SARN-BRISMES Statement on the Collapse of the Assad Dictatorship

The AHRC-funded Syrian Academics and Researchers’ Network (SARN) in the UK, a partner of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), would like to congratulate the Syrian people on the end of the 54-year old Assad dictatorship in their country, after 13 years of a bloody struggle for freedom that saw the displacement of millions and the death of hundreds of thousands.

We stand in solidarity with the Syrian people and share their hope for a peaceful transition to a democratic, inclusive Syria for all.

“This is the dawn of a new era; we mustn’t underestimate the great sense of hope that Syrians have right now, and we must capitalise on its potential. A brutal dictator has fallen; many of us didn’t think we’d live to see this day. It’s now time for us to come together as Syrians to rebuild our country. One of the rationales for creating SARN UK was to put in place a research-informed platform to rebuild Syria in a post-conflict phase; this phase has now become a reality, and we’ll continue working with fellow Syrian academics, artists, activists and experts to make this happen.”

(SARN UK Trustees: Dr Feras Alkabani; Dr Zeina Al Azmeh; Dr Haian Dukhan; Dr Rahaf Aldoughly; Dr Roua Al Taweel; Dr Mohammad Ateek; Dr Azzam Al Kassir; Dr Oudai Tozan)