Why we must back the Kurds, and Syria's political future post-Assad, with Matt Broomfield and Leila Al-Shami

In the years since Syria’s civil war began in 2011, the country has been slowly drifting away from the mainstream media spotlight. But on 8 December, everything changed.

Turkish-backed opposition forces declared Syria liberated from the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad, capturing the capital Damascus in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

So what does the future hold for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria? Will the Kurds realize their dream of self-governance under the defacto HTS authority? What remains of the country's political opposition and labour movements, and how can the international community support a fair and equal redistribution of power for Syrians?

Matt Broomfield and Leila Al-Shami provide some answers.

Guests: Leila Al-Shami and Matt Broomfield

Host: Maxine Betteridge-Moes

Credits: Maxine Betteridge-Moes (Producer), Amy Hall, Bethany Rielly, Conrad Landin, Nick Dowson (Co-editors), Paula Lacey (Editorial assistant), Samuel Raffnell-Williams (Theme music), Nazik Hamza (Audio Editor), Mari Fouz (Logo Design)

0:32 The day everything changed

3:02 Introducing Matt Broomfield

4:36 The Kurdish forces and their role in defeating ISIS

6:08 Turkey's attacks on Syria

7:41 Trump’s impact on the region

11:50 What cards can Turkey play?

12:45 The relationship between the autonomous administration and the HTS

14:03 Israel's expansion and occupation

16:41 How can post-Assad Syria benefit from Kurdish input

20:34 Introducing Leila Al-Shami

26:34 Does a secular society best represent Syria's diverse social fabric?

29:21 How can people on the left in Syria and beyond challenge neoliberal restructuring?

31:33 Nothing can be worse than Assad

33:52 Further reading

Further reading:

The war isn't over (Matt Broomfield, in our forthcoming March/April 2025 issue - subscribe here)

Where to now for Syria’s women? (Zaina Erhaim in New Internationalist)

Riad al-Turk’s Lifelong Struggle for a Free and Democratic Syria (Leila Al-Shami in New Internationalist)

Read NI 526 The Kurds: Betrayed again (New Internationalist, 2020)

Start your 30 day FREE trial of Currents to receive bi-weekly dispatches from the frontlines of progressive movements.

No billionaires. No media moguls. No corporate ads. Just truly independent, co-operative media.

Subscribe today and use the code THEWORLDUNSPUN for 20% off your first year of a print or digital subscription.