Illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad
Ibrahim* doesn’t want to hear about politics anymore. Hunched over, his voice low, this former high-ranking official of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was once among those who bet everything on the Syrian revolution from its earliest days.For over a decade, he operated at the heart of rebel circles, a firsthand witness to the internal struggles and shifting alliances that shaped the territories beyond Damascus’ control. Thirteen years after the first anti-regime protests, at a moment when everything in the country seems possible, he now watches history unfold from the sidelines.He wants to tell his story, but he is hesitant. On one hand, he knows he must remain discreet to avoid trouble with the new authorities. Ibrahim reached a fragile understanding with his former HTS associates. “I don’t want to jeopardize everything,” he said. On the...
Ibrahim* doesn’t want to hear about politics anymore. Hunched over, his voice low, this former high-ranking official of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was once among those who bet everything on the Syrian revolution from its earliest days.For over a decade, he operated at the heart of rebel circles, a firsthand witness to the internal struggles and shifting alliances that shaped the territories beyond Damascus’ control. Thirteen years after the first anti-regime protests, at a moment when everything in the country seems possible, he now watches history unfold from the sidelines.He wants to tell his story, but he is hesitant. On one hand, he knows he must remain discreet to avoid trouble with the new authorities. Ibrahim reached a fragile understanding with his former HTS associates. “I don’t want to jeopardize everything,” he...