By now you’ve likely heard the stunning news from Syria that the brutal Assad regime has fallen. Dictator Bashar al-Assad no longer holds this beautiful country in his iron fist through a regime of terror, violence, and murder.
It’s a shocking moment, especially for Syrians spread around the world, many of whom only hoped for this outcome in the wildest of their imaginations. I have been celebrating with Muhammad Najem and his family as each day brings new beautiful moments, stories of detainees reuniting with their loved ones, and families finally going home.
Given Muhammad’s high profile, it’s still not safe for him and his brother Qusay to return to Syria at this point. But, as he has shared with me, he is even more dedicated to working from outside the country toward its peaceful future.
It’s also the first moment– since he was eight years old– that he has experienced a free Syria. It’s hard to wrap my mind around that! I asked him if he would write a few words to his supporters, to those who have read his book, to those that have laughed and cried along with his story, to attempt to describe how this feels.
Here’s what he wrote:
Over the past fourteen years, it felt as though my country was no longer mine. With each passing day, the sense deepened that this place no longer welcomed me. I lost my parents and friends, my home and city were destroyed, and I was forced to flee countless times. It felt like the earth was closing in on me day by day. I suffered from hunger and poverty in my besieged city, where the noose tightened relentlessly.
–Muhammad Najem
Eventually, I was displaced to another country, far removed from my language and culture. There, I felt estranged in a society that barely knew of my country’s suffering. I became a refugee, living in the shadows, fearful of making any mistake that might send me back to a homeland that had become a painful memory. My homeland gave me nothing but pain—it took everything: my family, my friends, my education, and even my sense of belonging. I found myself searching for a new homeland, one that would grant me its nationality and offer the safety I had lost. I sought a place I could turn to when life became too heavy—a place where I could feel I belonged.
I started my journey from scratch, searching for new friends and a job opportunity that could help rebuild my life, torn apart by war. Life seemed bleak, and the homeland I once knew had become a thing of the past, fading further from memory with each passing day. My country, which was once my haven, had turned into a living hell, where the worst forms of injustice were committed with impunity.
But on the 8th of December 2024, everything changed. It was the day my country was liberated. My people poured into the streets, cheering and celebrating, their smiles returning at last. The oppressive regime fell, prisoners were freed and reunited with their families. I felt an overwhelming happiness I hadn’t experienced in years. My heart danced with joy as I read the news, unable to believe that the dream had become a reality. I hadn’t slept for days, following the events as if living in a dream I didn’t want to wake from.
At that moment, I realized something profound: despite everything that happened, I had never lost my connection to my homeland. My belonging wasn’t to the land alone—it was to my people, to my family. I felt that we could begin again, that the burden of displacement was not the end. Yes, the journey of being a refugee was harsh and filled with obstacles, but it taught us so much. The experiences and lessons we gained would become invaluable tools to rebuild our homeland.
No matter how small hope may seem, we must hold onto it. That day will come when we return together, carrying in our hearts the belief in a better tomorrow. We will teach our children and our people about their human rights and spread the peace that everyone deserves. Freedom and dignity are the essence of humanity. And the dream I once thought was out of reach became a reality, proving that the impossible can be achieved if we hold onto hope.
Thank you for supporting Muhammad and his family. May all oppressive regimes be toppled.
