Noura after the fall of Assad: “We just want him to be held accountable.”
16 Dec 2024
8 minutes
After the fall of Assad, Syrians around the world feel joy, sadness and a deep sense of uncertainty. What now? Noura Melhem (33), a Syrian activist, shares her experiences of the collapse of the regime, her life during the revolution, and her secret efforts to support Syrian youth through 11.11.11-partner Basmeh & Zeitooneh.
How are you feeling right now?
Noura: “I feel like I am overjoyed, but in a painful way. For the first time in years I feel physically safe, but that safety is accompanied by a deep sense of sadness. Until recently there was no space to process the trauma. Every moment of my life was about survival. During the revolution I stayed in Syrie, even when so many others had to flee. I don't blame anyone who left. We all did what we had to do to survive.”
“Throughout those years, I kept telling myself, ‘You can’t collapse now.’ Not just for myself, but for every Syrian who contributed to the revolution — whether it was smuggling bread into besieged areas, sweeping blood from the streets, or helping the wounded. Survival meant suppressing the pain. Now, here in Belgium, I can finally face those memories."
Did you ever expect the Assad regime to fall, after years of revolution?
“There was always a part of me that hoped for it, but it felt impossible. When Aleppo fell so quickly, it was shocking. Aleppo is the economic heart of Syria, a city of great importance. When it was taken in just five hours, it was clear that something was changing. I started to believe that Assad’s power was waning, but my parents and the older generation thought he would surround the rebels and protesters and kill them all in Aleppo.”
"But then they took Hama and then Homs, right next to the capital Damascus. I contacted my Syrian friends, we discussed all night, and we thought: 'This isn't really happening?'. It was only at the very last moment that we dared to believe that he was really gone. The man responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and forcing millions of people to flee was gone —it was a dream we never thought we would experience.”
What was your life like in Syria before the revolution started?
“I grew up in Damascus, in the Barzeh neighborhood. It was a diverse place where Muslims, Christians, Kurds, Assyrians and Jewish Syrians lived side by side. My parents were open-minded and encouraged us to explore culture, art and knowledge. They took us to libraries, cinemas, theatres and concerts. We had a childhood that any child in Syria would dream of.”
"But we also lived in constant fear. My family belonged to the Alawites, the same religious community as the ruling regime, but we were against the government. This made us outsiders in our own community. When I was 14, my brother arrested for writing poetry against the regime. They were already after him because he gave lectures on women's rights, human rights, freedom of expression and mobilizing people.”
“Eventually they locked my brother and his friends in Sidnaya prison and sentenced him to 10 years. In 2011 they released him because they had to make room for new prisoners of the revolution. But instead of fleeing, he joined the revolution, because it was all he had hoped for for so long. Until he really had to flee in 2014 because his wife was arrested, just because she was married to him - a rebel of the regime."
What was it like to participate in the revolution in Syria?
“I get goosebumps every time I think about it. It was really dangerous, but they were also the best days of my life. Everything was done in secret, with coded language and secure meeting points. In a certain café we planned the protests in detail: where the next protest would be, who would film, how we would smuggle the videos past the checkpoints, how we would escape if things went wrong, how we could help people and evacuate the wounded.”
“We wrote songs and organized peaceful demonstrations with candles and roses to show the world that we were peaceful, without weapons or violence. I found myself there, with people I didn't know, but whom I trusted completely because they were part of the revolution.”
“We lost so many people along the way, but we felt united — different faith communities protesting together for a free Syria. That was how it went until 2014, when the regime began heavy bombing and chemical attacks. From that moment on, we focused more on helping the wounded. We took first aid training and started field hospitals. Everything in secret, because if you were caught doing this, the regime had the right to shoot you. It was overwhelming, we were so young, but we loved what we did.”
What made you leave Syria and go to Lebanon?
“I was constantly threatened. Protesting and helping people could lead to life sentences. Many of my friends were arrested and tortured in prisons until they revealed the names of other activists. The circle closed around me. A friend who was released told me that my name was mentioned during interrogations and that I had to flee. I knew I had no choice—staying meant certain arrest or worse.”
“My partner and I fled to Lebanon, but life there was far from easy. Syrians were treated with distrust and we had dealing with discrimination on a daily basis. However, we continued to help other Syrians. I started working in refugee camps, helping to provide basic needs such as food parcels, medical care and shelter.”
How did you end up at Basmeh & Zeitooneh?
“After two years I saw that people were becoming dependent on aid, and I realized that we had to strengthen them more, especially the young people. I was born before the civil war and still had social activities, but they were born during the war and don’t know anything else.”
“In 2020, I started working at Basmeh & Zeitooneh, focusing on empowering Syrian youth. I teach them skills for their future, such as writing resumes, applying for grants and standing up for their rights.”
What was it like working at Basmeh & Zeitooneh under the Assad regime?
“Working in Syria required extreme caution. Everything had to be done in secret. We used code words for everything, because words such as 'donation' or 'humanitarian aid' were prohibited. "
“We communicated via encrypted apps, deleted messages regularly and never mentioned the names of organizations. Even saying 'Basmeh & Zeitooneh' could put someone at risk. I spent half of my workday formulating messages safely, so that my colleagues and the people we helped would not be arrested. The secrecy was tiring, but necessary to keep people safe.”
What is the situation in Syria now, and how are people feeling about recent events?
“The situation is a complex mix of emotions. I like to call Syrians people who love life. During the day, people experience a new sense of freedom. They say words that were once forbidden, wave the revolutionary flag and openly express their thoughts. But at night, there are bombings by Israel and the fear remains.”
What are the biggest challenges facing Syrians today?
“For many Syrians, the biggest challenge is to to rediscover who they are. They have lived their whole lives in fear and oppression. Now that there is a hope of freedom, they ask themselves, 'Who am I without the fear? What do I like? What do I do in my free time?'”
“It’s like they’re born again, but they’re not that young anymore — they have to catch up on everything they missed. I’m scared for them, because they have so many dreams but don’t know where to start. We must support them, giving them the means to rebuild their identities, their communities and their countries.”
How does Basmeh & Zeitooneh support them?
“Basmeh & Zeitooneh’s team in Syria talks to people on the ground and takes their ideas to shape our projects. The project I’m working on teaches young people to stand up for their rights through social media. But now, young people may have different needs than they used to have under the regime. They are free and have different priorities, such as political empowerment, citizenship, employment and governance. We work closely with young people to ask them what they want to change. This is a crucial moment. We need to empower them now.”
What does a free Syria mean to you?
“A free Syria is a place where everyone can express themselves without fear — whether it is their ethnicity, sexual orientation or beliefs. And especially where there is true self-determination. For over 50 years, we have been denied freedoms. We have not had free elections. We have been ruled by violence, by foreign powers, by fear.”
“I want that Syrians can choose their own leaders. If they want a certain type of government, let that be their choice, not something imposed by Russia, the US or Iran. A free Syria is a place where people finally have a voice, and that voice is respected.”
What is your message to the international community?
"Hold the perpetrators accountable. The world watched as our people suffered, and Assad and his henchmen continued their crimes with impunity. We need justice for the hundreds of thousands of dead, for the families torn apart, for the lives destroyed.”
“And besides: let Syrians determine their own future. Let's just be. Let us rebuild Syria in our own way, with our own hopes and dreams.”
Make a donation for 11.11.11 and also support Basmeh & Zeitooneh
11.11.11 has been working closely with various Syrian organisations that are active throughout the country for many years. Such as Basmeh & Zeitooneh, a Syrian organisation that was founded for and by Syrians on the run. They offer emergency aid, education, vocational training and strengthen people on the run to actively contribute to their communities.
After the fall of the Assad regime, Basmeh & Zeitooneh will continue to focus on strengthening the local population and initiatives. Together with them, we will do everything we can for human dignity and freedom. Thanks to your donation, we will continue to build a just Syria.
