Inside the Unfettered Syria: A Week's Insight
Lina Sinjab, a journalist currently employed by the BBC, has returned to Syria after an eight-year absence, marking a significant moment in the country's tumultuous history. Sinjab, who was forced to leave in 2013 due to her coverage of the protests against Bashar al-Assad and being denounced as a traitor, crossed the border into Syria at 8am on the day the Lebanese government opened it.
Upon reaching Damascus, Sinjab found Umayyad Square filled with a mixture of residents and rebels. The atmosphere was one of joy and euphoria, reminiscent of Tahrir Square in Egypt during the end of Hosni Mubarak's regime. Reporting in Damascus over the past week has been a mixture of joy, euphoria, and grief among the Syrians, particularly with the opening of the prisons.
Sinjab's apartment in central Damascus was raided by government agents after she left, but she was reassured by a few of her contacts that she may not need to worry about returning to Syria in the coming days. For the days before Assad fell, Sinjab's contacts inside the regime remained silent.
Aleppo, Hama, and Homs fell rapidly in Syria, surprising Sinjab. This rapid fall of these cities had been a cause of concern for Sinjab due to a saying in Arabic that warns against optimism, fearing something bad would follow. However, the current atmosphere in Syria feels like a dream to Sinjab, with a sense of collective happiness after fifty-four years of deprivation and despair.
Many Syrians have gone through collective trauma, making this their very first moment of happiness. Sinjab expresses a feeling of relief and freedom, as she no longer needs to monitor her words or seek permission from the Ministry of Information. However, she describes a strange set of feelings that she is still processing.
Sinjab reached out to her contacts inside the government to inquire about her potential return to Damascus. Many Syrians were nervous due to rebels firing into the air, but Sinjab and her team put on protective gear and continued to talk to people. The passport control office on the Syrian side was abandoned, and Sinjab was able to enter the country without any issues.
As Sinjab continues her reporting in Damascus, she will undoubtedly document the challenges and triumphs that lie ahead for the Syrian people in this new chapter of their history.
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