Syrians walk past a monument bearing the Independence Era flag in the western Syrian port city of Latakia on Dec. 15, 2024. (Credit: Ozan Kose/AFP)
Since her birth in Assad's Syria, Nour* has kept her opinions on the former ruling clan to herself. “I haven’t spoken out all these years. I don’t see why I should now,” she said. While the Alawite community she belongs to recently celebrated the fall of the Assad regime, the 50-year-old from Homs remains cautious.“We suffered the most under Assad’s rule,” Nour explained, noting that the Alawites — Assad’s own sect — lost more members than any other community during the war. “Yet, our neighbors viewed us as informers for the regime, even though I’ve lived in this neighborhood since 1990.”While many Alawites remained silent under Bashar al-Assad’s reign, Nour insists this silence did not signify unanimous support for the regime. She recalled her husband once criticizing the dictatorship during a conversation with friends. Fearing for...
Since her birth in Assad's Syria, Nour* has kept her opinions on the former ruling clan to herself. “I haven’t spoken out all these years. I don’t see why I should now,” she said. While the Alawite community she belongs to recently celebrated the fall of the Assad regime, the 50-year-old from Homs remains cautious.“We suffered the most under Assad’s rule,” Nour explained, noting that the Alawites — Assad’s own sect — lost more members than any other community during the war. “Yet, our neighbors viewed us as informers for the regime, even though I’ve lived in this neighborhood since 1990.”While many Alawites remained silent under Bashar al-Assad’s reign, Nour insists this silence did not signify unanimous support for the regime. She recalled her husband once criticizing the dictatorship during a conversation...