Winnipeggers hopeful after fall of Assad regime in Syria

Anti-government fighters celebrate at Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 8. (Louai Beshara / AFP)

Headline: Winnipeggers hopeful after fall of Assad regime in Syria

Winnipeg’s Syrian community is brimming with hope and happiness following the fall of the country’s brutal dictatorship—ending a 13-year-long civil war.

A surprise surge by rebel groups in the past two weeks led to the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the conquering of Damascus. Assad has since fled to Russia.

Syrian Canadian Maysoun Darweesh, who has been living in Canada for 13 years, said the community is “so happy, thrilled, [and] excited.”

“Honestly, I can’t describe my feeling,” she said in an interview with CTV News Winnipeg on Monday. “It’s beyond anything I ever experienced.”

Darweesh explained Syria has been under the Assad regime for decades, bringing with it atrocities, persecution, and massacres.

She added the community members had almost given up, but they always had hope for liberation.

“Now I can go and visit. I can help to build my country; other Syrians are (feeling) the same,” she said.

“Now we can just see the land of our ancestors. We can claim our roots when we were told it was burned.”

A group of Syrian Manitobans is organizing a parade to mark this historic occasion. More details will be shared as soon as they are available.

“We will let everyone know, because we want everyone to join us in this really historical moment and share the happiness with us as well,” Darweesh said.

• With files from CTV’s Michelle Gerwing.