The people of Syria have lived with uncertainty, meddling from foreign powers and revolt for most of the twentieth century. When Bashar al-Assad took the reins of power as President after the death of his father in 2000, there was genuine hope that corruption, injustice and inequality would be brushed aside and Syria would become a country where its citizens could thrive.  

Despite Bashar al-Assad being Western educated, it soon became apparent that a leopard cannot change its spots. Bashar, determined to keep an iron fist on the regime, repeated the evils of his father imprisoning dissenters, continuing to interfere in neighbouring Lebanon and rifling the wealth of the country for himself and his family’s benefit.  

When Assad was toppled on 8^th December, 2024, there was a new hope for Syrians across the globe. It has since come to light how deeply the corruption, injustice and inequality that marked the regime tore the fabric of such a cultured country apart.