With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, we wanted to hear from members of the local Syrian community to see what they think about the regime and the aftermath so far. We reached out to two Syrian-Americans we’ve spoken to before on the Public’s Radio, Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi of North Attleboro.
Interview highlights:
On the reaction of Syrians to the fall of Assad:
Amjad Kinjawi: It’s a mixed emotion, considering that it’s quite an overdue moment that we were waiting for for a long time now. There’s a lot of joy, that’s for sure. But there’s a little bit of caution, as well, on what to expect. You don’t want a regime to fall and somebody else to take over and not be at the level of what the expectation of the people is.
Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi: From people like my sister, I hear that they’re happy. My friends are happy to finally start a new chapter in our life with a different person. But as well, everyone is waiting, we are in a waiting time. Refugees had a really hard time because they had to flee Syria. You know, they were attacking them. They were torturing them. So for them to see Assad falling, it’s a big happiness, but it’s think they are still looking for justice because he hurt so many people.
On the future of Syrian refugees:
Amjad Kinjawi: A lot of people want to go back home because that’s where they belong. Hopes are coming back. It’s a dream that has come true. If nothing but freeing the prisoners comes out of this, then that’s a big achievement. I actually cheered yesterday watching a CNN reporter freeing one prisoner who didn’t know what was happening. He was covered with his blanket. He was so shocked. He actually clinched to the reporter. He didn’t want to leave her. He clinched to her hand and he stuck to her. He kept kissing their heads. He kept showing disbelief. We knew that this moment was coming. We didn’t know when it was coming and where it was coming and how it was coming. But we knew it was coming because injustice cannot live forever.
Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi: It’s totally different for refugees that came to United States. It’s a totally different perspective. If you ask a refugee about it, he’s going to say, ‘Yeah, I want to go back home’ because when they came here, they had a hard time, as well, to be accepted. I don’t know if all of them now feel that United States is home or Germany is their home. I think everyone is looking to go back home at least to be with their family, even if not to settle for good.
On their hopes for Syria’s future:
Amjad Kinjawi: I think, yes, no other country should interfere unless they want to extend a hand of help. The Syrians felt like they paid a hefty price already through the regime to the Russians, to the Iranians. A good portion of the country was sold to those countries through the regime so they don’t want to sell more of the country.
Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi: As Amjad said, we want to solve our problem the way that we want to solve it, not someone else imposing anything and taking advantage of that situation now. The day that the regime fell, I said to my daughter, ‘Now you can go to Syria.’ She said, ‘Are you going to let me go, Mama?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I know that I took my daughter to Syria just in 2010. It was the last time for me to be there. She was two years old. Our son, he never went to Syria. So when we said to them we can go now I cannot tell you their excitement that we are going to go home.
