Syrians in Catalonia dare to dream after fall of Assad: 'Change is possible'

The Syrian diaspora in Catalonia longs for "unity" and "democracy" in their country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Nour Salameh, Aseel Massoud, and Ahmad Dyab, three exiles in Catalonia, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) their feelings after the rapid advance of the rebels to bring down the regime and end a thirteen-year civil war.

"The Syrian people have shown that change is possible, even though it's very difficult," says Aseel. All three champion the revolution and the fight against the dictator's "barbarity."

They also reflect on the immense suffering endured by the Syrian people. Now, a new chapter begins, one they view with both "uncertainty" and "hope."

"New doors are opening that we didn’t know existed in our country. I hope my family can come to Catalonia, see this wonderful city, and return to Syria to tell what is here," says Aseel, who has lived in Barcelona for over eight years with her partner, Ahmed.

She is a doctor, born in Sweida, southern Syria. He is from the capital, Damascus, where he studied international relations. Both are musicians who studied at the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona. With their music, they want to show that Syria is much more than "war and death."

Intense days before the fall

Like millions of Syrians displaced by the war, both have followed with surprise the rapid advance of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) towards Damascus. Thirteen years after the start of a revolution demanding reforms and freedom, and a civil war that has killed nearly 618,000 people, according to the latest data from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, HTS rebels have defeated Al-Assad. And they did so in less than a week.

"An incredible few days. It has been very intense. We have achieved what the Syrian people have been waiting for over 13 or 14 years," says Aseel. 

She can "dream again," think about sitting down with her whole family, and breathe easier for her brothers, who faced compulsory military service.

"We are happy, liberated, and worried about the future of the country. But there is always hope. We never imagined we could live to see this day."

Ahmad is also happy with the fall of the regime but urges caution now that the HTS Islamist group is leading the transitional government.

"It’s the dream of 27 million people. We are free to think, dream, and grow." "We want to have children so they can grow up in this new country," he says.

Uncertainty about what lies ahead

In an interview with ACN, Nour, 42, recalls her time working at the Syrian state news agency.

A few months after the revolution broke out, Nour fled with her husband to avoid contributing to the "propaganda" and out of fear of being detained, despite coming from an Alawite family well-regarded by the Assad regime.

She came to Catalonia to pursue a master's degree at Rovira i Virgili University, but seeing the "barbarity" of the war, she helped in refugee camps in Turkey and supported local councils in the liberated areas. In 2016, she returned to Tarragona to do her PhD and document her experience.

Like Aseel and Ahmad, Nour has been grappling with anxiety in recent days.

She is still processing everything that has happened and struggles to find the words: "We need time to celebrate this historic moment, think, and try to regain emotional balance." Still, she views the change with hope after decades of repression, killings, torture, and violations under Assad's regime.

"The worst is over, but there’s a danger that this could turn into something we didn’t want. A Syria that doesn’t respect freedoms," warns Nour.

Like her, Ahmad desires a "true democracy" and a "united" Syria, despite the religious, ethnic, and ideological differences in the country: "Love and respect are the only things that can save us."