Syrian Refugee Expresses Hope for Return Following Assad Regime’s Collapse

A woman who sought refuge in West Yorkshire at the onset of the Syrian civil war has voiced her strong desire to revisit her native country now that Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended. Razan Alsous stated that her family “lost everything” during the bombing of Damascus, prompting the entrepreneur to relocate to the UK with her husband and three young children in 2012. In the early hours of Sunday, rebel forces in Damascus announced the city was “free” from the long-standing leader al-Assad. Ms. Alsous, who resides in Sowerby Bridge, indicated her intention to return to the Syrian capital “as soon as I can,” remarking that “what had only been a dream has become a reality.” These dramatic developments have led to hundreds of displaced Syrians returning to the country, with scenes of jubilation observed in the streets. The conflict resulted in over half a million fatalities, and six million others became refugees. Among those displaced were Ms. Alsous and her husband, Raghid Sandouk, who established the Yorkshire Dama Cheese company in 2014. Ms. Alsous recalled that during their time in Damascus, they lived in constant fear of “arrest, torture, or kidnap” because Mr. Sandouk had “worked with Western companies.” She recounted an incident where her husband “had to beg not to be arrested” after soldiers mistakenly believed his baby carrier “was a military bag.” She further explained, “You could even be arrested if your laptop didn’t have a picture of Assad on it.” After expanding their business, their cheese pastries are now stocked in more than 1,000 Aldi supermarkets, following their success on a Channel 4 programme. Ms. Alsous described her emotions watching the weekend’s events unfold as a mix of “happiness and confusion.” “My family back in Syria couldn’t believe what was happening and were being very cautious, staying at home all scared, because they didn’t know what happened next,” she said. She added, “But when they found this was a reality people started to celebrate.” Ms. Alsous commented that people had “died for this freedom” and expressed her hope that all Syrians could “be accepted to live in one country under one democratic place.” She concluded, “It’s unbelievable – we are still actually trying to understand and digest what’s happened.” Looking ahead, she stated: “I would like to take my children to show them my homeland, the civilisation, the very rich culture over there. “I wish to go there as soon as I can to be honest.”