THE decades-long tyrannical, repressive and iron-fisted rule of the Assad dynasty has finally crumbled. The ominous shadow of authoritarianism that cast darkness over Syria for 53 long years has now been lifted. The regime said to be responsible for the deaths of half-a-million people and the displacement of millions has met its inevitable fate. History is not likely to remember the regime kindly.

Despite deploying lethal Russian tanks, having air power and foreign proxies, Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive machinery could not withstand the power and force of the people’s will. Realising the futility of his resistance, Bashar fled to Moscow, seeking asylum from his longtime saviour and mentor.

The Assad dynasty will be remembered as ruthless oppressors who sacrificed the nation’s wellbeing for their own iron grip on power. The autocrat father-and-son duo suppressed free speech, trampled human rights, filled prisons, and silenced dissent with unparalleled cruelty. For decades, they treated Syria as their fiefdom, denying its people the fundamental rights of democracy, freedom and progress.

History teaches us that no ruler, no matter how powerful or oppressive, can perpetually suppress the aspirations of the people. When tyrannies and injustices reach unbearable levels, people rise with courage and resilience to reclaim their sovereignty. Tyrants and dynasties, no matter how fortified, crumble like sandcastles before the winds of popular revolutions. Syria is the latest testament to this undeniable and bitter truth.

The revolution in Syria is not just a local event; it is a monumental moment with profound ramifications for the entire region and beyond. It is a clarion call for rulers across the Muslim world to relinquish dynastic and autocratic rule voluntarily.

They must embrace democracy and the will of the people through universal franchise. Failure to pay due heed to this call will force them to confront the unrelenting tide of the people’s power.

History is replete with examples of the fall of oppressive regimes. From the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution to the collapse of fascism in Italy and the overthrow of the Shah in Iran, autocrats have always succumbed to the might of the masses.

More recent events echo the same lesson, like the ignominious end of Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania, the ousting of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, the downfall of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, and the sweeping revolutions that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Even apartheid in South Africa fell to the indomitable spirit of the people.

For rulers around the world, it is time realise the need to abandon fiefdoms, and return the looted wealth and resources to their rightful owners; the people.

Qamer Soomro
Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2024