Syrian refugee tells how 'life is much better now' after end of Assad regime
Syria has changed so much in a month. Fear and fright have been replaced by hope and opportunity.
For Omar Almasri that change could not have come soon enough.
He left Syria to get away from the oppression imposed by the Assad regime which dramatically collapsed in December, following an operation by opposition forces.
After 50 years of terror, the shock and the surprise of how it had all collapsed so quickly and under the radar had left him stunned.
"Honestly, I did not sleep that night,” admitted Omar, who is a director of the NI Hyatt organisation which works with refugees in the Newry, Mourne and Down area.
"I spent days watching the news, hoping that this would mark the end of the war.
"Words cannot fully express the emotions I felt. It was not just me; I believe everyone from Syria was glued to the news, anxiously awaiting that moment – the moment the announcement would come that the Assad regime had fallen.”
I asked Omar if he was as surprised as many in the West had been by the fall of Assad.
"In fact, it did, because the Assad family instilled fear deeply within us,” he responded.
"They believed their rule would last forever, which is why their forces resorted to killing, raping, stealing, and torturing anyone who opposed them.
“However, thanks to the relentless efforts and extensive training of the Free Syrian Army over the years, they ultimately succeeded in proving to the world that Assad’s power was nothing without his allies. In just 11 days, the Free Syrian Army managed to take control of the entire country without causing harm or injury to any civilians.”
Bashar al-Assad, who it is believed fled to Moscow, showed “no mercy” to the Syrian people.
“Babies, children, teenagers, men, women, or the elderly – everyone was treated the same, and because of this, we always said goodbye to our loved ones as if we might never return home.
“In 2012, when I was around nine or 10 years old, I was at school, just like any other child on a normal day. Suddenly, a red flash engulfed everything, followed by a deafening explosion that shattered all the glass and caused immense destruction to everything and everyone around.
"I saw friends of mine covered in blood and a few of them lost their lives before my eyes, with no way for me to help them.
“My family and I left Syria immediately after that incident.”
They came to Northern Ireland in search for better opportunities and a better life.
"We had nothing left in Syria. Our homes were destroyed by Assad and his forces,” explained Omar.
"There was a severe lack of basic necessities such as electricity and water, and the currency had devalued so drastically that half of the Syrian population was living below the poverty line.
"We left the country in search of a better chance at life because we deserved to live a normal, decent life. Sadly, however, many others were not fortunate enough to have that same opportunity.”
It now appears that life is changing in Syria for the better. Omar has been able to speak to relatives who are seeing the green shoots of life without a brutal dictatorship ruling over them.
"I still have many family members and friends in Syria, and as they have told me, life is much better now.
"At the very least, they feel safe walking in the streets. If something happens or someone insults another person, they now have the right to speak up. They have finally gained the rights they had been seeking for the past 15 years – the very rights that Assad had taken from them by force.
"I don’t believe it’s the right time to think about [returning to Syria] yet. I have already built my life here, just like everyone else. Northern Ireland has become my second home, and moving back wouldn’t be easy.
"However, I definitely plan to visit soon.”