Ten Years Later, Political Exile Returns to Transitional Syria

“I’m very excited, but also very tired. It’s an amazing feeling.” When Sawsan Abu Zein al-Din fled Bashar al-Assad’s rule more than a decade ago, he thought he would never return. Now, after the fall of the regime, he travels to his hometown in southern Syria to see his father for the first time in seven years. While scenes of celebration like this have taken place across the country, there are concerns about the future. “We cannot overthrow the dictatorial regime to switch to another regime. These few months are important not only for us as individuals, but also in the life of this country. Abu Zaineddin says that his political activism against the former government barely saved him from prison. He sought asylum in the United Kingdom as part of a wave of six million Syrians fleeing the 13-year civil war. He now heads a network of organizations that support the legal and political rights of all Syrians. “Syria is ours and not the property of the Assad family. We will not rest until citizenship and democracy return our state.” Abu Zayn al-Din grew up here in the Suwayda district, home to a large Druze community, one of Syria’s many minority religious groups. It was also one of the first places where the uprising against Assad began in 2011. Many here want to see a secular state that protects the interests of Syria’s diverse population. In early December, rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, overthrew the Assad family’s 50-year rule. HTS is an Islamist group formerly linked to al-Qaeda. After the ouster of the Assad regime, the leader of the group, Ahmed al-Shara, indicated that he was open to a more inclusive government. People in Abu Zainuddin’s hometown remain cautious. In a meeting with the spiritual leader of the Druze in Syria, concerns about the new chapter quickly emerge. “We have achieved something that we all thought was impossible to achieve. But we still have a lot of work to do. We will definitely contact the interim government and we hope they will respond to this.” It is not known what will happen next under HTS leadership, but for now the celebration continues.