of the Assad regime were buried, he said. That will include collecting DNA samples in the hope of providing answers to the loved ones of thousands of people who disappeared over 14 years of civil war.
“We have over 100,000 people who are missing that we don't have any information on right now,” Saleh said.
Despite the hard work ahead, Saleh said he is optimistic.
“In the last 14 years, we suffered a lot. But today … we are in a new phase. We are going to build a new Syria. We will bring back all Syrians and we will make sure that it is only one country, only one community, and that Syrians make decisions in this country.”
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