Humorous Footwear and Biting Satire: Syrians Lampoon Overthrown Assad Family Dynasty
Rewritten Article:
"Happiness and laughter, long denied to many, is what I aim to bring," says Sati, a 31-year-old vendor, showcasing stacks of white ankle-length socks.
"Foreigners flock to buy these socks - some as souvenirs, others to taunt and snap photos, and even a few who buy them just to stomp on," he shares with AFP.
"Stepformatively, trampling somebody's image is truly offensive in the Arab world, yet these socks allow wearers to tread over the Assads with abandon," he adds.
With Bashar al-Assad's December 2022 ouster by Islamist-led forces after a brutal 14-year conflict, pictures of the Assad clan have transformed from ubiquitous repression symbols to objects of derision and laughter.
Some socks skillfully satirize Assad in sunglasses, sporting the caption "We'll crush them," while others exaggerate his features, such as the caricature of Hafez al-Assad, the former ruler, depicted in his underwear, chest puffed out, with the inscription "This is what the Assads look like." A jab at the family's last name, which means lion.
Maher Assad, Bashar's once-feared younger brother, infamously dubbed "the captagon king," also makes an appearance. Western governments have accused Maher and his entourage of turning Syria into a narco state, supplying the Middle East with the illicit stimulant Captagon.
A Gift of Rejoicing
Sati's shop, adorned with images from Syria's revolution, welcomes customers with an image of Assad at the entrance, treating it as a doormat.
"It's another form of revelry for all Syrians who couldn't celebrate in Ummayad Square following the demise of the regime," says Sati.
Ummayad Square, a Damascus landmark, once filled with massive crowds from across the nation, hosting days of festivities post-Assad's ouster, as people raised the three-starred flag symbolizing the revolution.
Afaf Sbano, a 40-year-old returning from a decade-long exile in Germany, shares that she visits the shop to purchase "Assad socks" for friends. "There isn't a better present for those who can't travel to Syria to jubilate the fall of the regime," she tells AFP.
"After I shared a photo on Instagram, I bought over ten extra pairs for my friends," she adds. "We'd never dared to joke about him before," she notes.
"The People Hate Him"
Manufacturer Zeyad Zaawit, 29, claims he conceived the idea of these ridiculing socks following Assad's departure to Russia. Zaawit started modestly, then ramped up production when he saw the demand was high. "He's loathed," Zaawit declares about Assad. "I took my revenge on him this way after he fled," he adds, mentioning that some customers even pre-paid for their socks.
In the first week, Zaawit produced approximately 1,000 pairs, later tripling his production to create 200,000 pairs in just three months. Images of these socks have been widely shared on social media and even used in satirical television shows.
Even Assad's very own words have been used against him, such as his infamous response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "Why should I meet Erdogan? To enjoy refreshments?" Today, this statement serves as a laughing stock on social media, with posters in food and juice stalls incorporating mocking images of Assad.
© 2025 AFP
- Sati aims to bring happiness and laughter with his white ankle-length socks, which have become a popular item among foreigners visiting his shop.
- Some of these socks satirize Bashar al-Assad, depicting him in sunglasses with the caption "We'll crush them," or exaggerating his features like Hafez al-Assad, the former ruler, in his underwear.
- Afaf Sbano, a Syrian returning from a decade-long exile, purchases "Assad socks" as gifts for friends, seeing it as a way to celebrate the fall of the regime without physically being in Syria.
- Manufacturer Zeyad Zaawit, inspired by Assad's departure to Russia, created the ridiculing socks and tripled his production to create 200,000 pairs in just three months.
- Images of these socks have been shared widely on social media and even used in satirical television shows, contributing to the ongoing war-and-conflicts narrative.
- Assad's words, such as his response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have been used against him on social media, serving as entertainment and a jab at the Assad regime within general news and crime-and-justice discussions.
