|
Syrian Opposition (2011–2024)
The Syrian opposition was an umbrella term for the Syrian revolutionary organizations that opposed Bashar al-Assad's Ba'athist Syria, Ba'athist regime during the Syrian Revolution and Syrian civil war. The opposition factions in Syria became active as grassroots movements during the mass demonstrations against the Ba'athist regime in Syria, Ba'athist regime. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) was the most prominent armed revolutionary group in the initial stages of the war; but it declined and became decentralized by 2015. By 2021, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had become the strongest armed faction within the Syrian opposition. In July 2011, as the situation Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war, turned into a civil war, defectors from the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, Syrian Armed Forces formed the Free Syrian Army. In August 2011, dissident groups operating from abroad formed a coalition called the Syrian National Council. A broader organization, the National Coalition of Syrian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syrian Revolution Flag
Since gaining full independence from France in 1946, Syria has used a number of different flags, all featuring the pan-Arab colours, pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red. Initially a green, white and black triband charged with three red five-pointed stars, known as the independence flag, was used. In Ba'athist Syria, this was replaced by the flag of the United Arab Republic with red, white and black tribands with either two or three green stars or charged with the national coat of arms. Following the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, the revolution flag, a modified version of the independence flag, began to be used within the country by the Syrian parliament and the Syrian caretaker government, and at Syrian embassies abroad. On 13 March 2025, an 2025 Interim Constitution of Syria, interim constitution made the independence flag the primary flag. However, the final text ultimately retained the revolution flag. Design Specifications Article 6 of the 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the fifth-largest city in the Arab world, and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. The earliest evidence of settlement in Amman dates to the 8th millennium BC in 'Ain Ghazal, home to the world's oldest statues of the human form. During the Iron Age, the city was known as ''Rabat Aman'', the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom. In the 3rd century BC, the city was renamed ''Philadelphia'' and became one of the ten Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis. Later, in the 7th century AD, the Rashidun Caliphate renamed the city Amman. Throughout most of the Islamic era, the city alternated between periods of devastation and periods of relative prosperity. Amman was largely abandoned during the Ottoman period from the 15 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Democracy
Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitive Election, elections while more expansive or maximalist definitions link democracy to guarantees of civil liberties and human rights in addition to competitive elections. In a direct democracy, the people have the direct authority to Deliberation, deliberate and decide legislation. In a representative democracy, the people choose governing officials through elections to do so. The definition of "the people" and the ways authority is shared among them or delegated by them have changed over time and at varying rates in different countries. Features of democracy oftentimes include freedom of assembly, freedom of association, association, personal property, freedom of religion and freedom of speech, speech, citizenship, consent of the governe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a political ideology that seeks to increase the political power, influence and self-determination of the people of one or more subnational regions. It focuses on the "development of a political or social system based on one or more" regions, and/or the national, normative, or economic interests of a specific region, group of regions or another subnational entity, gaining strength from or aiming to strengthen the "consciousness of and loyalty to a distinct region with a homogeneous population", similarly to nationalism. More specifically, "regionalism refers to three distinct elements: movements demanding territorial autonomy within unitary states; the organization of the central state on a regional basis for the delivery of its policies including regional development policies; political decentralization and regional autonomy". Regions may be delineated by administrative divisions, culture, language and religion, among others. Regionalists' demands occur in "stron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Assadism
Assadism is a Far-left politics, far-left variant of the Neo-Ba'athism, neo-Ba'athist ideology based on the policies and thinking of the Assad family, which governed Ba'athist Syria, Syria as a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Dynasty, hereditary dictatorship from 1971 to 2024.Sources describing Ba'athist Syria as a totalitarian state: * * * * * Assadism was characterized by Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, socialism, totalitarianism, extreme militarism, and a Hafez al-Assad's cult of personality, cult of personality around the Assad family. This period spanned the successive regimes of Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar al-Assad. The Assads rose to power as a result of the Corrective Movement (Syria), 1970 Syrian coup d'état, leading to the consolidation of Alawites, Alawite minority dominance within the Syrian Arab Armed Forces, military and General Intelligence Directorate (Syria), security forces. Their governance was largely characterized by nepotism, sectarianism, and eth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA; ) is a Big tent, big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition (2011–2024), Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces. The officers announced that the immediate priority of the Free Syrian Army was to safeguard the lives of protestors and civilians from the Syrian revolution#Crackdown, deadly crackdown by Bashar al-Assad's security apparatus; with the ultimate goal of accomplishing the objectives of the Syrian revolution, namely, the end to the decades-long reign of the ruling Assad dynasty, al-Assad family. (Pages 6, 14–17.) In late 2011, the FSA was the main Syrian military defectors group. Initially a formal military organization at its founding, its original command structure dissipated by 2016, and the FSA identity was later used by several different Syrian opposition to Bashar al-Assad, Syrian opposition groups. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Authenticity And Development Front
The Authenticity and Development Front () is an alliance of rebel groups that is active during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance is considered to be moderate by Charles Lister (from Middle East Institute)Charles ListerYes, there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters in Syria. Here’s what we know about them, ''The Spectator'', 27 November 2015 and the BBC.Guide to the Syrian rebels ''BBC'', 13 December 2013 Background The coalition includes Islamists, military defectors, and former civilians. Although the alliance uses Syrian ind ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheikh Al-Karama Forces
The Sheikh al-Karama Forces is a Druze militia group based in the As-Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria, that emerged during the Syrian civil war. Composed of Druze locals, the group was led by two brothers who are the sons of the founder of another Druze militia group called the Men of Dignity. Despite the group clashing with Syrian government forces and Hezbollah on numerous occasions, it was not part of the nationwide Free Syrian Army or general Syrian opposition. Members of the Druze community and the group were targeted by the Syrian Ba'athist government, the group claims that several members of the Druze community in the Suwayda governorate were arrested and tortured under terrorism charges. History Men of Dignity The Men of Dignity emerged in 2014 with supporters of Wahid al-Balous who was a dissident of the government in the Druze community and initially called for the removal of the Syrian government. However, he and his movement were noted as neither being s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Jabal Brigade
The Al-Jabal Brigade (, ) is a Druze militia operating primarily in the al-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria. Established during the Syrian civil war, the group has been involved in various military operations and has played a significant role in regional security dynamics. Background The Al-Jabal Brigade emerged amidst the fragmentation of the Syrian conflict. Its formation reflected localized efforts by Assad loyalists to assert control and protect communities in the predominantly Druze region of al-Suwayda and was aimed at community defense. Activities The group has conducted military operations against opposition forces, including rocket attacks on regime headquarters. The Al-Jabal Brigade has also participated in suppressing dissent within al-Suwayda, reflecting its alignment with government forces in some instances. The faction allied with Druze militia Men of Dignity and the armed wing of the Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party, Eagles of the Whirlwind, in July ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
As-Suwayda
Suwayda (), also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Druze city located in southern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Suwayda Governorate, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South, Daraa Governorate in the West and Rif Dimashq Governorate in the north and east. The city is referred to by some as "Little Venezuela" due to the city's influx of affluent Venezuelan Syrian immigrants. Many of them originally emigrated from Suweida in the nineteenth century, so when their descendants returned, they brought back the Spanish language and South American culture. History Ancient and Medieval eras The city was founded by the Nabataeans as Suada. It became known as Dionysias Soada () in the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire, for the god Dionysus, patron of wine - the city is situated in a famous ancient wine-producing region. The name ''Dionysias'' replaced the former Nabataean name in 149 AD after Nabataean influence decreased and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ahrar Al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya (), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, was a coalition of multiple Sunni Islamist units that coalesced into a single brigade and later a division in order to fight against the Syrian Government led by Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian Civil War. Ahrar al-Sham was led by Hassan Aboud until his death in 2014. In July 2013, Ahrar al-Sham had 10,000 to 20,000 fighters, which at the time made it the second most powerful unit fighting against al-Assad, after the Free Syrian Army. It was the principal organization operating under the umbrella of the Syrian Islamic Front and was a major component of the Islamic Front. With an estimated 20,000 fighters in 2015, Ahrar al-Sham became the largest rebel group in Syria after the Free Syrian Army became less powerful. Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam were the main rebel groups supported by Turkey. On 18 February 2018, Ahrar al-Sham merged with the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement to form the Syrian Lib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
