Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on the horrors of Assad

Syrians gather in the heart of Damascus on Dec. 9, 2024, to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Getty Images) by Wendy Pearlman, Northwestern University Millions of Syrians are feeling hope for the first time in years. The authoritarian regime of Bashar al-Assad fell on Dec. 8, 2024, after a 12-day rebel offensive. Most commentaries on this stunning reversal of a conflict seemingly frozen since 2020 emphasize shifts in geopolitics and balance of power. Some analysts trace how Assad’s main backers – Iran, Hezbollah and Russia – became too weakened or preoccupied to come to his aid as in the past. Other commentators consider how rebels prepared and professionalized, while the regime decayed, leading to the latter’s collapse. These factors help explain the speed and timing of the collapse of one of the Middle East’s longest and most brutal dictatorships. But these factors should not overshadow the human significance of Assad’s overthrow. People in Damascus celebrate the end of Syria’s brutal Assad regime on Dec. 9, 2024. Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images Assad’s fall in its revolutionary context During the past two weeks, Syrians have rejoiced as symbols of Assad domination came down and the revolutionary...