One of the many Syrians celebrating the fall of former President Bashar Assad's regime was the head of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, Gabriel Mushe Gavrie, writes Aleteia.org.
At the same time, Gavrie, who lives in the northeastern city of Qamishli, is keeping an eye on the rebel group that led the latest offensive against Assad and forced the dictator to flee to Moscow earlier this month.
Many have expressed concern about what kind of government will replace Assad's, since the rebel group that led to the fall of the tyrannical government is still classified by the US government as a terrorist organization that was once linked to al-Qaeda.
But Gavrie is optimistic. He sees the group “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham“ as open to the idea of a highly diverse Syrian population enjoying many freedoms – including freedom of expression – for the first time in 50 years or more.
The Syrian community is a very diverse mix of nationalities and religions and people of different backgrounds.
Gabriel Gavrier looks back on the Assad years, especially the last 14 years, as “a difficult period for all Syrians, including us, because it involved many human rights violations, as well as war crimes“. The fall of the Assad regime is “a great step towards the unity of Syria, as well as the formation of a new government for the country“.
There are concerns, however, from the radical wing of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham“. Another concern is that clashes could break out between the various Syrian opposition factions. All political bodies and parties in Syria must do a lot of work to contribute to the construction of a new Syria, the leader of the Assyrian Democratic Organization called for, according to whom special attention should be paid to the rights of women and minority groups.