In 2021, I sat in my room in Egypt, captivated by a documentary on the Syrian revolution recommended by a friend. “The Return to Homs” followed AbdelBasit Al Sarout and his comrades as their peaceful uprising, brutally suppressed by Al Assad, morphed into an armed struggle. I couldn't help but feel a deep connection to the freedom fighters and fall for Sarout’s unwavering devotion to his homeland. At just 19 years old, he had abandoned his promising football career for the unknown. Seeing him lay on the ground amid the ruins, leaning against the remnants of a devastated wall, he would remember those he had lost and admit that he simply missed them. Something about his resolute stance, his humanity, and his charismatic appeal made him a hero in my eyes and a revolutionary figure to the Syrian people. Watching this documentary, I prayed that Sarout was still alive, so that one day, as a journalist, I could interview him. A quick Google search shattered that hope—he had died in 2019. Angered by the unjust regime and its atrocities, I made another prayer: “O Allah, please let me be alive when Bashar Al Assad falls, let me witness his end.”
Little did I know that less than four years later, my prayer would be answered. I would be lucky enough to witness the first moments of freedom. I would wake up to the news: Bashar had fled Syria. I would see videos of political prisoners, including women and children, being freed from notorious prisons, reuniting with their families after years of dust and uncertainty. People who had been imprisoned for 12, 14, or even more years. Those assumed dead by their families, were now in their loved ones' arms. Those who had left their homes with the hope of returning had finally achieved that hope. Statues of the dictators had fallen. What does this mean for us, the post-Arab Spring generation? It is a lesson in determination, showing us that a revolution can achieve victory even after 14 years, even after the Arab League had embraced Al Assad back. When we study the Arab Spring, we often talk about it as a great moment in history that failed to achieve its goals. The youth who once witnessed the Arab Spring as kids have grown up with a sense of caution and pessimism. However, in the last 12 days, the Syrian rebels have taught us that their revolution did not end with the initial protests or with the brutal international interventions; it continued until the declaration of Assad's escape.
The Syrian revolutionaries have reclaimed their country for its people, and this achievement carries immense value for us, the post-Arab Spring generation. It reminds us that there is hope we can cling to. The people write the future of their country. The people fight, and the people redeem their freedom. This victory is a testament to the unyielding spirit of those who believe in justice and human dignity. Sarout’s presence accompanied the first moments of freedom. His voice echoed in the squares, his old videos flooded social media, and his words were quoted: "This revolution is a people's revolution and it will succeed with the people."
Indeed, it did.
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