The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, hailed as a hard-won victory by many Syrians, has ushered in neither unity nor clarity. Instead, Syria now navigates a precarious and contested landscape, marked by a crisis of national identity, fears of political reversion, and deep-seated social tensions. In diverse ways, the voices of Ahmad Jassem Hussein, Iyad Al-Jaafari, and Hussam Jazmati reveal that the battle for Syria’s soul is far from over – and may, in fact, be entering its most decisive phase.
Identity in Transition: Sunni Arabism and the Quest for Inclusive Nationalism
In “Reflections on Arab Sunni Identity on the Road to Syrian National Identity,” Ahmad Jassem Hussein grapples with the delicate relationship between sectarian identity and national unity, urging a re-examination of Arab Sunni identity not as a rigid monolith, but as a fluid, evolving force that must reconcile itself with Syria’s rich tapestry of ethnic and religious communities. Hussein underscores the historical burden carried by Sunni Arabs, who have often been perceived as dominant by default, yet are themselves in search of a renewed, inclusive role that avoids reproducing past hierarchies.
Hussein’s call is neither for dissolution nor for supremacy of Sunni identity, but for a self-reflective dialogue: What kind of Sunni identity is possible — socially, religiously, politically — in a pluralistic Syria? Can it coexist harmoniously with Kurdish, Druze, Alawite, and Christian identities? His answer lies in abandoning exclusivist notions and fostering a civic nationalism rooted in shared history and mutual respect, not historical grievances or domination.
Power and Exclusion: The New Regime’s Authoritarian Drift
This vision of inclusive nationhood is challenged, however, by the realpolitik of Damascus, as detailed by Iyad Al-Jaafari in his scathing critique of the new constitutional declaration issued by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa. Despite promises of justice and modern governance, the declaration consolidates power in the president’s hands, excluding Kurds, Druze, and other minorities both symbolically and substantively. Al-Jaafari’s central warning is clear: the revolution’s victory risks being usurped by another autocracy, one that wraps itself in the legitimacy of majority rule while denying pluralism and erasing political accountability.
This is not merely a theoretical concern. The document’s emphasis on Arab-Islamic identity, its marginalization of non-Sunni actors, and its circumvention of democratic safeguards all replicate the logic of Assad’s regime, only under new leadership. Worse, the inclusion of controversial Islamist figures in the constitutional signing ceremony sends ominous signals about ideological exclusion and the abandonment of revolutionary ideals of freedom, dignity, and citizenship.
Al-Jaafari’s analysis strikes at the core of Syria’s existential question: Can post-Assad Syria avoid reconstituting tyranny under a new banner? The answer, he suggests, lies in reclaiming civic space for dissent, restoring balance among communities, and preventing the slide into majoritarian despotism.
The Return of Violence: “The Remnants” and the Cycle of Vengeance
Meanwhile, in the Syrian coastal region, Hussam Jazmati explores the volatile legacy of Assad’s security apparatus, now fragmented into so-called “remnants” (فلول) – armed groups composed of ex-regime loyalists with no future in peacetime Syria. These remnants, unable or unwilling to integrate into post-regime Syria, have resorted to violence and local insurgency, exploiting economic despair, communal grievances, and fears of revenge.
Jazmati’s insight is crucial: the remnants are not a serious military threat to Syria’s future, but their existence nurtures the cycle of fear and retaliation, especially among Alawite communities long manipulated by Assad’s regime. Brutal crackdowns and indiscriminate justice, he warns, only validate the regime’s propaganda that promised Alawites annihilation in the event of a revolutionary victory.
Thus, the moral of Jazmati’s analysis is the need for restorative justice, local empowerment, and inclusive security, lest Syria descend into another spiral of repression and resistance. The very legitimacy of the new order, he argues, depends not on “crushing” the remnants, but on disarming the logic of revenge and addressing the social ruptures that sustain insurgency.
Unity or Tyranny Rebranded?
Together, these analyses reveal a common thread of anxiety: the fear that Syria’s revolution is at risk of becoming its own antithesis. The promises of liberation — justice, pluralism, dignity — are threatened by sectarian exclusion, political monopolization, and the failure to heal the social fractures left by decades of dictatorship and war.
The authors collectively call for a reckoning with the past that does not enslave the future, for a national identity that transcends sect and ethnicity, and for a political order that serves all Syrians, not just the new victors. The revolution’s ultimate test is not toppling a dictator, but building a state where no one needs to fear the return of tyranny — from any quarter.
In sum, post-Assad Syria stands at a crossroads: will it forge a genuine national community based on justice and inclusion, or will it recycle authoritarianism under new names, slogans, and fears? The answer, as these authors suggest, will define not just Syria’s future, but the meaning of its revolution itself.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
