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From Daraa to the Courtroom: Syria Sentences Assad and Atef Najib to Death — SYRIAWISE

“Justice may be delayed, but it never forgets those who placed themselves above the law.  Power fades; the rights of victims endure,  and no passage of time can erase the demand for accountability.”Yasser AshkarFifteen years after the events in Daraa helped ignite an uprising that transformed Syria, the name of Atef Najib has returned to the national stage, this time from inside a Damascus courtroom.On Tuesday, August 11, Damascus’s Fourth Criminal Court sentenced Najib, the former head of Polit...

Syria’s Next Test: Accountability and Good Governance  — SYRIAWISE

The question of democracy occupies a broad and contentious space in Syrian public life. This debate has intensified significantly since the fall of the Assad regime, through the convening of the People’s Assembly, and in the deep disagreements that have emerged over democracy as a concept and over how it is reflected in the policies of the transitional authorities on the ground.These differences have largely crystallized around two principal trends. The first calls for setting aside the language...

Property Rights: The Foundation of Syria's Reconstruction  — SYRIAWISE

No economic revival or successful reconstruction can begin without rebuilding trust between citizens and the state through a new social contract founded on the absolute protection of property rights. In his book Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, Francis Fukuyama argues that the protection of private property is a fundamental legal prerequisite for any modern economy. His central thesis is that social trust transforms legal institutions into engines of economic prosperity....

The Syrian Iliad — SYRIAWISE

With just two words, The Syrian Iliad, Ali Ferzat invokes the timeless legacy of Homer’s epic to frame Syria’s modern experience as a story of immense tragedy, resilience, memory, and survival. Rather than depicting a single event, the title evokes an epic narrative that transcends time, inviting viewers to reflect on a nation’s suffering, endurance, and hope. Like all great works of art, it leaves the final interpretation to each viewer.

With just two words, The Syrian Iliad, Ali Ferzat invoke...

Rebuilding Syria's Economy Starts with Labor and Banking Reform  — SYRIAWISE

The convening of Syria’s first parliament following the victory of the revolution is a landmark event unmatched by any legislative milestone since the French withdrawal in April 1946 and the election of the country’s first post-independence parliament in 1947 consisting of 131 members and presided over by Faris al-Khoury. That parliamentary experience, however, was short-lived as it was interrupted by Husni al-Za’im’s military coup in August 1949.Today, Syria has a historic opportunity as it bui...

Can Syria Say No? The Risks of Resisting Washington's Demands  — SYRIAWISE

For the past year and a half, President Donald Trump has repeatedly placed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in an awkward position by publicly claiming that he was the one who put him in office. The embarrassment has deepened in recent weeks following reports that Trump has urged Damascus to intervene militarily in Lebanon, effectively aligning itself with Israel against Hezbollah.There is little doubt that Syria’s inclusion in the international coalition has created a profound dilemma for Presi...

Breaking with Authoritarianism: The Test of Syria's Transition  — SYRIAWISE

Transitioning away from authoritarianism in Syria demands sustained institutional restructuring and extraordinary efforts during the transition from the Assad dictatorship to a new Syria. While the Syrian case is starkly resonant today, directly impacting us as citizens, it is by no means an anomaly. This becomes evident when revisiting recent and distant historical precedents surrounding the collapse of dictatorships and the rise of states emerging from the grip of oppression, and the dual cult...

Rebuilding Syria: Through Legislative and Economic Reform — SYRIAWISE

Most countries around the world have come to recognize that excessive centralization is ineffective. It expands bureaucracy, delays economic activity, and in many cases stifles it altogether. Syria’s own experience has demonstrated the shortcomings of centralized governance as nearly every governorate has suffered from administrative bottlenecks that have hindered urban development and economic growth. As a major step in the restructuring process Syria should therefore move toward broad administ...

The July 18 Crisis Cell Explosion: The Mystery That Changed Syria's War — SYRIAWISE

In mid-July 2012, thousands of rebels in Syria were advancing into Aleppo’s eastern neighbourhoods, the countryside of Deir ez-Zor was rising, declaring the end of the Assad’s rule over the entire region. As for Homs, despite the blood of the rebels being spilled in Baba Amr, the youth in Al-Qusayr, Talbiseh and Al-Bayada were regrouping for the next step.In Daraa, the situation began to spiral out of control, and the voice of its rebels grew louder as the Assad regime’s security in its southern...

Freedom of Expression and Trust — SYRIAWISE

In societies emerging from conflict and crisis, freedom of expression takes on a paramount importance. Safeguarding the right to speech, press freedom, and interconnected liberties, such as the rights to assembly, political organization, and civic engagement, is essential. These rights must be protected in alignment with international human rights treaties, national constitutions, and foundational texts like the Constitutional Declaration.In the Syrian context, freedom of expression is vital for...

The Future of Turkish Syrian Security Cooperation — SYRIAWISE

Security coordination between Syria and Turkey has been accelerating noticeably, as reflected in several operations and incidents over the past months, ranging from the pursuit of cells to coordination on the arrest of wanted individuals. At the same time, NATO has adopted various forms of cooperation with partners outside its membership as part of its approach toward the Southern Neighborhood, including the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative with Gulf countries.But could Turkish Syrian security co...

Football, Memory, and the Changing World Cup — SYRIAWISE

Every FIFA World Cup produces unforgettable moments, but for some people the tournament awakens something far deeper than sporting excitement. Watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the United States, I found myself thinking not only about the matches unfolding on television, but also about the football fields that helped shape my own journey, from my childhood in Syria, to refugee life in Istanbul, and eventually to a new beginning in America.Football has never been merely a game in my life. It...

Caesar: Art Bearing Witness to Syria's Prisons — SYRIAWISE

I am honored that the Hafathah Collective has included my painting, Caesar, in its collection and featured it in its “Tuesday Talk with an Artist” series. I am grateful for the opportunity to share the story behind this work and the experiences that inspired it.Caesar emerged from my effort to bear witness through art to the suffering endured inside Syria’s prisons. As I listened to survivors’ testimonies, I felt compelled to sketch and paint their stories, not only to process what I had heard,...

The Decay — SYRIAWISE

Not everything that is corrupt is visible at first glance. Some things reveal themselves through a foul odor before the discerning eye can perceive them. Many homes appear intact from the outside: their walls stand tall, doors are wide open, and windows gleam; yet, upon entering, one feels an unmistakable heaviness, a strange presence in the air that makes breathing difficult and signals a hidden rot. Gradually, the hidden cause of the decay begins to surface.Today, the question is no longer abo...

Managed Access: Foreign Journalists in Syria — SYRIAWISE

As Damascus recently celebrated a rise in its World Press Freedom Index ranking, foreign journalists working in Syria described an accreditation system that remains opaque and quietly encourages self-censorship.On the ground, there is a tangible sense of freedom that did not exist under the Assad regime. The disappearance of the notorious intelligence agencies and the cult of personality has made locals more willing to speak with candor to outsiders. Foreign journalists are no longer routinely a...

Syria and Lebanon: Building Sustainable Stability  — SYRIAWISE

Syria’s relations with its neighbors are a critical source of domestic stability and a cornerstone for forging a new foreign policy, one capable of reshaping a national image long tarnished by the Assad regime. For decades, that image was defined by power politics, the use or threat of violence, and relentless pursuit of regional and global hegemony.Lebanon stands at the forefront of these neighbors. Rebuilding ties with Beirut is vital to safeguarding the security and stability of a Syrian stat...

Syria's Shattered Cities: A Crisis Beyond Bricks and Mortar — SYRIAWISE

When international reports describe the destruction visited upon Syria’s urban landscape during years of war as “unprecedented,” this is neither poetic license nor media hyperbole. United Nations assessments published in 2022 estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of the country’s residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed outright. In Aleppo alone, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in human history, the World Bank documented the total or partial destruction of 40,000 ho...

The Politics of Survival: When Communities Lose Faith in the State  — SYRIAWISE

Perhaps the most dangerous consequence of governance based on the principle of domination is not merely its failure to build a genuine state, nor its inability to establish legitimacy, partnership, or stability. Rather, it is its tendency to push society toward a critical threshold where individuals begin thinking about saving themselves from the nation instead of saving the nation itself.Nations do not endure simply because their borders are drawn on maps, nor because they enjoy international r...

Café Arrest, Conflicting Files: The Disputed Detention of Hassan Akkad

It was just after nine pm on Wednesday, June 17, and R House Coffee in al-Maliki was doing what Damascus cafés do best, low light, clinked glasses, a table of foreign journalists leaning in to hear a returned exile talk about Give the Money You Owe. Hassan Akkad had come back to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime and since April 2026, he’d been running a blunt, viral campaign called “هاتوا الفلوس اللي عليكو” — Give the Money You Owe — naming the businessmen and TV faces who pledged reconst...

Defection of Hussein Harmoush and the intrigue surrounding his capture

“Syria is for everyone, not for a single person.” These were the final words of a video recorded by Lieutenant Colonel Hussein Mustafa Harmoush announcing his defection 13 years ago from the Syrian Army led by Bashar Assad. As the first major defector from the regime’s military force that Harmoush believed had strayed far from its intended purpose, Harmoush exposed the lies of Assad and made himself a target for revenge by the brutal dictator more concerned with remaining in power than protectin...

When Dissent Becomes Synonymous with Disloyalty — SYRIAWISE

Discussing highly sensitive issues like discrimination and hate may be considered an intellectual luxury or a mere academic exercise aimed at studying social phenomena in countries that have made significant strides in stability and development.However, raising this issue today must be viewed as a necessity in light of the current realities in Syria as evidenced by facts that demonstrate a nationwide spread of discrimination and hate without exaggeration. While some may attempt to dismiss such c...

The Right Honorable Parliamentarian — SYRIAWISE

On the evening of June 10, 2000, an honorable parliamentarian went to Dr. Bashar al-Assad and said: “Sir, I have brought you what even the hoopoe failed to bring to King Solomon!”“And what have you brought me, O bird of ill omen?”“I have brought you from parliament a handkerchief I used to wipe the tears of my colleague, who was weeping at the announcement of the death of the Eternal Leader.”“And what am I supposed to do with it, you fool?”“You are wisdom incarnate, sir, nay, the pride of ophtha...

The Slough — SYRIAWISE

The Minister of Transport issued a decree appointing Engineer Ghazwan Jabr as Director-General of the General Railway Authority in the capital of a certain country.Ghazwan could not bear the thought of parting with his personal chauffeur, Abboud. The man was not only a skilled driver but also an amusing companion. Abboud himself welcomed the prospect of moving to the capital and continuing to serve his benefactor.The road to the capital was riddled with potholes filled with water and mud, and Ab...
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