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For many who have always lived in warm houses through winter and cool ones in summer, within the comfort of a wealthy country, it is hard to imagine the reality faced by those in lands subjected to continuous bombardments, chemical weapons, armed clashes between factions, torture, hunger, summary executions, harsh imprisonment leading to premature deaths, and systematic daily abuse for those who peacefully express dissent against a brutal dictatorship. All this continued in Syria until December 8, 2024, when dictator Assad was forced into flight by a group of courageous rebels once branded as terrorists.
It must be acknowledged that against a dictatorship such as that of the Assads, one cannot fight with gentle gestures, with dialogue, or with poems and beautiful songs; it must also be recognised that those who carried out the coup d’état had to be trained in guerrilla warfare in order to overthrow a bloodthirsty dictatorship.
Moreover, those who ended the dictatorship could not be certain of surviving the operation, and they continue to risk their lives today for democratisation and for civil and economic progress—efforts that are still resisted by opponents. As often happens, closed minds are quick to judge what they cannot understand—for in their imagination, the world is no larger than their own story.
Why speak at length about Syria? Because what has happened—and continues to unfold—in this nation is without precedent, and because the press and television give it far too little attention.
After 58 years—since 1967—Ahmed Al Shara became the first Syrian President to address the United Nations, on Wednesday, 24 September 2025. These milestones have now come to light, and further articles and essays offering deeper context can be found on the website newfaceofsyria.org and on the Facebook page The New Face of Syria.
Considering the crucible of violence and injustice that continues to plague the Middle East, this website and its Facebook pages—only recently discovered—will stand as a beacon of light in these challenging days. Its aim is to share the marvels now unfolding in Syria—a country that, within just a few months, has transformed from an immense extermination ground spanning the entire nation into a land rising again, day by day, as it confronts the immense challenges left by the former dictatorship. It stands as an example of enlightened governance for the entire world.
Photo taken from the corresponding Facebook page
As Syria’s transformation unfolds, questions of leadership and redemption take center stage. The essay above can be found in the website newfaceofsyria.org under Perspectives. It invites readers to reflect on how history remembers those once condemned, yet later celebrated as voices for peace and unity.
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