Time to rebuild

A few days ago, could anyone have imagined that Bashar al-Assad, the strongest ruler of Middle Eastern country Syria, would be forced to flee from the country and the five-decade dictatorship of the Assad family would collapse so suddenly?

According to Russian media, Assad is right now in Moscow with his family. The sudden ouster of the Assad regime is surprising for everyone as he had till now been able to forcefully crush all rebellions against him. Regional players were also convinced that there was no alternative to Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The recent appointment of the Saudi ambassador in Damascus to restore diplomatic ties is an example in this regard.

In 2011, the Arab Spring started from the country of Tunisia in the Middle East, and more or less all the countries of the Middle East were severely affected. However, the massive resistance against Assad could not be successful due to the fact that two major regional powers, Russia and Iran, openly entered the battlefield in his support. The Russian Air Force targeted the rebel hideouts, whereas, as per international media reports, numerous fighters belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and warriors associated with Lebanon-based Hezbollah came forward to support Assad on the war front.

How many people were killed in the ongoing civil war in Syria? No authentic data is available, but serious violations of human rights have become the norm in Syria. Reportedly, more than twelve million innocent Syrian citizens have been forced to migrate to save their lives. Due to the closure of the border, many lost their lives due to the harsh climate, and many drowned while trying to enter Europe by sea.

For a long time, the situation inside was not clear, but Assad’s regime was in turmoil internally, and the civil war caused catastrophic damage to the country’s economy. Different parts of the country were de facto ruled by rebels and Kurdish fighters. Assad’s main ally Russia was embroiled in a war with Ukraine, and Hezbollah, after the awful loss of its chief, was not in a position to support Damascus as it had in the past. Further, Iran has been reluctant to open a new front due to recent pressures.

The final blow came during the last days of the previous month when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a rebel group, launched an offensive. Within a few days, opposition forces took control of Aleppo, Hama and other major cities, and soon afterward, Damascus was declared ‘liberated’ on December 8, 2024. Although militant leader Muhammad al-Bashir has been named the prime minister of the interim government of Syria, some analysts predict that the sudden fall of Assad will lead to more turmoil and instability in the region.

In my view, Bashar al-Assad’s fate in the year of Karma is not something entirely unexpected. The Karma theory remains active until the end of this year, during which every ruler will have only two options: heal past mistakes or be ready to suffer the consequences.

The new leadership of Syria needs to adapt itself to the rapidly changing global landscape so that in the future, no foreign power can misuse the land of Syria as the battlefield for its proxy war. In fact, highly educated Syrians who have migrated to Europe and other countries must now return to rebuild their country. The land of Syria should not become a haven for militants in any case.

The most vital role in such a critical situation is the newly elected president of the American superpower, Donald Trump. As the president of the US, his first international state visit to Saudi Arabia during his last term reflected his firm commitment to the Middle East. This is why I am quite confident that Trump will make the establishment of peace in the Middle East his first priority as soon as he enters the White House.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

He tweets/posts @RVankwani