A PRESS STATEMENT

 

By the Permission of Allah, the dramatic collapse of the Assad regime could be a turning point in the history of Syria. It is a bittersweet moment which has been years in coming, to usher in freedom to the people of Bilad-ush-Shaam, a significant part of the Blessed Lands. Yet, as it has arrived and should be cause for celebration, it still begs an anxiety-loaded question: what’s next?

 

With trappings of Ba’athist nationalism, Hafez al-Assad crafted an ethno-religious fiefdom that over time looked more like a personality cult. His grip on power which his son Bashar inherited, was sustained through brutality and utter tyranny. A total stranglehold over the masses was assured by the notorious mukhabarat, secret agents who rounded up suspected opponents of the regime, incarcerating thousands of Syrians, condemning them into torture dungeons known to be death factories, through starvation and mass execution of detainees.

 

When the Arab Spring came in March 2011, Bashar pulled a page from his late father’s playbook of crushing dissent. He mass-murdered peaceful protestors and went on a violent crackdown, resulting in the displacement of 14 million Syrians, both internally and as cross-border refugees, who fled into neighbouring countries and abroad. At least 7.2 million Syrians were internally displaced with 70 percent needing humanitarian aid, while 90 percent have lived below the poverty line since. Historic cities were laid waste as suspected chemical weapons and other mass-casualty inflicting munitions were deployed, to annihilate the resistance and civilians, in opposition-led regions.

 

Following the end of the Assad dynasty, today’s hope is that the dignity of Syrian people can be restored. We condole those who have lost their loved ones. We pray that those who have suffered injury be healed, and broken hearts mend. Above all, we pray that the Syrian people rise above factionalism, so that they can find common purpose in fostering peaceful return, resettlement and reconciliation. In such a hostile region where nefarious interests intersect, the pitfalls of nation-building will be many. We pray that leaders of the various political formations in Syria be selflessly-inclined towards a national consensus, and commit to a process of healing the nation, towards prosperity.

 

The opportunistic extension of the occupation by Israel, beyond the Golan Heights, under the pretext of creating a “security buffer zone,” should be enough cause for alarm. It is a move that sows another seed of future conflict in the region, where the Zionist entity has not hidden its maximal expansionist policies. Yet, we also remember that the historic downfall of the Assad regime is a culmination of a forestalled Arab Spring, the wave of supposed revolutions in the Middle East, which have since been perverted everywhere. On this note, we should turn to Allah, with utmost gratitude and humility, so that this change in Syria should be genuine and not a mirage that opens another chapter of continued misery, pain and indignity.

 

May Allah help Muslims, protect their lands and grant victory to those who are fighting against injustice and oppression, everywhere. Aameen.

 

Released by:

 

The Executive Committee
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa

 

08 Jumaadal Aakhirah 1446 / 10 December 2024