Syria’s Assad government falls; people in Qardaha are having a hard time with money and want justice in Syria after the war.
- The Assad family’s past wealth is different from Qardaha’s poverty.
- In Syria after Assad, calls for justice and peace are growing.
After more than 50 years of Assad family rule in Syria ended with a rebel attack, people in Qardaha, which is where the Assad family grew up, think back on the hard times and confusion they faced during that time.
Once a sign of power, former President Hafez Assad’s tomb is now a mess. The grave has been set on fire, and the grounds have been robbed. The end of a family has been marked by the destruction of Bashar Assad’s home.
People from the Alawite group, like the Assad family, lived in Qardaha, which was poor even though it was seen as a wealthy haven.
A lot of people in the area had to rely on low-paying work and joining the military to make ends meet, while the Assad family lived in luxury.
An ex-soldier named Ali Youssef said, “We lived on bread, oil, and salt.” “The old regime didn’t help many people.”
How are the people in Qardaha doing now that Assad is gone?
Economy: Government workers continue to receive unpaid salaries, and the cost of gas has skyrocketed.
Missing Soldiers: Thousands of young soldiers from Qardaha have not been seen or heard from, and many have been found mentioned as prisoners.
Security: People who live there say that things are “acceptable” right now, but they are worried about religious strife.
Hope : People in the new Syria want “equal rights and duties” for everyone, no matter what group they belong to.
As for Syria after Assad, many people are cautiously hopeful. Lawyer and graduate student Jaafar Ahmed said, “We don’t want special treatment; we just want equal rights.”
But fears still exist. Families of soldiers who served in Assad’s army are worried about their loved ones who are now in different places or being held.
Soldiers who give up their guns can now get “reconciliation IDs” from the new government, but there is still not enough security and economic peace.
Locals are hopeful about togetherness, but they stress how important it is to be accountable. Ahmed wants either full unity or transitional justice to be used to deal with the crimes committed by all sides in Syria’s bloody civil war.
Ahmed said, “We can’t hold one group responsible and not care about another.” “Everyone should be treated fairly.”
As the Assad family falls apart, places like Qardaha look to the future with mixed feelings of hope and fear, eager to rebuild after decades of damage.