The Syrian civil war, which broke out in the spring of 2011, has thoroughly and irreversibly changed the face of Syria, but also of the broader Middle East. Moreover, the bloody conflict has had a lasting impact on the world, as seen most clearly during the massive refugee waves in the summer of 2015 and the subsequent terrorist attacks across Europe. Most importantly, although technically a civil war, the conflict in Syria involves numerous foreign powers, both directly and indirectly, making it a kind of miniature world war fought within a confined area. The war has recently entered its 15th year, with no end in sight.
No End to Syria’s Suffering
Although the regime of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 and large parts of Syria were taken over by the Islamist fundamentalist terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS — a rebranded Al-Qaeda) led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani (a.k.a. Ahmad al-Sharaa), the Syrian question remains far from resolved. The country is divided into several separate zones (with additional factional divisions within those zones), and the war continues, as does the suffering of the civilian population. HTS has shown that “a leopard doesn’t change its spots” when its soldiers massacred several hundred members of the minority Alawite community in early March. On March 29, al-Sharaa appointed a new transitional government that includes Christians, Druze, and Alawites, but it’s unlikely that such technical changes will bring any real stabilization.
Western mainstream media often present the cause of the war and the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people (possibly over a million) as a popular uprising against an evil and corrupt dictator, Assad. While the reasons for the war are certainly complex, it is important to remember what kind of country Syria was before 2011. Although today Syria may be the most chaotic country in the world, just 15 years ago it was a very different place. The Syrian Arab Republic, despite the limitations of its authoritarian one-party rule, was a relatively advanced Arab state that could serve as a model for others in the region.
A Little-Known Recent History
Bashar al-Assad came to power in July 2000, succeeding his late father, President Hafez al-Assad. The first protests against his regime, triggered by the Arab Spring, occurred in March 2011. During that ten-year period, Syria experienced both good and bad times, and the situation was far from ideal, especially in democratic terms. However, in retrospect, Assad’s Syria was a multicultural country of peace, prosperity, tourism, and steady economic growth. One could even argue it was a period of relative affluence, especially in light of the horrors that followed. Before 2011, the country was at peace, with no major protests, strikes, or uprisings. Syria was a fairly prosperous country, admired not only in the Middle East but beyond.
A Life Out of One Thousand and One Nights
Before the outbreak of civil war, Syria was a vibrant country full of energy. Its young population numbered over 22 million, many of whom lived lives similar to those in developed Western countries. Music, fashion, and sports were among the most popular pastimes for Syrians. In 2010, the most popular search terms on the internet were Arab Idol, bodybuilding, summer fashion, and American singer Miley Cyrus. FC Barcelona football videos were wildly popular on YouTube. That same year, the virtual band Gorillaz became the biggest Western act to perform in Syria. The bustling markets of old Damascus and Aleppo were lively, and despite Western economic sanctions, the country had a budding IT industry. It was also the textile capital of the region.
Syria was an authentic example of a multicultural and multireligious society where different Christian factions (Catholics, Greek Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants), Muslims (Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites), Jews, and other ethnic and religious groups had lived together in peace for centuries. For example, before the war, it was easy to walk through Old Damascus — from predominantly Muslim areas to Christian quarters — without crossing any conflict lines. Church towers and mosque minarets stood side by side. There were numerous places where Christians, Muslims, Kurds, and Arabs shared cafés, restaurants, and art galleries, with no visible ethnic or religious divisions. In fact, five popes of the Roman Catholic Church are of Syrian origin.
Tolerance and Openness to the World
Syria has always been an open society, embracing Western culture like no other Arab state. The country was secular, and Sharia law was unconstitutional. Women were not required to wear the veil or burqa. Syrian women had equal rights to healthcare and education as men. Prior to the war, Syria was the only country in the region without internal uprisings or ethnic conflict. Christians made up about 10% of the population and had the right to buy land and build churches — unlike in most Arab countries where Christian populations comprise less than 1%.
An Economic Boom
Between 2000 and 2010, Syria’s GDP tripled. At the same time, the government managed to reduce the public debt-to-GDP ratio from 150% to just 30% — an extraordinary achievement. Syria was so stable that after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, it became the number one destination for Iraqi refugees fleeing the ensuing civil war. By 2010, Syria hosted about one million Iraqi refugees — a testament to the humanitarian stance of Assad’s government. He wasn’t obliged to accept them; it was a gesture of goodwill.
A Tourist Haven
Before 2011, Syria boasted a rapidly growing tourism industry. It was a favorite destination for large numbers of tourists and the safest and most liberal country in the Middle East, although it had long been overshadowed by Mediterranean tourism giants like Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, and Cyprus. In 2010, The New York Times ranked Syria as the 7th most desirable travel destination in the world. Syria not only offered beautiful beaches in Tartus and Latakia, but also a wealth of ancient cities — including several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The capital, Damascus, with its rich history, was known as a tolerant and lively city where one could easily learn Arabic. Damascus was named the Arab Capital of Culture in 2008.
Syrian cuisine, especially that of ancient Aleppo, was considered the best in the Middle East. Bakeries and pastry shops were found on nearly every corner. Tourists came to see Roman ruins, vast deserts, bustling urban markets, ancient beaches, and mosques dating back to the early days of Islam. Syria had been a hub of art and culture since 3,000 BCE, shaped by civilizations such as the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Islamic.
Tourism filled not only the Syrian state budget but also the coffers of private restaurateurs and craftsmen. According to Syria’s Ministry of Tourism, around 8.5 million foreign tourists visited Syria in 2010 — a 40% increase in tourism revenue compared to 2009. In fact, more tourists visited Syria that year than visited Australia (5.8 million). Thanks to these tourist arrivals, Syrians earned almost $8.4 billion in 2010. Tourism accounted for about 13.5% of GDP and 13% of all jobs in the country. At the same time, the government invested billions into enhancing the country’s diverse tourism offerings. The following year, when war broke out, Syria earned just $1.8 billion.
Assad – the Most Popular Arab Leader
The excellent results before the war were then attributed to Syria’s improved international position, particularly Damascus’ rapprochement with the West. In the years leading up to the war, many Western dignitaries visited Syria, such as Pope John Paul II, Tony Blair, Nicholas Sarkozy, Jimmy Carter, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, and others. Today, this may seem ironic, but it was the reality at the time.
It should be emphasized that the millions of tourists who visited Syria each year had the freedom of movement, which proves that there was freedom in the country and that most Syrians were happy with their government. If Assad had been the unpopular dictator that many want to portray him as today, he would never have allowed foreigners free movement across his territory. Polls support this claim. In 2009, CNN conducted a survey across many Middle Eastern countries in which Assad won the title of Person of the Year with a significant 66% of the vote. That same year, the research center Zogby Analytics conducted a poll on which leader Arabs admired most outside their own country, and Assad came in first, despite the fact that Syrians themselves were not allowed to vote.
Monetary Independence
Syria was one of the few countries whose central bank was owned and actually controlled by the national government. In other words, Syria managed its national currency—the Syrian pound—so that it served the Syrian people, rather than global bankers operating in New York, London, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, etc. This meant that the amount of currency printed by the central bank aligned with the real needs of the economy, labor, and production, benefiting the Syrian people. Syria had no debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank. The IMF, controlled by global mega-bankers, acts as their auditor and enforcer when weak states fall into debt crises. Assad’s Syria and Gaddafi’s Libya rejected such practices as immoral. These facts show some of the reasons why regime change in Syria was a priority for foreign powers.
Syria was also one of the few countries to legally ban genetically modified (GMO) food. Assad banned GMOs to “protect human health,” fully aware that the American multinational agricultural corporation Monsanto controls a large portion of the global food market using questionable practices. Monsanto knows that future wars will be fought over food and clean water, and thus seeks to control as much of the supply chain as possible. Syria is a country rich in natural resources, with oil reserves estimated at about 2.5 billion barrels (as of 2011) and natural gas reserves of 8.5 trillion cubic feet (2011). Only state-owned companies were allowed to exploit these resources, making Syria the only such country on the Mediterranean.
A Rich History and a Dark Present
It can be concluded that Syria before 2011 was a stable country with a functional and sustainable economy, seemingly on a path toward future prosperity. Its multicultural society functioned well. But there were also serious problems, primarily the lack of democracy, with dissidents ending up in prison or exile. Internal issues contributed to the outbreak of protests and war, alongside external geopolitical factors. The paragraphs above show that reality is not black and white, and this should always be kept in mind when analyzing the causes of the Syrian war.
The war destroyed the economy, infrastructure, and the social fabric of the country, displacing millions of Syrians across the globe. Despite efforts at reconstruction and stabilization, Syria remains a battleground for geopolitical power struggles, and its future is anything but certain. All of this could have been avoided if there had been more wisdom—both within Syria and outside of it.
Author: Matija Šerić
Featured image: AI